Condition Improvement Fund opens with new criteria

Academies and sixth form colleges across England can now bid for a share of more than £400 million to their transform facilities and buildings, and create more  places.

The annual fund can be used to upgrade facilities such as sports halls or science labs, and address issues with the general wear and tear of school buildings.

The new criteria of the latest round from the Condition Improvement Fund will incentivise academies and trusts to improve finances and governance. Bids are assessed on a point based criteria and applicants will get a four-point deduction if they pay two or more salaries in excess of £100,000 or one salary over £150,000, and have failed to take appropriate action in response to our high pay challenge.

Alongside this, Academies Minister Lord Agnew has also introduced: an extra point for applicants that have signed-up to the most recent government funding agreement; deductions of up to four points for applicants that have not submitted a financial improvement plan following a visit from a School Resource Management Adviser; and Further scrutiny for successful projects worth more than £1 million.

All applications for the Condition Improvement Fund will be scored against the new criteria, with points added or deducted from the overall score. For unsuccessful bids, applicants will still have the option of applying for Urgent Capital Support to ensure their buildings are safe for pupils and staff.