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Funding & Finance Update - October 2024

Here is a summary of the key funding rounds available to education clients with key dates highlighted where published and the latest news on announcements on:

 

Condition Improvement Fund     

School Condition Allocation    

Energy Efficiency Funding     

Urgent Capital Support     

LCVAP    

Basic Need     

   

1. CIF (Condition Improvement Fund) 

Condition Improvement Fund is an annual bidding round for eligible academies and sixth-form colleges to apply for capital funding. The priority for the fund is to address significant condition needs, keeping academy and sixth-form college buildings safe and in good working order. This includes funding projects to address health and safety issues, building compliance and poor building conditions.

The Condition Improvement Fund also supports a small proportion of expansion projects. These are for Ofsted-rated good or outstanding academies and sixth-form colleges that need to expand their existing facilities and/or floor space. If you wish to submit a new project in the next CIF application round you should be starting to prepare your bid NOW.

The DfE has updated Information for eligible academy trusts. New information has been added about submissions for Urgent Capital Support, updated guidance and application form, and a new Trust financial template.

Key dates    

CIF 2025/26:                             Open

Registration Deadline:           10 December 2024, 12 noon

Application Deadline:        17 December 2024, 12 noon

Outcomes:                                  Expected to be announced in Spring 2025

 

2. SCA (School Condition Allocations) 

Eligible bodies (MATs) receive a formulaic allocation in lieu of CIF bids.  DfE has notified academy trusts of their 2024-25 allocations.

The eligibility criteria are:

  • Trusts with 5 or more open academies at the start of September 2019.
  • Those open academies (or their predecessor schools) had at least 3,000 pupils counted in the spring 2019 census.

For nursery schools and sixth forms, DfE uses the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) pupils rather than headcount. See Condition Funding Methodology for 2024-2025 for more information.

Single-academy trusts, smaller multi-academy trusts (MATs) and sixth-form colleges can apply for CIF instead of receiving an SCA. Those eligible for CIF were notified earlier this month.

 

3. Energy Efficiency Funding 

The Government set up two new funds to deliver energy efficiency measures and heat decarbonisation measures through, Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) and Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF)

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme 

Primarily focusing on decarbonisation of heat, Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme offers the opportunity for public bodies to bid for grant funding to support replacement/upgrades to existing heating systems using low/zero carbon technologies such as air source, water source and ground source heat pumps.

Key dates  

Phase 4 application round:            Open 9 October 2024

Applications close:                           25 November 2024

For more information and guidance watch Barker’s webinar on PSDS Phase 4 here

 

Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund     

Salix launched Phase 5 of the Low Carbon Skills Fund  (LCSF) for the public sector to develop heat decarbonisation plans for their estates. LCSF represents a significant step forward the mission to transition to a low carbon future. With up to £16 million in finding available the opportunities are significant.

Key dates    

Phase 5 LCSF application round:           Closed

Next round:                                          Expected Spring 2025

Alternative funding sources 

If you have energy efficiency projects and seek funding, you may wish to look at alternative private funding options. 

FE Funding streams such as Post 16 Capacity Fund , T Level Capital Fund and Further Education Capacity Fund are presently on hold, further information will be published when an announcement is issued.

4. UCS (Urgent Capital Support)

Urgent Capital Support (UCS) is for academies and sixth-form colleges who do not have access to SCA and require funding assistance to address urgent building condition issues that put at risk either the safety of pupils and staff, or threatens the closure of the whole or a significant part of the school.   

This funding is open throughout the year. The DfE has updated information for eligible academy trusts. New information has been added about submissions for UCS funding, updated guidance and application form, and a new Trust financial template. 

5. Basic Need 

Basic Need Allocation is the funding given to local authorities each year to help them fulfil their duty to make sure there are enough school places for children in their local area.   

Allocations for the 2025 to 2026 financial year, announced in March 2023, will support local authorities to create the new school places they need by the start of the academic year in September 2026. This is in addition to allocations announced in 2022 for the 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 financial years for school places needed by September 2024 and 2025 respectively. 

All local authorities have also been allocated additional capital funding to invest in provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities through thespecial provision capital fund. 

6. Local Control Voluntary Aided Programme (LCVAP) 

Voluntary-aided (VA) schools are maintained schools and often, but not always, have a religious character. These schools used to be eligible for capital funding through the LCVAP process. The government has now announced its intention to replace this scheme with the School Condition Allocation (SCA) system already in place for multi-academy trust bodies. See section 2 above for SCAannouncements and dates. 

  7. Bid Writing

We recommend academies and trusts start preparing for the next rounds of bidding before the funding application windows open. Please speak to Barker if you wish to discuss your projects or opportunities for education funding.   

We have a knowledgeable team of professional advisors including RICS chartered surveyors and fully qualified APMP bid writers who can help compile an extensive bid meeting the guidance criteria to gain funding.   

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