2025 / 2026 CIF (Condition Improvement Fund)
We all know that education budgets are being stretched further and further each year. If you’re wondering “how can I fix my school roof?” but don’t have the funding capacity, CIF funding could be your saviour.
What is CIF?
The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is a Government scheme offering annual bidding rounds for academies and sixth-form colleges to apply for capital funding to enable the correction of poor building conditions and to adhere with building regulations & H&S compliance. This includes roofs which may have fallen into disrepair. Each academy or sixth-form college can submit up to 2 projects per round.
What's new?
RAAC Mitigations and Roof Replacements
CIF applications are no longer needed for roof replacements or mitigations involving Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). The immediate and long-term expenses related to RAAC mitigation and removal will be covered by the Department for Education (DfE). This funding, which is distinct from and in addition to the CIF program, indicates a specific approach to resolving issues related to RAAC.
Expansion Project Disqualification Criteria
New disqualification standards for expansion projects are introduced in CIF 2025–2026. Projects that seek to relieve current overcrowding or add more school spots will not be allowed if their capacity increase is less than 10% for additional spots or if current enrolment is less than 10% over capacity for overcrowding. This highlights how expansion initiatives must significantly address capacity issues in places of learning.
Who can apply?
- Single Academy Trusts
- Small Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) with less than 5 Academies
- Sixth-Form Colleges
- A voluntary-aided (VA) school in a VA body or VA group meeting size criteria
- A school with a signed academy order converting to a CIF-eligible responsible body.
Projects will be scored against 3 weighted assessment criteria:
- Project need - 60%
- Project planning - 15%
- Project cost - 25%
Many roofing works will fall within the CIF’s high priority level for maintaining the building condition of a teaching environment. However, the CIF application process can be overwhelming, and with a large percentage of failed bids due to increasing demand and lack of experience, many academies can find entering the process off-putting. With over 35 years’ experience working with the Education sector and alongside some of the biggest surveying practices in the UK, ICB have the confidence, technical expertise and the right network to ensure maximum chances of success in your academy bid.
The 2025/26 CIF funding bidding round is now open.
Time is of the essence… a rushed CIF application is unlikely to be detailed enough to be successful. Early preparations are essential for the most comprehensive applications, so get started TODAY.
With our long-standing waterproofing expertise and tailored solutions for schools and academies, we can make the bidding process simple and successful. We conduct a FREE, expert roof survey and create a Required Works Specification (RWS) and then help arrange the CIF funding bid application in collaboration with a fully qualified building surveyor, continuing our support throughout the journey. Upon approval of your funding, we have a nationwide network of Approved Roofing Contractors who will ensure that the works are completed according to the specification and can be backed by ICB’s single-point Guarantee.
ICB’s comprehensive approach incorporates the key aspects which should be into account:
Our waterproofing solutions include:
- Single Ply Membranes
- Liquid Applied Waterproofing
- Reinforced Bitumen Membranes
+ an Ancillary range including:
- Green/Blue Roofs
- Fascia, Soffit, Wall Capping etc.
- Guardrails & Fall arrest systems
- Solar PV
- Insulation
- Rooflights
- Comprehensive Roof Surveys
- Tapered Roofing Design
- Bespoke Metal Fabrications Design
- Thermal Calculations
- Solar Calculations
- Wind Uplift Calculations
- Drainage Calculations
- Condensation Risk Analysis
- Leak Testing – Electronic & Physical
- Roof Edge Protection & Fall Arrest Layouts
- CAD Drawing
Our expert Technical services include:
Don’t delay… Contact us TODAY to arrange for a service that meets your needs.
Email tech@icbwaterproofing.co.uk
Call 01202 785200
Call us on 01202 785200