Leaky roofs, a crumbling wall in the gym, no hot water, fire hazards …

There are all sorts of problems that undermine great teaching and learning in schools, but budgets are so stretched that they can’t all be rectified as soon as you’d like.

One answer could be CIF – the Government’s Condition Improvement Fund. The latest annual bidding round is about to open, and last time £498 million was allocated for 1,405 projects at 1,129 institutions.

CIF is open to stand-alone academies, MATs with fewer than five academies or 3,000 pupils, sixth-form colleges and non-diocesan voluntary-aided schools.

But it is always oversubscribed and it is essential to make a watertight case for projects that the Department for Education judge high priority.

So which projects are likely to win maximum points from the CIF assessment panel?

There are three categories for CIF:

• Condition projects to improve the condition of buildings

• Condition projects with expansion where a new replacement block is up to 10% larger than the previous block

• Expansion projects to create additional places or address overcrowding (either to increase the number of pupils on roll or to provide more space for schools operating above capacity). The new block must be at least 10% bigger than before or add functional areas or facilities. Expansion projects get the minority of CIF grants.

Highest Priority

Highest Priority will go to projects where academies or MATs are currently at risk of closure for Health & Safety reasons.

These include dangerous structures, such as the need to replace post-war Laingspan and Intergrid system builds that have reached the end of their safe working life, and RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) elements from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Other examples are:

• emergency and managed asbestos removal to facilitate essential works

• gas and electrical safety

• fire doors and alarms

• boilers for hot water, as well as cold water services and drainage

• ventilation/air quality and thermal comfort

• security and safeguarding.

However, ventilation will not include new windows, and schools must prove how the problem may close parts of the school unless rectified. Security fencing will only get the green light if there is a significant Health & Safety risk backed up a police report.

High Priority

Next come High Priority projects (Life Expired Condition Replacement) where there is a risk of complete or partial school closure. These include:

• building structure – e.g. structural and weather tightness such as replacing a leaky roof

• mechanical and electrical systems, and utility connections.

Low Priority

Unfortunately, Low Priority goes to nice-to-have refurbishment of dining areas, staff rooms, libraries and learning resources areas, studios and social spaces. Toilet and kitchen revamp projects will only win CIF funding if a Health & Safety problem is backed up by third-party evidence such as a legionella risk assessment.

How much can we get?

In the last funding round primary and special schools had a minimum project threshold of £20,000 and maximum of £4 million. Secondaries, all-through schools and sixth-form colleges had a minimum project threshold of £50,000 and maximum of £4 million.

Engaging specialist help for your bid

Any project of £1 million or more that wins initial CIF approval will have to submit further information such as tender returns, planning evidence, updated project programmes or detailed cost plans for scrutiny before final approval.

This is to ensure that overall costs and delivery timelines are realistic and robust – and it is where it is invaluable to engage specialist chartered surveyors to help with your bid. Surveyors to Education (S2e) has extensive expertise in this and an outstanding 85% success rate for clients.

The DfE also stresses that CIF applicants should provide a professional independent condition survey to show proof of project need. This should set out a clear scope and demonstrate value for money. Again, S2e is ready to help.

Providing compelling evidence

Condition surveys need to cover elements such as structural frame and building fabric,  mechanical and electrical, asbestos, sewage, utilities, fire safety and site layout.

You will also need to provide detailed and relevant photographs (for example, if you are applying for a roofing project, photographs of multiple sections of the roof/s); fire safety inspection, police reports or electrical engineer data; Ofsted or other reports on the impact of facilities on teaching and learning.

A final point when judging your application is that the DfE favours bids from applicants with strong governance and good financial management. “We think there is a strong link between Trusts with a good grip on finance and governance and effective, value-for-money capital delivery,” it says.

Again, seeking specialist help from S2e to present your case can be the difference between success and failure.

Contact S2e today to make sure your CIF application is as strong as it can be.