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Tag Archives: CIF


CIF (Condition Improvement Fund) is a government fund for the improvement of school buildings.

Many academies have inherited buildings from converter schools which are no longer in a workable condition. The ESFA controls CIF. Academies can apply for a share of an annual budget. They can then use the money to make make the required improvements.

Condition is one if the key criteria for success. Examples include schemes to replace or renew areas where safety is compromised, or where the building will suffer further deterioration if the academy takes no action. Alternatively, overcrowding is another reason for an application. Some academies already have a problem with overcrowding. Others need to expand, but the building is unable to accommodate more students.

How do Academies access the money?

Academies must submit a bid with extensive details and plans of the proposed scheme. This includes a feasibility study and projected costs, including the cost of no action. Costs are not always financial. Where safety is compromised, the cost of no action is potentially much higher.

The application process itself can be a daunting prospect. The academy must prepare a number of documents and have supporting information ready to back up their claim.

Acadmies may of course prepare their own application for the ESFA to consider. However, many engage the services of architectural/surveying practices such as Munday and Cramer. This Essex-based practice use their considerable skill and experience to work with the academy and prepare the bid for submission.

Academy best practice is to have a 5 year asset management plan in place. This document can form the base of supporting evidence for a CIF bid. Surveying practices can help with the preparation of these if required. They will also manage the planning process for a bid if necessary.

A collaborative partnership is formed between practice and academy and bid preparation, is completed free of charge to the academy. This is on the understanding that the practice will manage works resulting from successful bids, thus earning a fee.

What cost to the academy themselves?

Academies must fund a portion of the costs themselves, either through capital expenditure, or via Salix loans. However, some types of works do not qualify for Salix. A good surveying practice will certainly be able to advise schools on what is and isn’t viable.

£506m was awarded for 1576 projects in total last year 2017-2018. In 2018/19, academies will be bidding for a share of a similar sum

CIF Funding for Schools – Who is eligible?


CIF funding for schools is a type of financial aid provided by the government. The acronym stands for ‘Condition Improvement Fund’ and the aim of this budget is to help schools, academies and sixth-form colleges stay in good condition, or to improve the condition to get them up to an appropriate standard. CIF capital funding is reserved for qualifying educational facilities that are in desperate need of repair works. These defects may be hindering the way they operate, or they could even be a health and safety risk. When granted, funding can then be used to make vital improvements. Eligibility […]

ESFA CIF funding for schools

ESFA CIF Funding: Changes for 2023/24


Struggling to understand the ins and outs of the new criteria for the next round of ESFA CIF funding? As professional bid writers for over 40 years, our team are always up to date with the latest criteria. What’s more, we also have an incredibly high success rate when bidding for CIF projects.  Interested in knowing more about changes for the next round of CIF and how we can help streamline the process? Keep reading!  Who are the ESFA? ESFA stands for the Education and Skills Funding Agency. Part of the Government, the ESFA are responsible for deciding which educational […]

ESFA CIF funding for schools

3 Top Tips for a Successful CIF Application: Overcoming the hurdles


Looking for tips on how to build a successful CIF application? Like with all Government schemes, there are a lot of hoops to jump through with writing this kind of bid. This being said, with the right guidance, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be successful in receiving this type of financial support. Here at Munday + Cramer, we have helped hundreds of schools build comprehensive and successful applications through the years. As experts in procurement, architecture, surveying, and project management, we have an added level of knowledge when it comes to the level of work that is required and how […]

3 Top Tips for a Successful CIF Application

The Importance of CIF Project Costing 


As part of a CIF project application, educational institutions must provide detailed costs to secure funding. It is incredibly important to give this section due consideration, as CIF project costing contributes to 25% of the overall score given to the full application. Below, we will detail the different criteria that CIF judges will be looking out for within your application when it comes to costing. Overall CIF Project Costs Clear scopes with overall cost below industry expectations should be present in your application. This will help you to achieve a maximum score. Each cost element should be reasonable and explained […]

Two people looking at CIF project costing

Can You Apply For Multiple CIF Projects? 


The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is a fund controlled by the Education Funding Agency (EFA). The aim of CIF is to allow academies and sixth-form colleges to improve their properties. Projects that CIF can cover are varied, consisting of health and safety, expansion, security, maintenance, efficiency and more. Many of these institutions will want to work on multiple CIF projects at once, as these can all be very important in their own ways.  Unfortunately, they may have to prioritise one aspect over another, as you can only apply for two projects at a time via CIF. Also, if your plans […]

Can you apply for multiple CIF projects?

What Further Education and School Funding is Available for Improving Buildings


There are many different types of funding for the education sector that can be utilised to improve educational buildings and their offering for students. Applying for these funds can be a long and difficult process, with hard deadlines. Using an experienced company like the team here at Munday + Cramer will make the bidding process much easier. Additionally, it will increase the chances of having your bid accepted.  The following examples of what further education and school funding is available are just that; examples. Some of these will have already closed for applications this year, but they tend to be […]

school funding and college funding is available from the government

A Detailed Look At The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) 2021/2022


It seems like only yesterday that the announcements for the 2020-2021 CIF results were being published, but here we are again, having gotten around to next year’s application opening. With finances as stretched as they currently are for many within the education sector, the prospect of any additional funding is most certainly a welcome one. The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) has become a mainstay of the Government funding circuit, with its offerings helping many schools and academies to carry out vital maintenance, structural repair works and even to help with some expansion projects (though CIF capital cannot be used in […]

A piggy bank to represent the condition improvement fund.

Munday + Cramer’s Successful 2020 CIF Bid Applications


The application outcomes for this year’s Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) bids were announced this week. Up and down the country, schools and academies, alike, will have been awaiting this news with bated breath. Munday + Cramer has the great pleasure of announcing that they’ve successfully secured around £20 million in funding from this year’s Condition Improvement Fund. This comprises £9.8 million for Essex-based academies, £5.3 million across Buckinghamshire schools and £2.3 million across the county of Kent. Munday + Cramer also successfully secured bid applications in London and Bedfordshire, as well. The funding that we’ve secured will be making its […]

Confetti coming out of a glass, signifying the celebratory mood after successful CIF bid applications.

2019/20 CIF Success – M+C reach new heights


Munday + Cramer have again surpassed expectation, and are pleased to announce yet another successful year of securing Condition Improvement Funding for our academy clients. In total, around 100 schemes, totalling over £38m has been secured for the 2019/20 CIF funding round for academies in the South-East, London and Home Counties. The current round saw the ESFA’s spend reduce slightly to £433 million for 1,413 projects at 1,210 academies and sixth-form colleges. This means that Munday + Cramer successfully secured nearly 9% of the total UK fund. M+C’s level of success also sees an unprecedented growth of 72%. Associate Director, […]

Munday + Cramer successfully secured CIF funding of £38 million for academies in the 2019/20 round

Over £22 Million In CIF Funding Secured For Academies In 2018/9 Round


Munday + Cramer have once again beaten the odds, securing in excess of £22 million in funding from the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF). The Education and Skills Funding Agency recently announced the results of the annual funding round. An unprecedented £1.3 billion was requested across across 3,800 projects! In total 1556 schemes were funded for 1299 academies and sixth-form colleges, amounting to £514 million. Of this, £38 million was funded using the Healthy Pupils Capital Fund (HPCF), designated to help improve children and young people’s physical and mental health. The Condition Improvement Fund is dedicated to supporting academies, free schools and sixth-form colleges […]