CIF is one of the education industry’s most important funding schemes, offering eligible academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary-aided schools the opportunity to address significant building issues.

Although applications are not currently open and no guidance has been made available yet, we believe that now is the perfect time to get ahead and prepare your bid. Our article looks at why you should consider taking action early and how Eddisons Education can help.

What is CIF?

CIF stands for Condition Improvement Fund. Eligible schools can apply on an annual basis, with successful institutions receiving capital to address critical health and safety issues, improve compliance, and repair buildings in poor condition.

It is unclear how much funding will be available for CIF in 2026/27, but the 2025/26 programme paid out almost £470 million in total to successful schools.

Why is now the time to start thinking about CIF 2026/27 bids?

We expect official CIF 2026/27 guidance to be released sometime in October 2025. However, it is more important than ever to prepare early to boost your chances of a successful bid.

Some experts believe that this could be the last round of CIF, less capital may be available, and applications will require more due diligence. This could make it the most competitive CIF yet, so your bid must be as strong as possible. By understanding your school’s needs early, you should be better able to convince those assessing your application that your institution is in greatest need of the funding.

Getting started now also gives you enough time to conduct due diligence checks on consultants preparing your bid and contractors carrying out the works, which could support your application further.

What can my 2026/27 CIF capital be spent on?

Typically, CIF funding can be spent on anything that reduces health and safety issues, ensures compliance with sector regulations, and repairs buildings. Examples of what the capital can be spent on include:

• Repairing roofs in extremely poor condition
• Addressing fire safety concerns
• Upgrading heating systems

How can Eddisons Education help me with my 2026/27 CIF bid?

We have been supporting CIF bids for many years and have an excellent track record of approvals. We can write your bids when applications open, ensuring we follow the guidelines accurately to boost approval chances.

Starting now, we want to ensure all schools considering CIF funding are ready. We will consult extensively with you to ensure we understand the issues you are facing and advise on the best options to ensure a successful application.

Your concerns and issues will be built into your CIF bid, with our team stressing the urgency of the repairs. We believe this will give you the best chance of approval in what could be the most competitive CIF year to date.

Discuss your Condition Improvement Fund plans with our experts today

Start preparing for the Condition Improvement Fund as soon as possible to boost your chances of acceptance. Please call 0808 156 2742 or complete the form below to speak to our team about your school’s building concerns, and we can advise you on the next steps.