Not-for-profit organisations can apply for grants and social investments of between £100,000 and £175,000.

The application period is open from 14th September until 1st November 2015.

This will be the second time the Nationwide Foundation has offered a funding programme to bring empty properties back into use, with the existing programme on track to create 63 homes. There are many organisations around the UK which have built up a wealth of experience in the last few years of how to carry out these renovations effectively and efficiently, as well offering wider community benefits, such as opportunities for local people to gain new skills and increase their employability.

The Nationwide Foundation’s new programme will fund the following:

The Nationwide Foundation is particularly interested in projects which:

Applicants can apply for grant funding or a social investment or a combination of the two, depending on which is the most appropriate for the scheme. Organisations interested in applying should visit the Nationwide Foundation’s website to check the full criteria and access the online application.

Lorna Mackie, programme manager for the Nationwide Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be launching a new empty properties funding programme. Our previous funding in this area has been very successful and is contributing to the creation of 63 homes for people in housing need. This time our fund is even bigger, and with the recent closure of the Government’s Empty Homes Community Grants Programme, we know that there are many organisations which have gathered lots of experience in bringing empty properties back into use and are now looking for funding.”