The results of the latest round of Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) bids have been announced, with Lea Hough once again obtaining funding for a number of projects and improvement works at schools across the North West.
The announcement about the CIF projects that obtained funding was released some two months ahead of the expected date.
Whilst the early announcement came as a surprise, unfortunately, the number of projects that were approved across the UK was unexpectedly low. Across schools and colleges in England, money has only been allocated for 866 projects through this year’s CIF – down from 1,058 in the previous round and out of the 3,034 applications received.
This is the lowest number of project approvals since the funding system began in 2015. Nationally, only 29% of bids attained approval, with the total value of projects approved being £450 million – down significantly from its peak of over £600m in 2020.
Against this backdrop of much fewer projects being approved nationally, Lea Hough has bucked the trend and had good results once again. The projects that have been approved will make a significant difference to the schools concerned, with many of the works being of critical importance to the ongoing teaching of students.
We are currently in the process of speaking with all of our school clients to discuss the outcome of their applications and will be reviewing all bids.
The significant drop in funding levels in this latest round of CIF goes to demonstrate the increasing difficulty in obtaining funding via this source.
With budgets getting tighter and the opportunity to access critical funding becoming harder, seeking advice is even more crucial.
We are happy to help schools by reviewing unsuccessful CIF bid feedback for any projects that were not awarded in this round. Our team of School Building Consultants are also able to advise and support with applications for other funding sources such as the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
For further advice or information, please get in touch with our team.
