It’s that time of year when academies nationwide are awaiting the outcome of the latest round of Conditional Improvement Fund (CIF) applications. Will they have secured the funding to replace failing boilers or refurbish leaking roofs? Will it be a summer of Hi-Viz vests, noise and building works or just the local holiday clubs?
The outcome of the Conditional Improvement Fund (CIF) has always been eagerly anticipated by stand alone academies, small MATs and consultants alike, with the stakes high for all.
For the schools, there are bids in for essential works to keep the site compliant with various regulations. There are also bids in to maintain a safe and pleasant learning environment for pupils. For the consultants, the outcome will dictate their workload for the subsequent 6-9 months and beyond.
In pre-pandemic years, the funding was typically released before the Easter holidays, but the last 2 years it has been July and June respectively.
The logistical impact of the delayed funding, as well as cost due to the well-publicised increases in materials, has been challenging for all. We continue to work closely with the schools and contractors to find solutions for all of our projects.
At ECP, we like to partner with our schools for the entire bid process. By offering our expertise and time at no upfront cost to the school, we become stakeholders in the process. Everyone involved in the CIF process is aware of the frustrations with unsuccessful bids and the feedback offered by the Education & Skills Funding Agency (EFA). We have extensive experience in preparing successful bids, so we understand which projects are more likely to receive funding and how best to manage these projects. In fact, we had an 83% overall success rate in securing funding for school projects in previous rounds of bids.
All of our bids are partner-led from start to finish. This ensures continuity of the information and presentation in the supporting documents. From the initial report demonstrating the need through to the tendering and cost information.
The following are examples of some of the aspects of our involvement in preparing a bid. All of this information is collated and presented in the 3 supporting documents that are uploaded on the portal;
As both Chartered Surveyors and Architects we have a broad in-house skillset to assist with projects of all sizes. This can be from roof and window replacement schemes to remodelling and expansion of the school site.
If you would like any general advice on CIF, a review of previous unsuccessful bids or would like us to assist in making a CIF bid we would be pleased to come and see you.
Want to know more? Send an email to one of our team members today to find out how we can support you.
