FE capital funding
Overview
We allocate funding to:
upgrade college estates that are in unsatisfactory condition
get specialist equipment
improve training facilities
create extra capacity to accommodate increases in 16- to 18-year-old learners
Condition Improvement Fund
The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is an annual bidding round for eligible academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary-aided (VA) schools to apply for capital funding.
The priority for the fund is to address significant condition needs, keeping education provider buildings safe and in good working order. This includes funding projects to address:
health and safety issues
building compliance
poor building conditions
The CIF also supports a small proportion of expansion projects. These are for academies, sixth-form colleges and VA schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted that can demonstrate a need to expand.
Eligibility is confirmed each year when the new application round opens.
What funding is available
Budgets are confirmed on an annual basis.
The most recent funding round, CIF 2022 to 2023, provided funding of £498 million for 1,405 projects at 1,129 academies, sixth-form colleges and VA schools.
When to apply
The CIF is currently closed for applications. We aim to launch the next bidding round in autumn 2022, subject to budget approval.
Sign up for Condition Improvement Fund alerts.
Previously funded projects
A list of projects funded in CIF 2022 to 2023 is available.
FE capital transformation programme
The further education (FE) capital transformation programme seeks to upgrade the FE college estate.
What funding is available
The FE capital transformation fund is providing £1.5 billion to colleges over 6 years ending in March 2026. To date, we have:
provided a formulaic allocation of £200 million in autumn 2020 to support colleges to carry out immediate remedial projects
identified 16 colleges with some of the worst-condition sites in the country, where we are working in partnership with the colleges to deliver their capital projects
announced 62 colleges, and 78 projects, that were successful in the bidding process and will receive funding of up to £405 million
announced a further 2 condition improvement projects where colleges are involved with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) specialist restructuring
When to apply
The FE capital transformation fund is currently closed for applications.
The next stage of the programme will be announced in the autumn.
Sign up for FE capital transformation fund alerts.
Previous allocations
A list of successful applications at stage 2 of bidding for the further education capital transformation fund is available.
Post-16 capacity fund
The post-16 capacity fund supports post-16 education providers to accommodate demographic increases in learners aged 16 to 19.
The fund is open to the following providers:
general FE colleges
sixth-form colleges
local-authority-maintained schools with sixth forms
specialist-designated institutions
academies, including:
16 to 19 academies and free schools
academies and free schools with sixth forms
university technical colleges
studio schools providing technical education
maths schools
What funding is available
Qualifying post-16 providers can bid for a share of £140 million to deliver projects creating additional capacity from September 2024.
When to apply
The post-16 capacity fund will be closed for applications on 11 November 2022. It launched on 7 September 2022. We will announce the outcome of applications in spring 2023.
Previous allocations
A list of providers that made successful bids for post-16 capacity funding is available.
T Levels capital fund
The T Levels capital fund is available to support providers with a 16 to 19 funding contract delivering T Levels courses with industry placements from September 2023.
What funding is available
Wave 5 of the T Levels capital fund is expected to be launched in autumn 2022.
Wave 4 of the T Levels capital fund is now closed for applications. We expect to announce successful applicants in July. This wave is worth over £150 million and is formed of 2 parts:
a building and facilities improvement grant, which providers need to bid for
a specialist equipment allocation, awarded to providers using a formula allocation
The specialist equipment allocation is usually paid early in the calendar year in which providers first deliver T Levels, to allow them time to procure equipment.
When to apply
The T Levels capital fund is currently closed for applications. We expect wave 5 to open for applications in autumn 2022.
Sign up for T Levels capital fund alerts to find out when the next stage of the fund is opening.
Previous allocations
A list of the successful applications for T Levels capital fund wave 3 is available.
Higher technical education skills injection fund
The skills injection fund was previously known as the higher technical education growth fund.
The fund will support providers to develop high-quality provision at levels 4 and 5, including higher technical qualifications.
What funding is available
The skills injection fund will provide additional funding for colleges and universities to invest in equipment and facilities that will support technical studies in key areas such as digital, construction and healthcare.
Up to £32 million of additional funding will be available through the skills injection fund for eligible providers.
When to apply
Further information will follow.
Strategic development fund
The Strategic development fund provides capital and programme funding to support changes in local teaching and training facilities and provision.
It supports FE colleges across an area to upgrade their facilities, equipment and curriculum to better meet the needs of their local economy in preparation for the rollout of local skills improvement plans.
What funding is available
The fund consists of £92 million (£50 million capital funding and £42 million programme funding).
Each area may apply for up to £1.5 million capital funding and £1.25 million of programme funding.
When to apply
The strategic development fund is currently closed for applications.
Sign up for strategic development fund alerts to find out when the next stage of funding is opening.
Previous allocations
A list of the successful applicants appointed to pilot the strategic development fund and local skills improvement plans in 2021 to 2022 is available.
Institutes of Technology
Capital investment is to fund new-builds, refurbishments and specialist equipment. Institutes of Technology are collaborations between FE colleges, universities and employers, to offer higher technical education and training at higher skills levels in key science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sectors such as digital, construction, advanced manufacturing and engineering, where employer demand is greatest.
What funding is available
The government is investing up to £290 million to provide the capital investment required to establish a comprehensive network of Institutes of Technology across England. The funding window is now closed.
Previous allocations
A list of the Institutes of Technology in operation and those currently in development is available.
Responses