National Workforce Programme

Provided and administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the National Workforce Programme 2026-2029, is a new £12 million three-year national grant programme of support and training for the homelessness and rough sleeping frontline workforce in England. The Programme will be managed as a grant by the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Team within the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping (HRS) Directorate at MHCLG.

The grant programme will be delivered through four individually biddable thematic funding streams, referred to as ‘pillars’:

• Pillar 1 “Foundations” - Strengthen the foundations of the sector and develop workforce capacity, recruitment and career pathways – addressing current recruitment and retention challenges by recognising sector roles as technical and specialist professions and supporting career development opportunities.
• Pillar 2 “Training” - Provide a comprehensive workforce capability package accessible to professionals and volunteers working in the sector. Ensuring the sector’s workforce has the right knowledge, skills and support to deliver high quality homelessness and rough sleeping frontline services.
• Pillar 3 “Advice” - Provide specialist housing and homelessness advice for professionals working in the sector – providing a nationally funded route to advice on particularly complex issues.
   
• Pillar 4 “Community” - Strengthen community-based organisations to tackle homelessness in all its forms – further supporting and professionalising small and non-commissioned organisations so that they are better placed to operate safely and appropriately.

Applicants can apply for one or multiple pillars.

MHCLG is seeking proposals that:

• Work with MHCLG to provide a national programme that is flexible and adaptable to the changing demands of homelessness and rough sleeping.
• Maximise online, digital and other technology to improve and expand the reach of the service.
• Involve the voice and experiences of people both working within the workforce and those with a lived experience of homelessness and rough sleeping in its ongoing delivery throughout the grant.