Condition Improvement Fund (CIF)

Posted: September 16, 2021

The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is an annual bidding round for eligible academies, sixth-form colleges and VA schools to apply for capital funding.

  • The priority of the fund is to support condition projects, especially those that relate to compliance and health and safety issues.
  • A small proportion of expansion projects are also supported in cases where the eligible body is rated good or outstanding by Ofsted and can demonstrate a need to expand.

Most CIF funding aims to address building issues with significant consequences that revenue or Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) funding cannot meet. These include issues with poor building condition, building compliance, energy efficiency or health and safety.

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There are 3 categories of CIF project: condition, condition with expansion, and expansion.

Condition Projects

  • These are projects to improve the condition of buildings, with no expansion of the gross internal floor area (GIFA).

Condition with Expansion Projects

  • These are projects to improve the condition where the GIFA of the new block is up to 10% larger than the previous block. The aim of the project must primarily be to address significant condition need.

Expansion Projects

  • Expansion projects create additional places or address overcrowding. Applicants looking to expand must demonstrate that they are high performing and the GIFA of the new block must be more than 10% larger than the previous block or add functional areas or facilities.

To be eligible for CIF you must have been by 1st September 2021 either a:

  • Stand-alone academy
  • Multi-academy trust (MAT) with less than 5 academies or fewer than 3000 pupils
  • Sixth form college
  • Eligible voluntary-aided school
  • School with a signed academy order as of 1st September 2021 that the department expects will convert by 1st April 2022

Condition Data:

  • Applicants will need to provide appropriate building condition survey data or extracts to show proof of project need. An up to date independent condition survey will assist applicants in identifying and prioritising the worst condition areas of their site.

Condition Data:
Both with and without the proposed project:

  • Gross internal floor area (GIFA) of the whole school (m2) and how this relates to the recommended area contained within Building Bulletin 103 (BB103) or 104 as appropriate. Make sure you explain any significant differences in the application.
  • Number of pupils on roll (NOR), as applicable for the age range of the education establishment. You should complete the table on existing and forecast capacity and refer in your application to the change in the net capacity because of the proposed project by confirming the number of additional places that will be created by the project over and above the number(s) in your (current) funding agreement.

SPM can provide the data you need to support your CIF bid.

  • Evidence of condition from an independent source
  • Full school capacity report demonstrating a need to expand with comparisons to BB103
  • Up to date Net Capacity Assessment for the whole institution


      

  

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