Introduction

Homes England has released detailed guidance for bidding into the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026–2036, setting out what organisations need to evidence when the application window opens at 1pm on Tuesday 24 February 2026. With £27.3bn in funding available nationally (excluding London) and a strong emphasis on early delivery, housing associations and registered providers will need a clear understanding of how both the Continuous Market Engagement (CME) and Strategic Partnership routes will operate.

This article breaks down the guidance, highlights what Homes England expects from applicants, and supports providers in choosing the route that best fits their development ambitions and risk appetite.

Bidding under the Continuous Market Engagement (CME) route

Homes England’s updated CME guidance continues to offer a flexible route for organisations that want to deliver outside the scale required for Strategic Partnerships. Both the general and portfolio CME routes remain open, making the programme accessible for small and medium-sized partners, local authorities, new entrants, and those delivering specialist, supported, or rural schemes.

What CME portfolio bids need to demonstrate

CME Portfolio bids are designed to give providers funding certainty for a group of sites, helping to de-risk pipelines, speed up delivery, and maximise development capacity. To qualify, portfolio bids should:

• Identify a clearly named group of sites within a wider development pipeline
• Include schemes that can start on site by 31 March 2028 and complete by 31 March 2032
• Deliver 300–500 new social and affordable homes — below the Strategic Partnership minimum
• Show a track record of delivery, or—for newer providers—evidence from similar development activity
• Provide assurance of organisational capacity to deliver at the proposed scale
• Demonstrate compliance with the Regulator of Social Housing’s standards (minimum V1/V2, G1/G2, C1–C3 ratings)
• Evidence board approval and clarity over wider funding sources

Homes England will assess CME portfolio bids on their value for money, strategic fit, and deliverability. Funding can be sought for one or more development schemes at any point during the programme, subject to availability.

Bidding under the Strategic Partnerships route

The Strategic Partnerships route is aimed at providers ready to deliver large-scale, long‑term programmes. The guidance outlines four entry routes — Land-Led RP, Local Authority, Specialist and Supported, and Developer Delivery — each with minimum delivery numbers and funding caps.

Key requirements for new and existing Strategic Partners

• New Strategic Partners must deliver 800–1,500 homes by 31 March 2036, depending on the route.
• They must also work within an initial £250m funding cap.
• Existing Strategic Partners face higher expectations. For example, Strategic Partnership Plus bids require delivery of 4,000 additional homes, including 1,000 completions by 31 March 2029.

What Strategic Partnership bids must include

Bids must address a wide range of information, including:

• Tenure mix across Social Rent, Affordable Rent, Supported Housing, and Shared Ownership
• Regional allocations across Homes England regions and EMSAs
• How the bid will deliver SAHP priorities through diverse delivery models
• Details of delivery plans, including:
  • MMC utilisation (including MMC Categories 1–2 and schemes achieving at least 55% PMV)
  • Types of sites (brownfield/greenfield)
  • Regeneration activity
  • SME involvement
  • Pipeline evidence around land ownership and planning status
• A full breakdown of grant requirements, costs, assumptions (inflation, debt interest), and non-grant funding
• Wider organisational development plans during the programme period
• Responses to nine questions explaining the provider’s rationale for entering a Strategic Partnership

Homes England will assess Strategic Partnership bids on value for money, strategic alignment, and deliverability. This route closes on Wednesday 15 April 2026, with further rounds expected — each open for six weeks.

Conclusion

SAHP 2026–2036 represents a major opportunity for housing associations and registered providers looking to expand social and affordable housing supply. The new guidance makes it clear, however, that Homes England expects earlier delivery, stronger pipelines, and clear evidence of organisational readiness.

Providers should now assess whether the CME or Strategic Partnership route best supports their ambitions and risk appetite — and begin preparing bids while funding remains available.

Capsticks’ view

Homes England’s guidance places welcome emphasis on greater structure, transparency, and accountability in affordable housing delivery. The increased scoring weight for Social Rent and supported housing aligns well with sector priorities and should help providers shape bids around genuine local need.

However, the expectations for Strategic Partnerships are undeniably more demanding. The requirement for robust pipeline evidence — including land position, planning status, MMC adoption, cost detail, and strategic alignment with EMSAs — means partners will need to undertake significant preparatory work. For many organisations, this may require earlier internal decision-making, stronger programme governance, and deeper collaboration across development, finance, and asset teams.

We anticipate further guidance from Homes England as the programme evolves, and we will continue to share updates on key changes, clarifications, and emerging themes.

How Capsticks can help

If you have questions about the new SAHP guidance, or you’re planning to bid for funding and want support navigating the grant funding agreement, please get in touch with Darren Hooker or Georgia Moon to discuss how Capsticks can help.