Development Value for Money
Since November 2022, participation in a Continuous Improvement Programme has been a condition of funding under the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP). This requires local authorities and registered social landlords to demonstrate value for money in new‑build developments, regardless of the procurement route used
(More Homes Division Guidance Note, Scottish Government, MHDGN 2023/01, June 2023, Annex G).
SHN delivers the Development Value for Money (DVfM) Programme, which meets these requirements. The Programme is free for SHN members. Non‑members may also participate for a modest annual fee.
SHN’s DVfM Programme supports landlords to demonstrate compliance with AHSP funding conditions, while also identifying sector‑wide trends and promoting continuous improvement.
The DVfM Programme consists of two mandatory returns, submitted at different stages of a project:
- Cost, Time and Quality Return – submitted within 90 working days of project completion
- Tenant Satisfaction Return – submitted 9 to 15 months after project completion.
Links to download the required templates and supporting guidance notes are provided below. Please note that all templates were updated in April 2026, and landlords should ensure they are using the most recent versions.
DVFM Cost, Time and Quality Return Template v1.4
Reporting and Outputs
Participating landlords receive a quarterly report, summarising and comparing development projects completed in the previous quarter. These findings also contribute to an annual semi‑anonymised public report, which is shared with the Scottish Government.
Publications and reports
DVFM Cost, Time and Quality Return Template v1.4
DVFM Tenant Satisfaction Template
