New applications welcome – the Building Safety Fund re-opened for new applicants

On 28 July 2022 the Building Safety Fund re-opened for new applications. The Fund was previously announced in March 2020 and had been available for residential buildings over 18 metres where applicants registered before 31 July 2020.

New applications for funding may now be made from responsible entities of private or social sector buildings that meet the following criteria (with adaptions since 2020):

• 18 metres or above;
• with at least one qualifying residential leaseholder (with the exception of social-sector landlords applying due to financial viability concerns);
• with cladding, as defined in the PAS 9980:2022 code of practice (this is discussed in Annex A of the Fund guidance linked here);
• with a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Wall construction (FRAEW) following the PAS 9980:2022 methodology which recommends actions to address fire risks to life safety presented by the external wall system.

The guidance states that application will be subject to technical checks and review and applicants will need to develop specifications for the remediation works for review.

The government has also announced that there will be a new fund for buildings which fall outside of the Fund that are 11 to 18 metres which will be funded by the Building Safety Levy and that there will be further guidance regarding this new fund over the coming months

The re-opening of the Fund has been welcomed by the industry and will continue the work to achieve safe homes.

A closing date for applications has not yet been confirmed but the government has stated that it will publish this with reasonable notice.