Maintained schools cannot apply.
Grade A and B elements are ineligible.
Includes VAT, fees and contingency.
Gate 1: trust type
CIF is open to academy trusts (single-academy and multi-academy), sixth-form colleges and 16-19 academies. Local-authority-maintained schools cannot apply. Free schools are eligible if they sit inside an academy trust. Voluntary-aided schools are not eligible.
Gate 2: condition grade
The bid must address a building element graded C or D. Grades A and B are ineligible. The grade should be evidenced by a FRICS-qualified surveyor against the DfE Condition Data Collection methodology. Re-grading by the trust's own staff is not accepted.
Gate 3: project cap
The 2026/27 round caps individual projects at £4,000,000 including VAT, professional fees and contingency. Above this line the project belongs in the School Rebuilding Programme, not CIF.
Gate 4: contribution rule
From a threshold MAT size, the trust must contribute a percentage of the project value from its own reserves, SCA or a loan. The banding is restated in each round's technical guidance. A higher contribution lifts the value-for-money score.
Pre-submission gate checklist
- 1.Trust legal entity confirmed as academy trust or sixth-form college on the DfE register.Required
- 2.Condition grade C or D evidenced by named FRICS surveyor.Required
- 3.Project value, including VAT, fees and contingency, under £4M.Required
- 4.Contribution rule confirmed against trust size and source of contribution.Required
- 5.Multi-bid limit checked against round rules.Recommended
- 6.Project not already in the School Rebuilding Programme pipeline.Recommended
- 7.Sixth-form college: confirmed CIF preferred over FE Capital Transformation Fund.Trust-specific