Eligible academies, Sixth Forms, Colleges and voluntary-aided (VA) schools can apply for capital funding from the conditional improvement fund (CIF) in an annual bidding to aid projects to ensure the educational provider is running optimally.

Projects surround health and safety issues as well as building compliance and poor building conditions. CIF also supports a small proportion of expansion projects. These are mainly aimed at academies, sixth-form colleges and VA schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted that can demonstrate a need for expansion. 

The Department for Education (DFE) has a priority to administer the funding for significant condition needs. This allows for education providers to keep their buildings in good and safe working order. 

Fire safety systems are very much at the top of a lot of Schools and Colleges improvement list. With buildings aging and regulations changing it is a frequent demand. The process of CIF from a contractors perspective is that we receive the list containing projects that we have won once the funding has been given the go ahead. The size and nature of the projects are variable.