Unsuccessful CIF bid and unsuccessful appeal? Could you benefit from a fresh pair of trusted eyes?

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This year, the high number of Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) Appeals is directly attributable to the low number of CIF awards announced by the DfE in March.

The announcement of the successful appeals also comes amidst further ‘due diligence’ being conducted by the DfE on an unknown figure of awarded projects that were part of the successful 866 listed in the spring.It appears that there is additional information being sought from the affected trusts and their appointed consultants.

See the list of successful appeals here [Once published SEE link to Awards list]

There is also likely to be a record number of applications for emergency capital funding through the Urgent Capital Support route. While this process can be considerably quicker to assess such submissions, its qualifying criteria is significantly higher and very much acts as a fund of last resort.

The last two years have seen the lowest number of awarded projects in the ten-year history of the funding stream. This against a backdrop of higher than ever media attention on the parlous condition of the 22,000-school estate, chiefly because of the focus on RAAC just as pupils were returning for the new school year in September 2023.

Just how many of the thus far identified 250 schools with the “crumbling concrete” have actually had the deleterious material removed ahead of the new school term in September 2024 is a moot point and one that is likely to be on the agenda of many sector and national education news agenda next month.

The competition between schools for securing the vital capital funding has been fierce throughout the decade, and with the annual allocation of circa £460 million remaining static whilst inflation has risen for labour and many building materials, the need to ensure a bid differentiates itself from the many other deserving submissions is even more essential.

It is Warneford Consulting’s policy to cap the number of annual bids submitted, to ensure your application is afforded the time, care and attention that is required to be successful. We do not work on a volume model; our approach values the quality of the bid over the quantity of bids.

If your school is looking to engage a trusted and successful sector specialist for the preparation, submission and delivery of your CIF application, please do contact us at your earliest convenience.

Contact Tim on tim@warnefordconsulting.com or call 07970 466010.