Aims/priorities: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is providing this grant programme over the next three years to support the work of the voluntary and community sector in tackling homelessness across England.
The Programme is divided into four individually biddable lots, each with a different objective:
Lot 1 - Increase the capacity and capability of the sector to prevent and relieve rough sleeping and homelessness.
- Provide digital, online resources to deliver high volume, quality housing and homelessness raining to a range of audiences.
- Support the sector to access and develop the latest and most innovative best practice guidance in working with people who are rough sleeping, homeless or at risk of homelessness.
- Deliver training to help public bodies meet their statutory obligations relating to homelessness issues.
- Enable the sector to identify and share best practice through a range of flexible learning approaches.
- Provide training and support for new and emerging leaders in the sector.
- Work with key agencies and groups to understand their learning needs and gaps.
Lot 2 - Deliver specific advice to help frontline workers resolve individual cases.
- Develop a specialist advice to offer homelessness and welfare advice to new and existing frontline audiences Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
- Offer specialist advice that is monitored and recorded, with outcomes followed up at regular intervals.
- Record information and latest trends on homelessness to inform the wider work of the Grants programme.
- Undertake constant evaluation which demonstrates how the use of digital tools increases the volume and reach of advice.
- Provide specialist adviser support to assist with complex and urgent cases.
- Continue to monitor potential Brexit and COVID-19 related changes to ensure that the specialist advice team can provide responsive expert advice.
Lot 3 - Enable stronger local strategic partnerships.
- Work with DLUHC in the assessment of local areas to identify positive and challenging partnerships.
- Identify barriers to collaboration in the voluntary, community and faith sectors.
- Develop local action plans with challenging areas.
- Ensure local resources, knowledge and networks are coordinated to effectively prevent and target homelessness and rough sleeping.
- Deliver a range of interventions to improve joined up working.
- Address poor relationships between local services.
- Identify gaps in service and how these can be resolved.
Lot 4 - Developing the faith and community sector.
- Support faith and community services to operate as safely as possible and enable them to work towards best practice.
- Coordinate and link faith and community groups' responses to rough sleeping and homelessness with established local provision and local authorities.
- Provide sector access to training and resources to effectively respond as we emerge from the pandemic and to deliver positive outcomes for people rough sleeping.
Who can apply? Applications will be accepted from one or more of the following types of organisations:
- A Charity – An organisation registered as a Charity with UK charity regulators.
- A Community Interest Company registered with Companies House.
- A Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity Commission.
- A Company Limited by Guarantee registered with Companies House.
- An unincorporated ‘Community group’ provided that it is:
- Established for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes;
- Has a governing body with at least three members;
- Has an inclusive membership policy;
- Has a governing document;
- Can provide accounts for the last two financial years;
- Has its own bank account; and
- Can hold land either by itself or via Trustees.
To be eligible, applicants must have a proven track record of:
- Providing specialist delivery within the homelessness sector.
- Working collaboratively with sector bodies and other statutory and voluntary agencies.
- Coordinating a multi-agency approach, ensuring maximum impact.
- Significant and appropriate sector links and networks.
- Ability to deliver services which add value to the work of DLUHC.
- Ability to adapt to changing needs, eg to work with other providers.
- Delivering projects which provide value for money.
Consortium bids are welcomed.
Grant amount: Each lot has its own individual budget:
- Lot 1: £850,000 to £1.2 million per annum.
- Lot 2: £750,000 to £950,000 per annum.
- Lot 3: £450,000 to £600,000 per annum.
- Lot 4: £175,000 to £225,000 per annum.
Application process: A funding prospectus and online application form can be found on the UK GOV website.
Deadline: 1 April 2022.
Contact information: Tel 030 3444 0000, Email vcfsgrantsprogramme@levellingup.gov.uk
Website address: www.gov.uk