Your CIF Funding Application: Advice From Industry Experts

Helping schools make successful bids to the Condition Improvements Fund

The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is an annual bidding round for schools to apply for capital funding from the UK government and the Department for Education, to be used towards educational building projects, including buildings made with modern modular construction techniques.

What building projects are supported?

• Funding is available to ensure buildings remain safe and in good working order. 
• This includes issues with compliance, poor condition and works to fix health and safety concerns.
• CIF also supports some expansion of school projects for academies and sixth-form colleges rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, if they are able to show they need more space to meet demand.

Bidding for school CIF funds

Applications need to be high-quality and detailed bids. Competition to gain funding is fierce, but it is very possible if you have the right application.

Consulting with a team like Modulek who have experience navigating the CIF bid process is highly recommended to make the most of your chance. If you want to talk to us about your CIF bid, contact us today. 

Condition Improvement Fund application: Key Facts

Who can apply?

The Condition Improvement Fund is available to a range of education providers:

• Multi Academy Trusts (MATs) that have 5 or more schools open by September 2021 with less than 3000 students per school
• 6th Forms and Colleges that are open from 1st September 2021
• Voluntary Aided Schools (VA) 

If your academy is a part of MAT with over 5 academies or over 3000 pupils, you’re not eligible for the CIF however you can still receive School Capital Funding. Click here for more info. 

How do Urgent Capital Support (UCS) and other loans work with the CIF scheme?

UCS is available specifically for urgent issues that threaten immediate school closure due to endangering pupils and staff.

Academies and sixth-form colleges can take out a loan, for all or part of the project costs in their application, to demonstrate their commitment to the scheme.

What is the application deadline?

The deadline for new applicants annually to register is December and the deadline for submitting applications is January.

When do you find out if a bid is successful?

If successful, applicants are usually contacted in spring of the next year.

How to apply

Applications are made via the Condition Improvement fund portal.

CIF Bid Writing for Modular

Our team of Directors, design and construction experts, who have decades of professional knowledge between them, can help you with concept design, budget costs and construction drawings, which will help you prepare your successful school CIF bid. 

Let us guide you through every aspect of the process

Each year the Department for Schools and Education updates their guidance. This document is often long and complicated, and it is crucial for your successful bid preparation.

Before making your bid, it’s essential to thoroughly review the guidance and to follow it meticulously. You can work with CIF & modular consultants who are experts at preparing your bid and can guide you through the process.

We work with many CIF consultants to prepare designs, drawings, and budget proposals for successful CIF applications. 

We understand the process and what is required for your bid to be in with every chance of being approved and enabling you to have the new school building you require.

This attention to detail, matched with Modulek’s years of experience regarding successful educational build projects, means we’re adept at ensuring your bid is a success.

We’ll help strengthen your CIF modular project bid

Every successful bid should include details of the solution you are proposing complete with supporting prices and a delivery schedule. 

We can help with all this and, also, show how our unique, bespoke off-site construction can help save you time and money.

Via our turnkey solution, we can offer you total support from concept to completion, providing a fully fitted building your staff and pupils can start using immediately. 

Why choose a Modulek building when applying for CIF funds? 

• Off-site construction: We construct every building in our dedicated factory, which minimises visual, audible and physical disruption to students and staff on-site. Bad weather does not impact us, so deadlines are met, and costs kept to a minimum while protecting the environment at the same time. The advantages of using a MMC is a strong consideration within the process application.  
• Cost Certainty: Our proven track record working with fixed budgets means that we can deliver on our promises.
• Creative Designs: Creating exceptional learning environments is a feature of our service. Using the very latest building methods, a hybrid of traditional and modular construction, we can work with you to deliver bespoke buildings exactly as you want them.
• True turnkey ability: Our experienced Project Managers are experts at managing the whole project for you, from demolition and groundworks through to internal finishing and landscaping. This provides confidence that the project will be completed without hassle, giving you complete peace of mind
• Putting our client first: Our client-centric approach guarantees client satisfaction from the initial concept to completion. We work with individual schools, bursars and estates teams and CIF Consultants. 
• Proven track record: Trust our experience of delivering over 100 school projects in the past 5 years that in turn confirms that you made the right choice. You can find some of our previous products in our case studies.
• Build quality: guaranteed to last at least 60 years and can be delivered quickly. You could even have your project completed in just 16 weeks.
• Eco-friendly buildings: Our modular school buildings come with a variety of energy-saving features. Using these, the cost to run a single classroom, for example, could be as little as 95p per day. Making them efficient and eco-friendly.