A Detailed Look At Bid Applications Within The Education Sector

Bid applications are a means of securing additional funding throughout the various public sectors. There are a variety of biddable schemes through which extra funding can be sought, the appropriateness of which depends entirely on the project at hand. Securing these additional funds is a complex process, and entails a comprehensive bidding process. Munday + Cramer are experts in procuring successful bid applications for the schools, colleges and academies that need them most. Their work also extends to sectors extraneous to the education sector. In a time where the education sector is being placed under increasing strain, the necessity for such funding schemes has never been so great, and the need for a high-quality bid application? Essential.

Considerations For Bid Applications

Traditionally, there has been a large volume of bid applications that return a relatively low proportion of successful bids. The reasons for this are manifold, but your chances improve with the right support and strategy in place. The following are all considerations to keep in mind when looking to bolster your bid application’s prospects:

• Utilise consultant experience. Successfully securing funding without the help of consultants along the way is incredibly difficult. It can be tempting to manage a bid application entirely in-house for the sake of keeping costs to a minimum. The chances are, however, that this will lead to more a financial waste than if you were to out-source to consultants offering technical support. This is because you’re unlikely to secure a successful bid application, in most instances, without the backing and experience of consultants.
• Forward-thinking. A successful application revolves around proactive strategy. The myriad number of deadlines that loom over a school at any one time of year is staggering. Things always crop up and get in the way, such is life’s nature. By planning ahead, and getting your application ready ahead of schedule, you ensure that you leave yourself enough breathing room and contingency should anything unexpected occur towards the application deadline.
• Technical content reigns supreme. The application process itself, once online, is relatively simple. But if you don’t have the substance in the application itself, then it’ll be quickly picked apart.

Types Of Funding For Schools & Other Educational Establishments

As an educational establishment, you need to know which grant or funding scheme would be pertinent to your school’s particular needs. Applying for an unsuitable grant not only wastes the grant supplier’s time, but also yours. Given that bid applications take so long, it’s crucial you apply for the right one. Below are some of the major funding schemes to consider for your school’s future:

• Condition Improvement Fund: The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is an annual government-funded round of bidding available to certain academies, non-diocesan VA schools and sixth-form colleges. The fund specifically targets conditional need, that is to say, keeping buildings in good structural working order, and undertaking refurbishments to meet current health and safety standards. In some instances, the CIF can also be used to support expansion projects.
• LCVAP: The Local Co-Ordinated Voluntary Aided Programme (LCVAP) is a programme administered by ESFA (Education Skills Funding Agency) primarily used for projects which are beyond the remit and scope of the Devolved Formula Capital Grant (DFCG).
• School Nursery Capital Fund: This fund centres around the creation of more nurseries for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. It’s rooted in the idea that these initial stages of education are vital for social mobility in later life.
• Salix Loans: Salix Energy Efficient Funding is a funding scheme run by Salix in conjunction with the Department for Education (DfE) that offers grants to improve the energy efficiencies of various academic establishments. Salix loans are amongst the most beneficial to schools, and have benefits that pay off long into the future. Across all the schools using Salix loans, £1.8 million is saved, annually, whilst at the same time significantly reducing a school’s carbon footprint.
• T-Levels Capital Fund: T-levels are more practically-minded equivalents of A-levels recently brought in by the UK Government. Something more akin to an apprenticeship, it is hoped that T levels will contribute to the skills revolution required to support today’s domestic and global economic needs. The capital fund has been designated to create world-class teaching facilities for these new qualifications.

These are some of the major funding schemes available, however that’s not to say these are the only ones.

Funding For Other Sectors

Whilst it is the education sector that Munday + Cramer ploughs much of its efforts into, it is not the only industry where resources are allocated. Funding schemes also exist across the sporting, cultural and health sectors. Take the NHS, for example. The NHS Estates and Technology Transformation Fund provides grants to develop medical facilities and establishments. Munday + Cramer has previously helped secure this funding for the development of a GP surgery, for instance.

Funding is also available in the sporting sector in the form of Sport England. Sport England funding can be secured and used for various projects, like the installation of MUGAs (Multi-Use Game Areas), swimming pools and various sporting clubhouses.

Testimonial

Munday + Cramer’s history of bid application successes stems from an unparalleled experience within the industry. The funding they’ve helped secure has gone on to see significant improvements made in various sectors the nation over. Des Shillingford is Finance Director of the Ortu Federation, a leading schools trust operating in Stanford and Corringham. Here’s what he had to say after having worked alongside Munday + Cramer whilst securing numerous successful CIF bids:

“In bid applications, there appear to be many wrong ways to do it and only a few right. Munday + Cramer have established the right ways. They recognise what is likely to be successful even before pen is put to paper.”

With such a plethora of funding options available, applying for the appropriate ones is imperative. So, if you’d like to find out more about Munday + Cramer’s work on bid applications in Essex, then get in touch! Contact us today on 01245 326 200 or visit http://mc-funding.co.uk/.