For organisations tackling housing insecurity
Develop and grow solutions that help people access and maintain secure housing through a tailored learning programme.
Grants of up to £7k or £10k
Get a grant to support your learning and the development of your social enterprise or charity.
Create a resilient and growing organisation
Learn to generate income and strengthen your project through specialised learning, expert advice, coaching and mentoring.
Ready-made network of support
Connect and grow with others like you. Help each other stimulate ideas and overcome challenges. Learn from each other and the experts.
About the programmes
Help people find or sustain a stable home through a specialist accelerator programme.
Open to anyone addressing the causes and consequences of homelessness in England and Wales, these programmes will help you build a resilient business model through a tailored learning programme and grant funding. You’ll learn from experts and each other to grow both your organisation and its impact on those facing housing insecurity.
What you get on the programme:
Who it’s for
The DPS Social Commitment Programme is open to any organisation in England and Wales broadly working on issues that affect a person’s ability to find and sustain a stable home.
This could be organisations providing services in:
– Careers advice, training and employability skills
– Financial and debt advice
– Counselling and mental health support
– Supporting domestic abuse victims with wellbeing and temporary housing
– Refugee housing and integration into the community
– Renters rights and housing advice
If your work can help prevent housing instability, we’d love to hear from you. Choose a programme below for more details on eligibility.
Scale and Activate programmes
There are two programmes for organisations at different stages:
- Activate – for “early-stage” organisations who likely have an annual income of under £100,000.
- Scale – for “established and ready to scale” organisations and likely have an annual income of over £100,000.
Check out the individual programme pages to find out more.
Contact us if you still have questions about which would be more suitable.
Your organisation is likely to be early stage with a business model which has been piloted and needs support to develop further. It will be at a point where you are growing your business idea, but it still needs some refinement and help to get to market.
It is likely to have an annual income of under £100,000 in the last financial year. We mean all income, including grants, donations and trading income. Don’t include loans or equity investments.
The threshold is a guide to help you choose between ‘Activate’ and ‘Scale’ levels of the programme. You can find out about the Scale programme for more established organisations here.
If you’re close to the line or not sure which is suitable for you, get in touch and we can help you work out which level is the better fit.
Your organisation has a business model which is tested and ready to grow and is likely to have an annual income of over £100,000 in the last financial year. You are likely to have a clear business model which is working, but now you are seeking to scale it, through significantly growing the business, expanding geographically or social franchising. You need support to manage significant growth.
It is likely to have an annual income of over £100,000 in the last financial year. We mean all income, including grants, donations and trading income. Don’t include loans or equity investments. The threshold is a guide to help you choose between ‘Activate’ and ‘Scale’ levels of the programme.
If you’re close to the line, get in touch and we can help you work out which level is the better fit.
Choose a programme to find out more
- Programme
The DPS Social Commitment Programme: Activate
A specialist accelerator learning programme and grant funding for early-stage organisations in England and Wales tackling the causes and consequences of homelessness.
- England and Wales
- April 1, 2027 – December 1, 2027
- Duration: Up to a year
- Deadline: November 16, 2026
- Programme
The DPS Social Commitment Programme: Scale
A specialist accelerator learning programme and grant funding for established and scaling organisations in England and Wales tackling the causes and consequences of homelessness.
- England and Wales
- April 1, 2027 – December 1, 2027
- Duration: Up to a year
- Deadline: November 16, 2026
Programme partnership with The DPS
The DPS Social Commitment Programme is backing charities and social enterprises across England and Wales to develop and grow solutions that help people access and sustain private rented homes and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping.
The programme is funded by Computershare Investor Services PLC. Computershare operates The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS), one of the government-approved schemes that protect tenancy deposits for landlords and tenants in the private rented sector in England and Wales.
Upcoming workshops
Instant booking for short, online, skills-based sessions.
- Workshop
Impact Storytelling
Practical storytelling tools to help your impact-led organisation shape and share stories that inspire action — for fundraising, media and community engagement.
- Online
-
October 20, 2026
More dates available - Duration: A few hours or less
- Workshop
Introduction to Social Impact Measurement
A practical introduction to social impact measurement for beginners, helping you cut through the jargon and leave with a clear action plan to get started.
- Online
- Duration: A few hours or less
- Workshop
Sources of Funding for Charities and Social Enterprises
Explore a wide range of funding sources and leave with practical next steps to build diverse income streams for your organisation.
- Online
- October 20, 2026
- Duration: A few hours or less
- Workshop
Developing a Fundraising Strategy
A practical online course for people with some fundraising experience who want a clearer, more strategic approach to prioritising opportunities and building sustainable income.
- Online
- January 26, 2027 – January 27, 2027
- Duration: Just a day or two (short, one-off)
Latest news & resources
- News
- News
200 grassroots organisations to receive funding and training in boost to government's fight against homelessness
The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) and charity School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) have launched a nine-month accelerator, the DPS Social Commitment Programme.
- Videos & webinars
- Explore options / I’m not sure yet
Webinar: More than a roof - how can social enterprises help people find and keep a stable home?
Jerry During MBE, Ryan McKiernan and Pam Orchard discuss how social enterprises can tackle homelessness, address its wider causes and help people move from crisis towards lasting housing stability.
