Condition Improvement Fund 2026–27: Demystifying the Application Process

NASPM’s practical guide to help you prepare CIF bids with confidence

With education budgets under significant strain across the UK, securing funds for essential school building upgrades has become a major challenge for School leaders. The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), which is now open for 2026/27, remains one of the most important sources of support, enabling schools to replace outdated or unsafe facilities and create modern, high-quality learning environments that promote educational success. Who Can Apply To be eligible to apply for CIF funding, you must have been one of the following at the start of September 2025:

• Stand-alone academy
• School in a multi-academy trust (MAT) with fewer than five schools or fewer than 3,000 pupils as counted in the Spring 2025 census or 2024/25 Individualized Learner Record (ILR) (details of how pupils are counted for eligibility purposes are provided below)
• Voluntary Aided (VA) school in a VA body or VA group with fewer than five schools or fewer than 3,000 pupils as counted in the Spring 2025 census or 2024/25 ILR
• Sixth-form college
• School with a signed academy order as of 1 September 2025 that the department expects will convert to a CIF-eligible responsible body by 1 April 2026.

Applications must be submitted by 12 noon on 16 December 2025, with outcomes expected in May 2026. The Department for Education (DfE) has published over 60 pages of guidance on this year’s process. Below, we distill the key information and highlights what schools really need to know to build a strong, compliant, and competitive application.

What CIF is designed to do

CIF exists to help schools and colleges to be Safe, warm, dry and compliant. It is intended for issues that cannot be met through day-to-day revenue budgets or routine maintenance, and it funds: Condition Projects (Main Priority) These form the backbone of most successful CIF bids, addressing urgent health and safety concerns, statutory compliance issues, and deteriorating building conditions that directly impact learning environments. Examples include roof replacements, heating system upgrades, window installations, and accessibility improvements.Compliance & Health & Safety

• Projects addressing statutory compliance issues (e.g., accessibility for SEND pupils, Security improvement).
• Works required to prevent school closure or serious disruption

Expansion Projects (Limited)

• Only for schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
• Must show clear evidence of overcrowding or demand for additional places.
• Typically, less than 10% of total CIF funding is allocated to expansion bids.

Infrastructure Modernisation Beyond basic repairs, CIF funding supports schools in creating contemporary learning spaces equipped for 21st-century education, including technology infrastructure, flexible learning areas, and energy-efficient systems.

Demystifying the CIF Process

The DfE guidance sets out a detailed process with strict evidence and scoring requirements. Below, we break it into manageable steps and explain how to make each part count.

Step 1. Identify your project

Before considering what is a school CIF bid, institutions must conduct thorough evaluations of their building conditions and educational requirements. This assessment should encompass structural surveys, compliance audits, energy efficiency reviews, and educational suitability analysis. This will assist in defining the condition issue you want to address. The strongest bids tackle genuine compliance risks or imminent failures that could lead to closure or health and safety issues. Professional building condition surveys form the foundation of strong applications, providing independent verification of urgent maintenance needs. These assessments should cover all major building systems, including roofing, heating, electrical installations, windows, and accessibility features

Step 2. Check you meet the funding thresholds

• Primary and special schools: £20,000–£4,000,000
• Secondary and sixth-form colleges: £50,000–£4,000,000

Projects must complete by 31 March 2028 and improve the existing capital asset used for education. You may submit up to two bids per school, but only one can be an expansion project.

Step 3. Gather your evidence early

Each CIF application must include:

• A condition survey showing independent grading and the surveyor’s name, qualifications, and date.
• Photographic evidence of the issue, clearly labelled.
• Professional reports or quotes from qualified engineers, contractors, or surveyors.
• A cost plan that itemises all works and includes a justified contingency.
• Feasibility studies or options appraisals for larger or more complex projects.
• A signed CIF declaration by the school’s accounting officer or senior leader.

Generic letters or duplicated templates may lead to disqualification.

Step 4. Show value for money

Your cost plan should include realistic market prices, appropriate professional fees (normally under 10%), and clear justification for any abnormal costs such as asbestos or temporary accommodation. If you are applying for a CIF loan, ensure you meet affordability requirements:

• Repayments must not exceed 3% of GAG for academies or 4% of revenue funding for VA schools and sixth forms.
• Applicants must show financial health, no active Financial Notice to Improve, and sufficient surplus to cover repayments.

CIF loans are optional but can increase your score under the “funding sources” criterion.

Step 5. Build your sustainability case

Environmental sustainability is now built into the scoring system.  Projects that demonstrate energy efficiency, carbon reduction, or alignment with DfE Construction Design Standards will score higher. Include a short statement or evidence showing how your project:

• Improves energy performance or reduces carbon use.
• Supports your school’s Net Zero Transition Plan.
• Considers sustainable materials and long-term performance.

Step 6. Prepare a realistic project plan

Assessors want to see clear deliverability and careful risk management. Your plan should include:

• A timeline or Gantt chart with realistic milestones.
• Planning consent or confirmation of landowner approval.
• A risk register covering cost, delivery, and health and safety factors.
• Reference to your Good Estate Management for Schools (GEMS) self-assessment, showing how the project fits within your estate strategy.

Projects that are well-planned and fully evidenced score significantly higher.

Step 7. Submit through the CIF Portal

All applications must be submitted via the CIF Portal by 12 noon on 16 December 2025. New applicants must register by 9 December 2025. Each project must include:

• One upload for project need
• One for project planning
• One for project cost
• A hand-signed CIF declaration
• Optional: one additional upload for photographs

Photographs can now be uploaded in a separate 1MB file. Files should be compressed, and image dimensions reduced before capture (not resolution) to stay within size limits. Use the naming format URN_SchoolName_Need/Planning/Cost/Declaration/Photographs, ensuring you use your current URN only. Each document must include evidence relevant to that section. For Example: School Name: Greenfield Academy URN: 123456 Project Type: Roof Replacement

Document Type	Required File Name Format	Example Filename
Need	URN_SchoolName_Need	123456_GreenfieldAcademy_Need.pdf
Planning	URN_SchoolName_Planning	123456_GreenfieldAcademy_Planning.pdf
Cost	URN_SchoolName_Cost	123456_GreenfieldAcademy_Cost.pdf
Declaration	URN_SchoolName_Declaration	123456_GreenfieldAcademy_Declaration.pdf
Photographs (optional)	URN_SchoolName_Photographs	123456_GreenfieldAcademy_Photographs.pdf

For security, do not share CIF Portal log-in details with third parties. The Accounting Officer remains accountable for all information submitted and should be the one to complete and submit the application.

Step 8. Understand how bids are scored

Applications are assessed out of 100 points:

• Project Need – 60 points (urgency, evidence, impact, and alignment with DfE priorities)
• Project Cost – 25 points (value for money, financial contribution, sustainability)
• Project Planning – 15 points (deliverability, feasibility, risk management)

Only bids that meet a minimum standard in each category will be considered. Historically, around one in three applications are successful.

Adding value beyond the DfE guidance

While the DfE outlines what is required, it does not tell you how to optimise your bid. That is where NASPM adds value. We help schools and trusts to:

• Gather information into a risk assessment document to further highlight the risks associated with the need for project works, using our NASPM risk assessment templates and specific examples
• Align evidence correctly, using our CIF bid checklists and templates
• Seek letters of support from our Professional Chartered Experts (Premium Members)

Free NASPM members can access and download resources such as checklists and proforma documents on the website on demand, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Premium members can also access the same resource hub, but also benefit from personal email support from our team of experts (48 hour maximum response time) With the deadline approaching rapidly, we recommend engaging with the NASPM team now to begin the planning and submission process.