Help with funding school roof repairs
The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is an annual bidding round for academies and sixth-form colleges to apply for additional capital funding.
The objective is to address significant condition need, keeping buildings safe and in good working order. This includes school roofs in need of repair. The priority is usually given to projects such as roof, window and central heating replacements.
CIF awarded more than £496 million to 1,435 academies for the 2017 – 2018 financial year.
When can you apply
The 2019 to 2020 bidding round has now closed and funds awarded. The Government will announce the deadlines for the 2020 to 2021 CIF round in autumn 2020, but academies should now be preparing bids for submission to the Education Funding Agency (EFA) on the CIF portal. Applications must concisely detail expansion, improvement and renovation requirements so that your bid can be seriously considered.
Who can apply?
Single academy trusts, small multi-academy trusts (MATs) and sixth-form colleges can all apply for CIF. To be eligible you must:
- be an open academy or sixth-form college as at 1 September 2020
- be a school with a signed academy order as at 1 September 20120 (if successful, you must have converted to academy status and had a funding agreement in place by 31 March 2020 to receive funding)
Multi Academy Trusts with more than 3000 pupils will normally receive allocated funding for building maintenance and won’t qualify for CIF funding. For these trusts, we provide ongoing estate management advice and support on how to make your allocated funds go further, and our surveyors are available to advise on the whole of your estate.
How we can help you with the bid
SIG Design and Technology has devised a strong bid application process, in consultation with specialist education building surveyors, for the replacement or refurbishment of flat and pitched roof areas.
In the first instance, our network of experienced Technical Managers will undertake a full and comprehensive roof survey, which will include condition report, specifications, photographic evidence (internally as well as externally), appropriate drawings and initial costings.
These are then forwarded to the Educational Chartered Surveyors, who will then provide a consultation with the school to discuss the process and to construct a proposal to the CIF that will secure funding for any specific works.
These services undertaken are provided at no cost to the school.
Should the bids be succesful, the Surveyors will then place the works out to tender.