The National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP) 2008-11 bid round consists of four stages

• Pre-qualification; 
• Bidding; 
• Bids assessment; and 
• Programme approval

This page will be updated with information and links to documentation as the bid round progresses.

Pre-qualification

The National Affordable Housing Programme 2008-11 will commence on 1 April 2008.  But the process to develop the programme started with the Housing Corporation’s Future Approaches to Investment discussion in late 2006, in which we signalled the direction of travel for the new programme. 

In order to participate in the bidding round, organisations were invited to pre-qualify for Investment Partner status.  The pre-qualification process, in which prospective partners were judged against their submissions on technical ability (technical standards are described by our documents Design and Quality Strategy and Design and Quality Standards), financial capacity and good standing commenced in early April 2007.  To accompany the pre-qualification process, we published a Pre-Prospectus.  In it we set out our strategic approach to investment and the aims we expect to achieve over the duration of the programme. 

In late July we announced our newly expanded list of accredited Investment Partners.  The Corporation now has 115 organisations that have achieved Investment Partners status who are able to participate in the NAHP 2008-11 bid round which commences early September 2007.

The second pre-qualification round.

Organisations now have a further opportunity to pre-qualify and should refer to the information with the pre-qualification process.  This second pre-qualification round commences on the 26 February and will close at midday on 24 April 2008.

Bidding

In contrast to previous programmes, the Corporation has not allocated all of the available resource through the initial bidding round and for the start of 2008/09.  This will allow providers to access investment for new development opportunities, through additional market engagements, arising during the course of the Programme. 

Additional allocations will be made on a three or six monthly basis, as appropriate, through to October 2010 (or when resources are fully committed) and are available to Investment Partners only.  Applicants who successfully pre-qualify as part of this second PQQ round will be eligible to bid for grant for qualifying schemes in any future market engagement following pre-qualification.

Bids assessment

Assessment of bids is carried out at a regional level by Housing Corporation regional investment teams. Bids are assessed against four principal criteria, these are:

• Value in terms of public subsidy per home and per person housed; 
• Quality judged using our Design and Quality standards;
• Deliverability with particular concern for planning status; and 
• Policy fit with national, regional and local strategies.

The Housing Corporation places great importance on good programme management by bidding organisations post bids.  Responsibility for the delivery of milestones, appropriate and timely warning of any problems with delivery and accurate maintenance of forecast and delivery data on the Corporation’s Investment Management System (IMS) lies with successful bidding organisations.

Click here for guidance on the Bids System. 

Click here for the Capital Funding Guide.

Delivery of LCHO by charitable RSLs and taxation liability guidance
 
Guidance has been published by the Charity Commission and appears on their website at www.charity-commission.gov.uk  The guidance provides information and advice for charitable registered social landlords on delivering charitable shared-ownership housing and the implications for taxation liability.