T Levels are still a relatively new form of qualification here in the UK. They offer students an alternative to traditional academic pathways after their GCSEs, such as A Levels. These two-year courses were launched in September 2020 and they are available at selected schools, colleges and other further education institutions. T Levels are gaining popularity among students who want to pursue a career in a specific industry. They help bridge the gap between education and work, providing students with on-the-job experience from an industry placement.
To support the expansion and availability of these qualifications, more and more education providers are starting to offer T Levels. The government has been actively encouraging the delivery of different T Level routes too and there is now funding available to help institutions that are interested in offering these qualifications. Higher Education (HE) funding has become crucially important for the education sector and it enables institutions to provide the best educational experience for their students.
The T Levels Capital Fund differs from other HE funding, like the Post-16 Capacity Fund, and it can be beneficial for several further education providers as they branch out and start offering T Levels. Below we have explored T Level funding and how it can be beneficial in more detail.
The T Level Capital Fund (TLCF) is specifically designed to support educational institutions and ensure they have the necessary resources to deliver the T Level curriculum effectively. This type of funding aims to provide schools, colleges and other education providers with the financial support they need to refurbish, expand and upgrade their estates and equipment.
There are two different elements to this type of funding;
As the name suggests, the BFIG is designed to help education providers improve their buildings and facilities to support the delivery of T Levels. Whereas, the SEA is designed to enable education providers to purchase the specialist equipment needed to deliver T Level routes.
It’s important to note that the Building and Facilities Improvement Grant is bid-based funding that you need to apply for. However, the Specialist Equipment Allocation is automatically awarded to providers offering T Level routes for the first time. Several factors, such as the anticipated number of students, will impact funding allocations and determine the amount of SEA funding an institution receives. Over £80 million was allocated to education providers offering T Level qualifications for the first time in the 2023/24 academic year.
The amount of funding available via the Building and Facilities Improvement Grant will depend on the T Level routes you offer. The minimum project value is £250,000 per application and the maximum grant thresholds differ for each T Level route. For example, this year the maximum grant for Construction T Levels was £1,600,000 whereas the maximum grant for Education and Childcare T Levels was £600,000. There is also a cap for each institution and the maximum overall grant is £4,000,000 per site.
Any provider that has registered to deliver T Levels in the 2025/26 academic year can apply for the BFIG and you can find a list of providers who will be offering T Levels on the Government website. This list will be updated again in the summer of 2023.
Several types of educational institutions can benefit from the T Level Capital Fund. Getting some additional funding can have a big impact on a higher education provider’s ability to improve their estate and facilities for students. BFIG is available to;
The T Level Capital Fund can benefit education facilities in several ways and it is reasonably versatile. All BFIG projects will fall into one of two categories;
When applying for T Level Capital funding, you can submit more than one bid for funding. However, only one bid can include an improvement project that involves expansion. This includes any projects that increase the internal floor space to address overcrowding issues and accommodate T Level students, such as building an extension or installing a mezzanine floor.
Commonly this type of funding is used to refurbish or remodel buildings. The additional funding can help to transform existing spaces and upgrade facilities to support the delivery of the T Level curriculum. Typically, the way the funding is used will be hugely impacted by the T Levels routes you provide and your needs will differ depending on the requirements of each course.
To give you an idea of how T Level funding can be used, at Barker we assisted Hedingham School & Sixth Form College with their bid application. The funding they required was to help create additional ICT teaching space. They were awarded £637,570.16 to construct a single-storey, two-classroom extension. You can find out more about Hedingham’s T Level project on our website and how they used the funding to help them launch their Digital Business Services T Level course.
There are some project eligibility requirements to be aware of when applying for the T Level Capital Fund. To be eligible for BFIG funding, your project needs to meet the following;
Whenever you’re applying for HE funding, it’s beneficial to start collating the appropriate information required for your bid at as soon as possible. This will help to ensure you’re prepared to meet the submission deadline. At Barker, we understand that applying for funding can be overwhelming for schools, colleges and other further education providers. The T Level Capital funding process is particularly complicated and the amount of detail required in an application to meet the guidelines can be difficult to get your head around.
Our experienced team at Barker can assist you with the T Level Capital funding application process. We provide comprehensive bid writing support and can help you to identify the best opportunities to secure BFIG and SEA funding grants. Every client is unique, as is their estate, and we can advise on the best projects to bid for, offering honest and impartial guidance. We can also help you to create the best strategy for your application and we ensure that all submissions meet the ESFA marking criteria, helping to increase the likelihood of success. We have an outstanding record of successful funding applications across the education sector.
The next funding deadlines are as follows.
Not only can we help you to secure the funding you need to offer T Level qualifications, but we can project manage any works that you receive funding for. Our end-to-end service makes it easy to ensure your estate is ready to welcome T Level students in September 2025.
At Barker, we have been assisting further education providers with securing T Level funding for the last few years and we are happy to assist you. Should you have any questions about applying for HE funding to improve your estate, don’t hesitate to contact us. We will happily discuss your unique needs in more detail and provide you with some tailored advice.
Call our head office today on 01279 647 111 if you are currently working with a member of our team on a funding application and you know who you need to speak to. Alternatively, complete the enquiry form on our website and we will get back to you as soon as possible.