Are you trying to get to grips with an application for condition improvement funding? Luckily you have found the right place for help and information as this article tells you everything you need to know about CIF funding. This includes details about the funding, who can apply, eligible projects and more.
About Condition Improvement Funding
First, let’s start with a quick look at CIF
funding and what it is. Funding is available to help keep learning environments
in good working order and safe for those attending. Condition improvement
funding is applied to cover such issues as:
·
Improving the condition of poor
building construction;
·
Making improvements to meet
building compliance;
·
Increasing energy efficiency;
·
Improving health and safety
measures to bring them up to code.
While any funding requests are considered
to improve schools and colleges, high priority is generally given to colleges
and schools needing funding to address unsafe building conditions.
Along with issuing condition improvement
funding to meet safety and health needs the funding may also be applied for to
meet some expansion projects. However, there are caveats to this and they
include the following:
·
Expansion of floor space of
facilities to increase admission numbers;
·
Addressing overcrowding issues.
Who can apply for Conditional Improvement Funding?
To be able to make an application for
funding you must meet the following criteria:
·
Be a stand-alone academy; or
·
Be a school as part of a
multi-academy trust with less than five schools or 3,000 pupils; or
·
Be a Voluntary Aided school in
a body or group with less than 5 schools or 3,000 pupils; or
·
A sixth-form college; or
·
A school holding a signed
academy order.
Eligible projects for Funding
There are different categories of CIF
Funding and these are condition, expansion and condition with expansion.
Condition projects are aimed at making
improvements to the condition of buildings without expansion to the gross
internal floor area.
Expansion projects funding is aimed at the creation
of more spaces to address overcrowding issues.
Condition with expansion projects is aimed
at making improvements to conditions of new replacement blocks up to 10% larger
than the prior.
Important dates related to CIF funding
Condition Improvement Funding is an annual
bidding round and as such, some important dates have to be considered if you
are considering applying for the funding.
Launch of Condition Improvement Funding 2022/23
Information is made available for schools
and colleges and it is published online from 20 October 2021, where you can
also apply. Of course, here at Maunfunding, we make applying for CIF funding
easier as we have secured more than £40 million to date for schools and
colleges.
Deadlines
There is a deadline for submitting
applications for 2022/23 and this is 15 December 2021.
The deadline for the Regional Schools
Commissioner significant change approval in relation to expansion projects is
31 March 2022.
The applicants of CIF Funding are notified
of the outcome in the spring of 2022.
New additions to Condition Improvement Funding 2022-23
This year CIF Funding has a new scoring and
assessment model. Again, you don’t have to worry about this if you allow us to
help you with your application.
Some of the changes include the removal of
weightings for condition projects and expansion projects for project cost and
planning. This newer model allows a wider range of scores in assessment projects;
however, the overall requirements remain the same.
In regards to Environmental Sustainability,
a new assessment criterion is included this year. CIF Funding is committed to
supporting the targets and objectives of the Government to reduce carbon and
improve energy efficiency.
Maintained schools and academies may also
be eligible to apply for Public Sector Low Carbon Skills funding.
For the year 2022/23 some schools may be
eligible to make an application for both overcrowding projects and added place
expansion.
Tips for successful application for funding
Here are some tips we recommend to help
improve your chances of successful funding for your school or college:
·
Provide strong evidence by way
of detailed reports and surveys that stress the urgency for the work to be
undertaken;
·
Stressing the importance and
providing a clear understanding of any issues you are faced with and how it
impacts learning and teaching;
·
Be as specific as possible
about all aspects of the application;
·
Ensure the assessor understands
your bid and needs;
·
Make it clear why your project
should have priority for funding and why you cannot wait;
·
Make sure you understand the
guidelines;
·
Put a focus on the areas of the
highest urgency and need;
·
Make sure your proposal is
supported with any expert technical advice you have;
·
Any surveys you have and are
including must be within the last three years;
·
Any surveys should be
independent;
·
Include photographic evidence
that shows off the full extent of conditions to help the assessors understand
better;
·
Make sure you apply for
external approvals well in advance to ensure you have them to hand, for
instance, planning approval and such;
·
Show a detailed and clear
delivery plan that shows how, when and who is going to deliver the project;
·
Provide plans of how the
project is to be delivered around school terms to keep down the disruption;
·
Show costings in as much detail
and as clearly as possible;
·
Be realistic in regards to
costing and try to keep costs as low as possible. However, don’t underestimate
costs;
·
Use a specialist technical
advisor for the preparation of your application.
Applying for CIF Funding
Maunfunding has extensive knowledge in CIF
Funding having developed a winning format for applications. We have the
technology to help ensure your bids include the necessary evidence required.
Our strong team is made up of a huge
network of specialists who ensures your big stands out from the crowd and we
have an 85% success rate.
You no longer have to get to grips with
Condition Improvement Funding by yourself as it is easy to get support from us
for your application; you can fill in your details here.
Condition improvement funding, CIF funding
