Applications to the tenants’ voice grant programme

The Nationwide Foundation is now assessing applications to its grants programme for projects that strengthen the voice of private rented sector tenants. We are no longer accepting applications, so please do not apply.

The Nationwide Foundation wants to help create a future of private renting where tenants are able to access and sustain their tenancies; where landlords deliver a high quality of service to tenants; where tenants have a strong voice in the debates about housing; and where tenants have robust rights which are effectively enforced.

We believe that tenants should be central to any changes to the private rented sector (PRS). Yet at the moment their voices are often absent in meaningful debate. We know that there is already a lot of work happening to strengthen tenants’ voice and we want to support this emerging movement.

We have a dedicated stream of funding to strengthen, support and champion the growth of tenants’ voice work, so that PRS tenants have more of a say in the issues that affect their lives and homes.

This fund closed for expressions of interest on 18 November 2018 and applications are now being assessed. Please do not apply for this fund.

What we will be funding

In the spring of 2019 we expect to announce the successful projects. We will be funding work that will improve the ability of PRS tenants to have a voice in their personal housing issues or in housing matters in their local area. Work funded by the Nationwide Foundation will be with people in housing need (see more on this later).

When assessing applications for this programme, we will be looking for:

  • Organisations running projects that were set-up by or are delivered by tenants
  • Organisations and projects working at all stages of our tenants’ voice programme theory of change, and we will fund different types of projects to learn and share best practice
  • Organisations that work with a range of tenants, including social housing tenants, however our funding will only be used to support PRS tenants
  • Partnership bids and co-funded projects with other funders.

Who could apply

  • Organisations that work directly with tenants
  • Organisations that are charities or constituted organisations (not individuals)
  • Organisations from across the UK

About our funding

  • We have £450,000 allocated to this programme
  • We do not set minimum or maximum grant limits, however we want to ensure that we can support a broad range of projects, so it’s unlikely we would fund a project with a grant of less than £25,000 or more than £250,000.
  • We will fund multi-year projects of up to three years
  • We support full-cost recovery; this means that we will fund the direct and indirect costs (overheads) of running the project

People in housing need

Not all private tenants are vulnerable, but living in the PRS does carry potential problems, and some private renters are disadvantaged by their tenure. The Nationwide Foundation’s definition of PRS tenants in need are those people whose personal characteristics and circumstances mean that they cannot avoid the potential problems of living in the private rented sector (insecurity, poor living conditions, high costs and severe lack of choice) which puts them at increased risk of harm. This harm can include poverty, homelessness, poor educational attainment, poor physical and mental health and dangerous, unsafe living conditions.

Timetable

  • 8 October 2018: Grants programme opens
  • 18 November 2018: Deadline for first stage expressions of interest. This deadline has passed and we are no longer accepting applications, so please do not apply.
  • December 2018: First stage shortlisting. Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified by the end of December
  • January 2019: Successful applicants visited and then shortlisted to second stage
  • February 2019: Second stage applicants invited to submit a full proposal
  • March 2019: Funding decisions made

 

Back to current funding