Organisations that support private landlords and tenants are being invited to apply for a share of a £70,000 funding pot from the TDS Charitable Foundation, which is designed to help improve standards in the private rented sector.

The amount of money available to fund innovative projects that benefit the private rented sector has been increased for 2016, and people are urged to submit their bids before the deadline on Wednesday 10th August.

In particular, the foundation is looking to make funding available to commission a feasibility study into establishing a dedicated research centre for the sector in England and Wales.

Organisations that have successfully applied for funding in the past include Designs on Property Ltd, which was awarded £15,000 to fund a series of 12 independent reports on the private rented sector, the first of which looked into the typical buy-to-rent landlord and was published earlier this month.

Industry expert Kate Faulkner said: “Without the funding from the TDS Charitable Foundation we would not have been able to carry out this independent research, which I believe is vital if we are to fully understand the industry in which we work and start challenging the misperceptions surrounding the private rented sector.

“I’d never applied for funding before but there was plenty of support available at every stage of the process and I would really encourage anyone who thinks they have a project that meets the objectives of the foundation to apply.”

Prof Martin Partington, chairman of TDS and the TDS Charitable Foundation, added: “Our not-for-profit status enables us to use part of our surplus income to raise standards in the industry we serve by reinvesting in education and training and promoting best practice, and as an organisation this is something we are passionate about.”