Open Call: BCP Homelessness Prevention Fund (United Kingdom)

Deadline: 01-Oct-2026

The BCP Homelessness Prevention Fund provides grants to local organisations in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) to support projects and services that prevent homelessness and reduce the risk of individuals and families becoming homeless. The programme is delivered by Dorset Community Foundation in partnership with BCP Council and The Royal Foundation, with funding made possible through the Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant (HRSDAG) from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The fund is influenced by the Homewards programme and places a strong emphasis on prevention, early intervention and tackling the underlying causes of homelessness before people reach crisis point.

About the BCP Homelessness Prevention Fund

The BCP Homelessness Prevention Fund is designed to help organisations intervene early and reduce the likelihood of homelessness occurring. Rather than focusing only on people who are already homeless, the programme supports interventions that address the factors that can lead to homelessness. This includes helping people before they need temporary accommodation, begin sleeping rough or experience hidden homelessness such as sofa surfing. The fund aims to strengthen local homelessness prevention across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole by supporting organisations that understand local needs and can deliver practical, early-stage interventions. What Does the Fund Support? The fund prioritises activities that tackle the root causes of homelessness upstream and reduce the likelihood that individuals or families will become homeless.

Projects may focus on:

- Supporting young people who are at risk of homelessness. - Providing earlier support and intervention before a housing crisis develops. - Reducing the risk of individuals and families losing their accommodation. - Preventing rough sleeping and the need for temporary accommodation. - Addressing hidden homelessness, including sofa surfing. - Continuing, expanding or adapting existing services. - Piloting innovative approaches to homelessness prevention. - Developing and launching new services. - Strengthening collaboration between organisations and service providers. - Involving people with lived experience in the design and development of services. Priority may be given to organisations working with young people, collaborating with other providers, or actively involving people with lived experience in service design. How Much Funding Is Available? Organisations can apply for grants of up to £30,000. Applications for smaller amounts are also welcome, so organisations should request only the level of funding needed to deliver their proposed work effectively.

The grant period must be:

- A minimum of six months. - A maximum of 24 months. - Applications requesting more than £15,000 are expected to run for at least 12 months. Funding can support a range of costs associated with delivering homelessness prevention work. What Costs Can the Grant Cover? The BCP Homelessness Prevention Fund can support: - Core organisational costs related to the funded work. - Service delivery costs. - Reasonable capital costs directly connected to the project. - Costs associated with continuing existing services. - Costs of expanding or adapting existing services. - Costs of piloting new approaches. - Costs involved in launching new services. Applicants should demonstrate a clear connection between the requested expenditure and the homelessness prevention outcomes the project is expected to achieve. Who Is Eligible to Apply? The fund is open to eligible local voluntary, community and not-for-profit organisations, including: - Registered charities. - Constituted community and voluntary organisations. - Community benefit societies. - Community interest companies limited by guarantee. - Companies limited by guarantee with clear not-for-profit and charitable or social objectives. Applicants must meet specific governance and organisational requirements.

Organisations must have:

- At least three unrelated people responsible for governance. - A written constitution. - A bank account with two unrelated signatories. - Appropriate safeguarding policies. - Appropriate equality, diversity and inclusion policies. Schools are not eligible to apply directly. However, PTA groups may be eligible if they meet the fund’s requirements. Who Is Not Eligible?

The fund does not support:

- Promotion of religion. - Political causes. - Public bodies carrying out their statutory obligations. - Animal welfare organisations. - Retrospective funding. Applicants should ensure that their project is focused on homelessness prevention and early intervention rather than activities outside the programme’s objectives. What Makes a Strong Application? A strong application should clearly explain the homelessness risk being addressed and demonstrate how the proposed intervention will prevent that risk from escalating.

Applicants should consider demonstrating:

- A clear understanding of local homelessness issues. - Evidence that the proposed intervention addresses an underlying cause of homelessness. - Early intervention before people reach crisis point. - Clear benefits for individuals, families or young people at risk. - Practical and achievable project activities. - Strong partnerships with other relevant service providers where appropriate. - Meaningful involvement of people with lived experience. - A realistic project budget. - Clear outcomes that can demonstrate how the project will reduce homelessness risk. Projects that simply respond after homelessness has already occurred may be less aligned with the fund’s prevention-focused approach than projects that demonstrate how earlier intervention can prevent homelessness from developing. How to Prepare an Application Before applying, organisations should make sure they meet the governance and eligibility requirements.

Applicants should prepare:

- A clear description of the h