CIF 2027 to 2028: what the assessment weighs
Key dates, who can bid, and how a Condition Improvement Fund application is weighed, with the evidence that makes a bid easy to assess.
Key dates for this round
For the 2027 to 2028 round of the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), new applicants must register by 12 noon on 30 November 2026, and bids close at 12 noon on 15 December 2026. Registration is easy to leave late, and a bid cannot be submitted without it.
These dates are from the DfE guidance for this round.
Who can apply
CIF is for smaller trusts and standalone schools: academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary aided schools within the size limits the guidance sets. Larger trusts receive School Condition Allocation instead, and maintained schools are funded through their local authority. Check the eligibility rules against your school type and trust size before you commission any work.
How bids are weighed
Bids are assessed against three criteria. As published in the DfE guidance for this round, need carries 55% of the weighting, project planning 20% and cost and value for money 25%. Check the current guidance on GOV.UK, as weightings and definitions can change between rounds.
“The roof leaks and needs replacing.”
“Survey dated March 2026 by a chartered building surveyor: felt roof over classrooms 4 to 7 has failed, with active leaks at three outlets (photos 12 to 15). Two rooms closed for 9 days last winter. Replacement recommended within 12 months.”
So most bids are won or lost on the condition case. Say what has failed, what that means for safety or keeping the school open, and how soon it needs doing.
Making the need clear
The guidance asks for independent condition evidence. For this round, a condition survey should be dated after 1 October 2023 and should name the surveyor and their qualification. A survey that predates that, or that is unsigned, weakens the bid before the assessor reaches the detail.
- Commission or update an independent condition survey early, so it is ready well before the deadline.
- Use dated photographs that show the defect, its extent and its location, labelled to match the survey.
- Include supporting records: maintenance logs, engineer reports, test certificates or incident records where they exist.
- Say plainly what happens to pupils, staff and the timetable if the work isn't done.
Planning that stands up
Project planning is about showing the school can deliver what it is asking for. Assessors look for a realistic programme that works around term dates, a clear scope, and a procurement plan for appointing a contractor fairly. Name who will manage the project and how risks such as asbestos, access and occupied buildings will be handled.
Costs and value for money
Costs should be realistic and traceable to the scope. That means a cost plan built from quantities, with sensible allowances for preliminaries, contingency and inflation to the expected start date. Professional fees must sit within the 10% cap set by the guidance. Underpricing a bid to look efficient is a false economy if the project cannot then be delivered for the sum awarded.
Before you submit
- Registered on the DfE portal if you are a new applicant, before 12 noon on 30 November 2026.
- Eligibility confirmed against your school type and trust size.
- Independent condition survey dated after 1 October 2023, naming the surveyor and their qualification.
- Photographs and supporting records that match the survey.
- Scope, programme and procurement plan agreed with the people who will deliver them.
- Cost plan with fees within the 10% cap.
- Technical adviser appointed through a recorded quotation process, where the guidance asks for it.
DfE makes the final decision on every bid, and a well-prepared bid is not a guarantee of funding. Good preparation just means the assessor doesn't have to guess.
This note is general guidance based on the published DfE guidance for this round. Check the current guidance on GOV.UK before you apply.
