First Steps Enterprise Limited
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-10)

We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.

The Armed Forces Covenant

An enduring covenant between the people of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families

The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.

Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.

This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.

Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant

1.1 We First Steps Enterprise Limited will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- and in some circumstances that special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our commitment

2.1 First Steps Enterprise Limited recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by pledging to the following:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
We also pledge the following:

Employment support to members of the Armed Forces Community: We will fully offer our em-ployment services programme, Directions, and any relevant programme after it, to all ex-military personnel who meet the criteria of the relevant funder. This will include assistance for finding employment and accessing training, and help for those who are wishing to set up their own busi-ness. This service will be available for as long as the funding is. More widely, we will offer inter-views to all ex-personnel who apply for jobs within First Steps who meet statutory specification requirements for the job advertised. Communications, engagement and outreach: We will work in active partnership with organisa-tions supporting ex-military personnel, such as No Duff CIC in St Helens, Merseyside. We will of-fer our relevant services in partnership with them, Commercial: Whilst not the sole consideration, we will actively consider tenders for work from local companies led by ex-miliary personnel for any work required. Education: subject to funding, we will offer educational and training services through projects such as Directions, to all ex-military personnel Civic responsibilities: we will take our responsibilities as local business seriously in being an or-ganisation which supports and welcomes ex-military personnel.

2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and/or on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.