Call For New Ideas
Please note Call for New Ideas is currently closed.
What is Call for New Ideas?
The Call for New Ideas is exactly that: our call to the sector to come to us with new and imaginative ideas for ways in which housing can help solve social injustice.
Through the programme, we offer funding to successful applicants to conduct a short-term feasibility study to evaluate a housing and support model tackling social injustice.
The feasibility study will determine if there is scope for the proposed model to operate as a property-based pilot project, which Commonweal would look to support by providing bespoke property for successful applicants to run their pilot over several years.
We would support partners throughout the project development stage until the end of its life cycle, including sharing learnings through media and policy work, and project replication.
Call for New Ideas 2023:
As part of the Call for New Ideas 2023 initiative, we searched for housing models seeking to address issues within the criminal justice system.
The deadline to apply has now passed.
Applications are in the process of being reviewed by our Selection Panel made up of sector experts, Commonweal staff and Commonweal Trustees. We will be in contact with all applicants in November to let them know if they have been successful.
Call for New Ideas 2024:
In 2024 the programme will re-open twice to focus on our other priority areas: migration, asylum and human trafficking and injustices facing young people separately.
In February/March we plan to open the call to focus on issues facing young people, and in August we will specifically focus on migration, asylum and human trafficking.
Find out what successful Call for New Ideas applicants have to say:
Since launching Call for New Ideas in 2020, Commonweal has successfully supported a number of partners through the feasibility stage, with many now entering the project development process.
"The team at Commonweal were fantastic and supported us all the way through the process, providing expert advice, guidance and signposting when needed...
If anyone has an idea to tackle a social injustice and needs support to develop, I strongly suggest that you consider the Call for New Ideas." - Gaynor Brooke, Head of Services at successful 2022 Call for New Ideas applicant Servol Community Services.
Read more:
Call for New Ideas: Commonweal were fantastic and supported us all the way through the process
Gaynor Brooke, Head of Services at successful 2022 Call for New Ideas applicant Servol Community Services, reflects on her organisation’s journey with Commonweal’s Call for New Ideas: I have worked in the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in the West Midlands for over 20 years and joined Servol Community Services in 2021…
Commonweal offering funding to pilot housing ideas addressing injustices within the criminal justice system
Social justice charity Commonweal Housing is offering funding to frontline organisations across the UK to test new and innovative housing-based solutions to address injustices within the criminal justice system. Through the charity’s Call for New Ideas partnership programme, Commonweal invites not-for-profit organisations to apply for funding between £5,000-10,000 to conduct a short-term feasibility study to…
Commonweal funds new feasibility study testing a Housing First alternative to custody for victims of domestic abuse
Commonweal Housing has partnered with Liverpool City Regional Combined Authority to investigate a Housing First approach for female victims of domestic violence who have committed a minor offence. The charity will fund a feasibility study by Liverpool City Regional Combined Authority to test an alternative to custody for women victims of domestic abuse, by providing accommodation…
Commonweal supporting another four housing initiatives as part of its Call for New Ideas 2022
Commonweal Housing has agreed to fund four new imaginative feasibility studies for housing solutions to social injustices. The new partnerships are part of Commonweal’s Call for New Ideas 2022, the charity’s partnership programme established to test new ideas that seek housing-based solutions to social injustices. The Call for New Ideas 2022 partners are: With Commonweal’s…
Commonweal launches its Call for New Ideas 2022 to support organisations with original housing projects
Commonweal Housing has reopened its partnership programme, Call for New Ideas 2022, inviting not-for-profit organisations working with marginalised groups to submit imaginative and original ideas for housing solutions to social injustices. Commonweal is offering frontline organisations funding, support measures and bespoke property in an effort to work with sector experts to design and deliver housing…
Commonweal strikes seven partnerships for innovative feasibility studies
Commonweal Housing has partnered with seven front-line organisations as part of its 2021 Call for New Ideas, the charity’s partnership programme. It has agreed to support and fund the feasibility studies to test the suitability of new innovative models that seek housing-based solutions to social injustices. The new partners are: Homelessness organisation, C4WS Irish Methodist…
Desperate for solutions – where to find them? | Call For New Ideas
As Commonweal launches its 2021 Call For New Ideas, CEO Ashley Horsey reflects on our approach to finding creative solutions to social injustices – and on not being afraid to to make mistakes along the way.
Charity seeks new housing-based project partnerships to tackle social injustices
Commonweal Housing has opened a new call for housing-based project ideas from charitable organisations working to tackle social injustice.