A new round of funding has been launched in England for providers of post-16 education. Under the Post-16 capacity fund for 2023 to 2024, eligible providers of 16 to 19 education can apply for capital investment to accommodate upcoming demographic increases in 16 to 19-year-olds.
This is one of the few funding rounds that is specifically targeted at capital expansion projects in the education sector. The newly launched round will fund £140 million of projects. Previous rounds of the Post-16 capacity fund (1a and 1b) funded a total of £98 million of projects.
The window for applications is narrow, with the following timetable applying:
- Funding round – now open
- Registrations to be made by 30th September 2022
- The deadline for applications is 11th November 2022
- Successful applicants will be notified in March 2023
- The completion date for projects is 31 August 2024
This will be the last opportunity to bid for the fund in the current spending review period that runs to 24/25. Providers of post-16 education that are predicting an increase in student numbers should consider making an application.
Eligible providers include further education college established as a further education corporation, designated institutions, sixth form colleges, maintained schools with sixth forms, academies providing sixth form education.
As with all funding applications for the education sector, there is a significant amount of work involved in preparing and submitting a bid for the Post-16 capacity fund. Lea Hough’s Education team are working with a number of sixth form colleges to help prepare bids. For more information or to discuss making an application under the Post-16 capacity fund for 2023 to 2024, please get in touch at the earliest opportunity.
For more information on the fund and eligibility, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-16-capacity-fund
