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The leaves are starting to change colour and fall from the trees as autumn begins – there's just three and a half months left in the calendar year 2025.
In this month's newsletter, we share important reminders and updates including:
- tomorrow's DMS data submission deadline
- a reminder to work with relevant stakeholders to complete TrustMark lodgements as you go
- resources on the SHDF Hive to support project closure
- the imminent deadline for reasonable assurance reports for 2024/25
- resident feedback and a testimonial video from Terry, who had solar panels fitted in his Surrey home through Wave 2.2
- an invitation to showcase your project by hosting our teams for a site visit
- and more
Your monthly DMS data submission is due tomorrow
The DMS data submission deadline falls on the tenth working day of the month. Staying on top of this helps us track progress and keep operations running smoothly.
It's also a critical requirement for the department's official statistics which are published monthly on the gov.uk website.
The next deadline to submit your report is tomorrow, Friday 12 September.
You can find data reporting guidance, including a video walkthrough addressing common questions and challenges on the monthly reporting resources webpage of the SHDF Hive
Reminder: grant recipients who have completed delivery of capital works should continue to submit/refine their monthly reports while delivery, financial and lodgement data is being confirmed.
Don't forget: all funded measures must be lodged via the TrustMark data warehouse, aligned with your GFA
TrustMark lodgement is a key requirement of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2 grant funding agreement (GFA).
It provides evidence that retrofit works are delivered in line with PAS standards and ensures accountability, quality assurance and protection for residents.
It's recommended that you work with relevant stakeholders to ensure all measures are lodged via TrustMark as you go.
An additional reminder that your project 'completion date' should reflect:
- the date at which you expect to be both 'tools down' for capital works and
- have completed all required TrustMark lodgements
As a part of project closure, our teams will work to verify and review your TrustMark and DMS data to ensure there are no errors, omissions or inconsistencies in your records. Your project cannot close until this process, called data reconciliation, is complete.
How to lodge ventilation in TrustMark
To ensure consistency in your monthly data upload, you’re required to input the TrustMark reference number for the measure where the ventilation system is part of the ventilation strategy.
The department is aware that ventilation measures cannot be lodged on TrustMark’s data warehouse and, therefore, a unique TrustMark reference number cannot be generated for these measures.
As ventilation is an eligible Wave 2 measure, the department requires you to reflect ventilation measures in your project change requests (PCRs), monthly data uploads (via the DMS) and final reports.
For example, if you installed ventilation measures as part of your cavity wall insulation (CWI) then you would input the TrustMark reference number for CWI when you are required to report your ventilation measures.
Please note: although we're usually unable to accept duplicate TrustMark numbers, ventilation is currently the only exception.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your SPOC in the first instance.
Support with project closure
Your single point of contact (SPOC) and project support officer (PSO) should be your first port-of-call for any closure-related questions.
They're here to support and guide you through the process and answer any questions that you may have.
Closure resources now available on the SHDF Hive
The SHDF Hive now hosts a closure hub with resources to guide and support you through key activities associated with project and scheme closure.
Key resources available on the hub include guidance on:
Please note that you will be asked to complete a range of reporting documents as part of project closure, with the support of your SPOC and PSO.
The closure hub on the Hive contains live webpages and additional activities and resources will be added over time to better support you as you navigate the closure process.
Reasonable assurance reports for 24/25
As a condition of Wave 2 grant funding, all grant recipients must submit a reasonable assurance report within six months of the end of the financial year.
This requires:
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having your annual accounts audited by an sufficiently independent, appropriately qualified auditor
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ensuring the auditor’s reasonable assurance report (as outlined in Schedule 1 of your Grant Offer Letter) is submitted to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
For the 2024/25 financial year, reports are due this September and should be sent to shdfwave2.1@beis.gov.uk
Further details can be found in Section 8 of the GFA and Schedule 1 of your Grant Offer Letter.
If you have any questions, please contact your single point of contact (SPOC) in the first instance.
Please note: any grant recipients who have delivered into financial year 25/26 with either grant funding or co-funding will also be required to complete a reasonable assurance report for 25/26.
Tracking monthly progress
Your monthly progress report is issued at regular intervals by your Salix project support officer.
The report is designed to give you a clear picture of your progress and performance to date and to highlight any variances between your delivery and baseline target.
Reports are based on your most recent DMS upload.
If you have any questions, please contact your project support officer (PSO).
Watch: Surrey resident Terry praises SHDF upgrades
In July, we visited Waverley Borough Council in Surrey to chat to residents and council stakeholders to hear about the difference that the upgrades are already making to people’s bills, homes and lives.
Resident Terry, who’s lived in his home with his wife for five years, said: “We have noticed very quickly how [much] we are saving – on electricity especially."
Terry had solar panels installed at his property through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.2.
Watch the video via our YouTube to hear what Terry had to say for yourself.
Plus, visit our YouTube channel to see more videos with residents, stakeholders and energy experts, including a short, two-minute explainer video from senior technical manager Dean Firth who explains what ‘retrofit’ is and why it’s good for both people and the planet.
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Showcase your work with a site visit!
A site visit is an exciting opportunity to showcase your project, discuss challenges, opportunities and celebrate successful outcomes for your residents.
By inviting our teams to join you on site, we're able to work with you to create fantastic content such as case studies and news stories that will not only highlight your organisation, but also help others to deliver successful projects in the future.
If you're interested in hosting us, please complete the short form on our website and one of our team will be in touch to arrange next steps.
Unsure if you've missed a communication?
The historic communications webpage on the SHDF Hive details an overview of key communications sent to grant recipients by us (Salix) or the department.
If you're unable to locate or didn't receive a communication listed on the page, please contact your SPOC.
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