The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has shortlisted 265 construction jobs which could each receive a share of £550 million worth of funding from its Kickstart programme.

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The shortlisted schemes, aimed at supporting developments where work has stalled because of the economic downturn, have the potential to create 12,000 construction jobs - including 1,000 apprenticeships.

Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the HCA, said: "Kickstart continues to be a crucial component in maintaining momentum in the house building industry."

A mix of registered social landlords (RSLs) along with national and local developers have applied for the scheme, aiming to unlock up to 22,000 homes across the country.

Bidding for the Kickstart programme opened on September 14th 2009 with the criteria that schemes should be housing-led with a minimum of 50 homes and that developers must have detailed planning consent in place (or the ability to get this by March 2010).

The HCA is currently in active discussion with four front-running consortia to provide funding in the region of £1 billion for construction jobs across the private rental sector.