SAHP 2026 to 2036: After applying
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-07)

Once you’ve secured a Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026 to 2036 funding allocation, there are requirements to meet before funding is paid.

Investment Partner qualification and customer due diligence checks

You must be a qualified Investment Partner (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-be-an-investment-partner-for-the-affordable-homes-programme) to receive grant funding from Homes England.

Investment Partner status is a Homes England qualification. It means that you:

are eligible to be a partner — for example, registered providers must be delivering outcomes that meet standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH)

have the financial and technical capacity to deliver your proposed scheme or schemes

have financial and legal ‘good standing’ — for example, you have the full power and authority to enter into an agreement with Homes England

You can apply for Investment Partner status:

at the same time as you submit a bid for funding under the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026 to 2036 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/social-and-affordable-homes-programme-sahp-2026-to-2036)

after your bid has been successful and you’ve secured a funding allocation

Your application will be reviewed after assessment of your bid for SAHP funding.

Homes England will not require existing Investment Partners already delivering in the Affordable Homes Programme 2021 to 2026 to reapply for Investment Partner qualification. Confirmation of Investment Partner status for the SAHP will be reviewed as part of our annual Continuous Qualification process to ensure your continued good standing and viability. This may include requests for additional information or further confirmations to be provided.

Find out how to apply for Investment Partner status (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-be-an-investment-partner-for-the-affordable-homes-programme). We may also ask you to supply ‘Know Your Customer’ information for our customer due diligence process (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-due-diligence-forms-for-the-affordable-homes-programme-2021-to-2026) once you’ve secured a funding allocation.

Role of the Regulator of Social Housing

The Regulator of Social Housing (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/regulator-of-social-housing) (RSH) will notify Homes England when any proposal to award grant potentially results in a registered provider failing to deliver the outcomes of the Governance and Financial Viability Standard.

For all grant investment decisions, we will take into consideration whether the registered provider is currently delivering the outcomes of RSH’s regulatory standards.

A registered provider, having received a funding allocation, may subsequently receive a regulatory decision or judgement that indicates they are not delivering the outcomes of RSH’s regulatory standards. Where this occurs, we may review that allocation and the registered provider’s Investment Partner status.

Grant agreement

All partners receiving grant funding from the SAHP will need to enter into a standard form grant agreement or associated deed with Homes England.

Grant is given on terms and conditions Homes England considers appropriate. The grant agreement outlines these contractual terms and details the obligations required to be met to receive funding. The grant agreements include, but are not limited to, the representations and warranties, applicable standards, defaults and repayment. The grant agreement works concurrently with the Homes England system, Capital Funding Guide and the Recovery Determination.

Standard form grant agreements will be available in late 2025 or early 2026.

Receiving grant payments

All funding advanced is governed by the contractual terms outlined within a partners grant agreement or applicable deed.

CME payments

Funding will be paid to registered providers and local authorities upon the achievement of delivery milestones. In most cases this will be apportioned as:
- 40% at site acquisition
- 35% at start on site (or 75% if a site acquisition is not claimed or does not apply)
- 25% at practical completion
Funding will be paid to unregistered bodies in the same way if a satisfactory form of security is provided. Where this has not been provided, 100% of grant will be paid at practical completion.

The apportioned percentages may vary depending on conditions outlined in a partner’s grant agreement. This can vary between 100% of grant being paid at practical completion or 95% of grant being paid upon first payment.

Strategic Partnership payments

Funding will be paid to registered providers and local authorities quarterly, in arrears against eligible development expenditure. Partners will need to provide satisfactory evidence of eligible development expenditure having been incurred during the previous quarter to deliver identified schemes in which they have secure legal interest.

Funding will be paid to registered providers and unregistered bodies delivering via the Developer delivery route upon achievement of applicable delivery milestones (quarterly, in arrears) and in most cases this will be apportioned as:
- 40% at site acquisition
- 35% at start on site (75% if a site acquisition is not claimed or does not apply)
- 25% at practical completion
Funding can only be paid to unregistered bodies upon achievement of delivery milestones where a satisfactory form of security is provided. Where security has not been provided, 100% of grant will be paid at practical completion.

Grant drawdown must be supported by satisfactory evidence of eligible development expenditure having been incurred during the previous quarter to deliver identified schemes that the RP or unregistered body in which they have a secure legal interest.

Monitoring and reporting on progress

Partners are expected to manage their spend and delivery profile in line with the grant agreement. We will monitor spend and delivery regularly through agreed programme governance.

Partners must report on delivery at regular intervals. This includes providing data and metrics relating to the strategic priorities of the programme.

An annual compliance audit on a sample of schemes is carried out, to ensure partners have met their contractual obligations. Partners are notified if selected for audit and must appoint an independent auditor to carry out an independent review.

Strategic Partners will be required to complete an annual review of grant payments via a statement of grant usage.

The Capital Funding Guide contains detailed information on reporting and audit requirements.

Further information can be found in guidance on the Compliance Audit process (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/compliance-audit).

Transparency with costs and spending

Homes England publish information relating to the costs and spending of schemes funded through the SAHP. As a condition of funding, there are contractual obligations for partners around the sharing and publishing of grant related information.

Partners are required to adhere to the terms of the grant agreement, including supplying information when requested and adhering to publication parameters.

Contact Homes England

If you would like to discuss a potential bid or have any queries, you can contact Homes England with SAHP 2026 to 2036 queries (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-homes-england-ahp-2021-to-2026-or-sahp-2026-to-2036).