How to apply for the Building Safety Fund to remediate unsafe cladding

Funding applications to remediate unsafe cladding close on 30th June – Are you ready?

The Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has recently announced a six month extension to the deadline for applications to the Building Safety Fund.  Originally due to close on 31^st December 2020, it has now been extended to 30^th June 2021. 

What is the Building Safety Fund?

The Building Safety Fund is a source of funding designed to meet the capital costs of removing and replacing unsafe cladding systems on residential buildings over 18 metres, provided it does not contain asbestos (non-ACM cladding). 

Who can apply to the Building Safety Fund?

Building owners, freeholders or the responsible entity can apply.  Effectively those who have a legal right to carry out remediation works and recover costs from leaseholders. The Fund is also available to registered providers of social housing. 

How to apply to the Building Safety Fund

Building owners, freeholders or the responsible entity should register with the Building Safety Fund by 30^th June 2021.  This can be submitted to the MHCLG on Gov.uk website.  Applicants will need to self-certify the eligibility of the building’s cladding system and should notify leaseholders that they have registered with the Fund. 

What is the Building Safety Fund application process and how long does it take? 

The overall process consists of seven distinct stages as shown below. 

The application process from registering with the Fund through to the agreement of funding consists of five stages.  

It can take between 14 and 18 weeks to complete depending on the level of preparation put into the application. To date the application process has been slow and it has been suggested that this is largely down to the volume of applications and lack of preparation made by applicants. This is leading to requests for further information and adding to the volume of work.  

What support do I need to apply to the Building Safety Fund? 

Remediation works may be complex in nature and significant in size justifying the need for a project manager.  A project manager can assist with: 

• clarifying eligibility,
• working through the application process,
• assembling and coordinating a team of specialist consultants (if necessary), 
• managing the design of replacement cladding, 
• procuring a suitable contractor, 
• and administering the contract during the installation and completion stages. 

If you are confident managing the process and administering the contract yourself, then you may need the support of the following specialist consultants:

• Fire Engineer 
• Architect
• Building Control Officer
• Cost Consultant 
• CDM Advisor and/or Principal Designer 

What is covered by the Fund?

The fund covers reasonable capital costs for eligible works that are necessary to remediate unsafe non-ACM cladding systems, including:

• Access relating to qualifying works i.e., scaffolding, mast climbers, etc. 
• Removal and disposal of non-ACM cladding
• Replacement materials 
• Labour and reasonable on-cost to the contractor 
• Professional team fees in respect of qualifying items 
• Managing agents’ fees in respect of administering qualifying expenditure
• Extraordinary technical requirements – relevant evidence with need to be provided to MHCLG

If you need support with your Building Safety Fund application or want to talk to an expert, please click the button below or call 02380 405073