For support with planning or preparing an application under the Strategic Partnership route, please contact us.
Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3
The Strategic Partnership Route
The SHF Wave 3 Strategic Partnership route will enable a small number of social housing providers to propose projects of “significant scale”, which means installing retrofit decarbonisation measures to multiple thousands of homes. To be eligible, applicants must have a proven record of delivering projects successfully at this scale.
Grant recipients will not be required to provide details of specific homes or measures until works have been carried out. However, their bids must meet certain strategic priorities.
Strategic Priorities
The Fund has the following strategic priorities:
Delivery at Scale
Bid should seek to improve at least 4,000 homes.
Building Capacity in the Retrofit Sector
Through the development of consortia, Strategic Partners have the opportunity to support less experienced landlords to build the skills and capacity to start retrofitting their stock and developing their retrofit supply chains. Support could take many forms, such as:
- the sharing of knowledge, contacts and resources
- supply chain development
- training and apprenticeships
- data-gathering
- support for subcontractors to become accredited via PAS/MCS/TrustMark.
Delivery of Low Carbon Heating
Bids should seek to install low carbon heating in a significant number of homes, and trial different systems so that the results can be evaluated and shared.
Innovation
Innovation could take numerous forms. Examples include developing mixed approaches to mixed-tenure retrofit, taking an area-based approach to procurement, adopting blended funding approaches, collaboration on retrofitting estates owned by multiple social landlords, and the use of new smart technologies for system monitoring and control.
Use of Private Finance Solutions
Applicants are encouraged to explore how innovative finance solutions can be employed as part of retrofit projects to increase uptake by private households.
Assessing Strategic Partners Bids
Initial applications will be judged against the following criteria:
Strategic fit: how well the proposal fits with the aims, outcomes and eligibility criteria of the Strategic Partnerships route
How SBS Can Help
Our size, experience and specialist expertise allow us to offer our clients effective support in meeting all the stated criteria.
As one of the UK’s largest turnkey solutions providers, we have delivered under all previous phases of SHDF – from the Demonstrator to Wave 2. We have a thorough understanding of the fund’s aims, outcomes and eligibility criteria, and an excellent record of delivering at scale. We have supported clients with numerous successful bids, all featuring multiple measures and adhering to whole-house, fabric-first principles and taking a multi-tenure, area-based approach.
In addition, to help maximise the benefits of planned works, we have introduced innovative private finance tools to make retrofit decarbonisation measures affordable and accessible to local private households (i.e. ‘infill’ properties).
Delivery forecast: an assessment of the project plan, including proposed costs
How SBS Can Help
We are highly adept and bringing stakeholder partners together from the earliest stages to develop effective plans that ensure effective planning, resourcing, mobilisation and delivery. This includes a nationwide network of comprehensively vetted, well-proven supply chain partners.
Decarbonisation lies at the core of our work so we have robust procedures for ensuring certainty on costs. We are assisted in this by the other companies in the same group, which give us tight control over material costs. Being able to order in advance and in bulk yields cost-savings and protects our clients from costs and delays arising from material shortages.
Commercial assurance: an assessment of the feasibility and credibility of the commercial agreements and procurement strategy
How SBS Can Help
SBS is listed on all major retrofit and decarbonisation frameworks, and we provide a clear, fast and efficient route for procurement. We have long, well-established working relationships with our supply chain partners and with numerous clients. Recognising that we deliver value for money, many of them have worked with us for five or more years and have renewed their contracts with us multiple times.
Delivery assurance: an assessment of the feasibility and credibility of the project, with particular reference to the applicant’s previous delivery experience
How SBS Can Help
our ability to plan, manage and deliver successful decarbonisation schemes is at the core of our business. Accordingly, we are accredited to PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 and are registered with Trustmark. We provide a robust framework for multi-partner project planning, risk management and delivery.
Importantly, we self-deliver; with around 300 fully trained installers, we have the staff, teams and resources to deliver projects without recourse to subcontractors and without making our schemes vulnerable to the risks and delays that subcontractors can sometimes introduce.
Our expertise in the field and the added value we offer have both been recognised in recent industry awards. We were named the Retrofit Academy’s Contractor of the Year in successive years: first in 2023 and again in 2024.
Applicants will be required to provide a detailed breakdown and justification of project costs, and an explanation of how they support cost-effective progress towards SHF Wave 3 objectives.
