ESFA Funding: The Next Round Of CIF Funding

When it comes to state school funding, resources are few and far between. As such, schemes such as CIF are more important than ever before. ESFA funding remains very limited, with only a handful of educational facilities being granted this backing annually. Due to the above, submitting a faultless bid is crucial for the survival of your school.

Who Are The ESFA? 

The ESFA are a department within the government that deal with the allocation of funding within the education and skills sector. This acronym stands for the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

The ESFA was once split into two different agencies – The Education Funding Agency (EFA) and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). In April 2017, however, they became one in a bid to offer a more ‘joined-up approach’.

CIF 2024-25 

Although the next round of CIF is yet to be confirmed, we have been left with no reason to believe that another round of ESFA funding isn’t on the table. In previous years, announcements are usually given around October or November, meaning news on the matter is likely to be imminent.

It’s never too early to start thinking about your bid, with lots of different aspects to consider. There are lots of different hoops to jump through, and this process can be incredibly lengthy. It’s for this reason that many schools reach out to specialist bid writers like our team here at Munday + Cramer.

How We Can Help 

We have a specialist department dedicated to bid writing for ESFA funding. Our team are well versed on what the ESFA are looking for within your application, so we can help you to piece this together efficiently. Despite there being guidance on the Government website, the entire process remains more than a little overwhelming. We’re here to simplify the process whilst increasing your chances of receiving funding.

What’s more, as a practise that also provides architecture, project management, and surveying too, we’re also able to provide you with quotes for the work to include within your application. This will strengthen your case, meaning you’re more likely to be awarded financial backing.

Checking You’re Eligible

In order to apply for ESFA funding, you must fit into one of the following categories:

• You are a stand-alone academy.
• You are a school that is part of a MAT (with fewer than either 3,000 pupils or 5 schools.)
• A VA school (with fewer than 3,000 pupils or 5 schools.)
• You are a sixth form college.
• An education facility with a signed academy order.

For more information about eligibility or the CIF scheme, contact our team today. You can also visit the Government website which can be found here.

Get In Touch

Interested in applying for the next round of CIF? If you’re in need of some help with your bid for ESFA funding, we are here to help! You can reach our team by either clicking here or calling our offices on 01245 326 200.