How to apply to the Waking Watch Relief Fund

Less than two weeks remain to apply for the £30 million Waking Watch Relief Fund made available by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government for high rise buildings with unsafe cladding to meet the costs of installing fire alarms to replace the use of waking watch services.

GMCA has agreed to administer the fund for private buildings in Greater Manchester. The application window is open until midnight on the 14 March 2021

The eligibility criteria has been determined by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government.

The eligibility criteria are set out in the Waking Watch Relief Fund Prospectus (pdf, external website) and all applications must be made using the form provided.

GMCA can only process applications that are submitted on the approved form and the GMCA does not have the discretion to approve funding for buildings that do not meet the eligibility criteria.

We aim to process applications as quickly as possible and you should hear from us within two weeks after submitting a fully completed application form with the required documentation attached. Incomplete application forms or forms without the required evidence attached cannot be processed and will be returned for resubmission.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service will be consulted on the proposals for each application, this is to ensure that any fire alarm which is fitted is considered adequate to address the risks identified in the building and support you in ensuring you meet your obligations under the Fire Safety Order.

If your application is successful you will be sent a Grant Funding Agreement which will need to be completed and returned before any payments can be made. In some cases you may be required to provide further information, in which case we will write to you setting out the information that is needed before providing the Grant Funding Agreement.

For successful applications, 50 percent of the funding will be provided upfront and the remainder of the grant will be payable following installation of the fire alarm system and receipt of a commissioning certificate.

If you are responsible for an eligible building and wish to submit an application you should email a completed application form for each building to wwrf@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk.

When submitting an application please put Application for WWRF <Building Name, Street Address and Postcode> in the subject line.

About the Waking Watch Relief Fund and how to apply (external website, opens in new window)

Find out if you are eligible for the Waking Watch Relief Fund (pdf, external website)