Condition Improvement Fund

Overview

TheEligible Conditionacademies, Improvementsixth-form Fundcolleges and voluntary-aided (CIFVA) isschools ancan annualapply bidding round for eligiblecapital academies,funding sixth-formfrom collegesthe andCondition voluntaryImprovement aidedFund (VACIF) schoolsin toan applyannual forbidding capital funding. round.

The priority for the Department for Education (DfE) in administering the fund is to address significant condition need,needs – that is, keeping education providerproviders’ buildings safe and in good working order. This includes funding projects tothat address health and safety issues, building compliance and poorbuildings buildingin poor condition.

CIFThe fund also supports a small proportionnumber of expansion projects. These are for academies, sixth-form colleges and VA schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted that can demonstrate a need to expand.

Applications CIF forapplications: 20222023 to 20232024

TheCondition applicationImprovement windowFund has2023 nowto closed2024: andinformation for applicants (PDF, 522 KB, 64 pages) sets out the outcomedetails of projects that are considered appropriate for 2022funding, toand 2023the hasassessment nowcriteria beenfor published.2023 to 2024.

Information

How to apply

To bid for CIF, applicants:you 2022need to 2023

submit your application via the CIF portal. The ‘Apply to CIF’ section of the Condition Improvement Fund 20222023 to 2023:2024: information for applicants (PDF, 459522 KB, 5864 pages) providesgives detailsfurther ofguidance.

Who projectscan thatapply

Schools wereare appropriateeither forpart fundingof andbodies theeligible assessmentfor a criteriaschool forcondition 2022allocation to(SCA) or 2023.

Thiseligible year’sfor CIF, depending criteriaon againtheir favouredsize bidsand fromtype.

Local applicantsauthorities, withlarger multi-academy strongtrusts governance(MATs) and andlarger goodVA school financialbodies management.receive Wedirect SCA to thinkinvest therein ispriorities aacross strongthe linkschools betweenfor trustswhich withthey aare goodresponsible. gripSmaller onacademy financetrusts, andsmaller governanceVA bodies and effective,sixth-form valuecolleges forare moneyable capitalto delivery.

Whobid canfor apply

To be eligible to applyapply, for CIF funding, you must have been by the start of September 20212022 you must have been one of the following:

• a stand-alone academy
• a school in a multi-academy trust (MAT) with fewer than 5 schools at the start of September 2021, or with 5 or more schools but fewer than 3,000 pupilspupils, in those schools (or their predecessors) as counted in the spring 20212022 census or 2020/21the 2021 to 2022 individualised learner record (ILR)(ILR)
• a VA school in a VA body or VA group with fewer than 5 schools at the start of September 2021, or with 5 schools but fewer than 3,000 pupilspupils, in those schools as counted in the spring 20212022 census or 2020/21the 2021 to 2022 ILR
• a sixth-form college
• a school with a signed academy order as of the1 start of September 20212022 that DfE expects willto convert by 1 April 20222023

YouCIF-eligible willschools receivehave abeen schoolinvited conditionto allocationapply (SCA)to inthe 2022fund tofor 2023 ifto you2024. areIf a:

• localyour authority
• MATschool withhas 5been orinvited moreto schoolsbid, atyour theresponsible startbody ofwill Septembernot 2021receive andany SCA funding aton leastyour 3,000behalf. pupilsIf inyou thosehave schoolscondition (orinvestment theirrequirements, predecessors)you asshould countedtherefore inapply thedirect springfor 2021funding.

  To censusreceive or 2020/21 ILR

• VAdirect SCA bodyin with2023 5to or2024, moreMATs schoolsand VA bodies atmust themeet startboth of Septemberthese 2021eligibility andcriteria:
  • they atmust leasthave 3,000had pupils5 inor thosemore open schools (orat their predecessors) as counted in the springstart 2021 census or 2020/21 ILR
  • eligible non-maintained special school (direct allocation in respect of stateSeptember funded pupils)2022
  • eligiblethose specialopen post-16schools institutionor (directtheir allocationpredecessors inmust respecthave ofhad stateat fundedleast pupils)
  • MAT3,000 chainpupils, (aas groupcounted of more than one trust) if you’ve opted in and the chainspring meets2022 thecensus schoolor andthe pupil2021 numberto thresholds2022 for MATsILR (this system is being phased out and no new chains can opt in)

  If a school is invited to bid for CIF in the 2022 to 2023 financial year, their responsible body will not receive any SCA funding on their behalf. The school should therefore apply for funding from CIF if they have condition requirements.

  Pupil count

  ForWhen assessing the eligibility of special and alternative provision schools (including pupil referral units), we now multiply the pupil count by 4.5 for the purposes of determining either CIF or SCA eligibility. For example, we would now count a MAT with 1,000 pupils in special schools as having 4,500 pupils.

  If pupils are registered at more than one institution, we divide the count by the number of institutions thatat thewhich pupilthey isare registeredregistered. at. For example, pupilsthose dualdual-registered registered at a mainstream school and a pupil referral unit would have their count divided by 2 at both institutions.

  For nursery schools and sixth-form colleges, we use the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) pupils rather than headcount.the count to assess eligibility.

  Loans

  Academies and sixth-form colleges can take out a loan,loan for all or part of the project costs referenced in their application,application to demonstrate their commitment to the scheme.

  UseYou can use the Condition Improvement Fund loan:2023 to 2024: loan repayment calculator 2021 (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 36.536.4 KB) to determine the annual and total repayments that will be incurred.

  Loans are offered at PublicPWLB Works Loan Board rates of interest,interest – the same rate that local authorities can access to invest in their schools. You’ll make loan repayments through an abatement of the revenue funding paid to youyou, andwhich will be reinvested intoin future capital budgets.

  Urgent CIF Capitalapplications: Support2022 (UCS)to 2023

  The Condition Improvement Fund: 2022 to 2023 outcome has been published.

  Urgent capital support

  Urgent capital support (UCS) is specifically for urgent condition issues that threatenpose the threat of immediate school closure.

  Who can apply

  You can apply if you are an academy, sixth-form college or VA school and you meet theseboth 2of these conditions:

  • you do not receive school condition allocation (SCA)
  • you need funding assistance to address urgent building condition issues that either:
    • put the safety of your pupils or staff at risk
    • threaten the closure of the whole,whole or a significant part,part of your school

  Your application will only be considered whereonly if there is a genuine and immediate need for urgentUCS support, and you cannot wait until the next round of CIF.

  How funding is offered

  UCS funding is primarily offered primarily as a loan, subject to an assessment of trust finances. Trusts may also be required to contribute.

  Grant funding maywill only be provided only in exceptional circumstances.

  ApplyHow to apply for UCS

  EnsureMake sure that you read the guidance and application form carefully. Your application may be delayed if you do not provide the right documentation with your application.documentation.

  1. Read GuidanceUrgent forcapital applicants:support: UCShow to apply (PDF, 295 KB, 18 pages).

  2. Fill out the ApplicationUrgent Form:capital UCSsupport: application form (MS Word Document, 221 KB)

     .

  3. Fill out the TrustUrgent financialcapital support: finance template (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 71.2 KB)

     .

  4. Email your application form and financialfinance template to academy.questions@education.gov.uk, andwith include ‘Urgent Capitalcapital Supportsupport application’ and your institution name in the subject line.

  Ensure Make sure that the size of your email does not exceed 9MB.

  ContactMore information

  If you need further adviceadvice, after the publication of the full guidance, contact us using the ESFA enquiry form.