THE Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) applications for 2023/2024 are open and have a deadline of this month for academies, sixth form colleges and voluntarily aided (VA) schools to register for capital funding. Established by the Department of Education, with the objective of identifying buildings in need of repair, funds are granted on the strength of applications, which leading roofing firm, PermaRoof Commercial, is supporting educations facilities with. Applying for the capital grant is essential for the development, maintenance and safety of education establishments – 1,405 projects across 1,129 schools and colleges are already set to benefit from £498M of funding throughout 2022 and 2023. The annual application opening marks an opportunity for education facilities to future-proof their buildings, with roof, window and central heating replacements taking priority. Sunny Lotay, national commercial manager at PermaRoof Commercial, explains: “The CIF provide essential funds for vital building work across schools and colleges, however, like most funding applications, the process isn’t always straightforward. A little-known fact is that suppliers can actually support at the application stage, providing relevant structural surveys and evidence of the work required, which in turn can strengthen an application against thousands of others.” Every project application is scored against three assessment criteria, each weighted independently. Project need contributes to the majority of the score at 60%, followed by project cost at 25%, with the remaining 15% being scored against project planning. Sunny added: “The first step for any education facility considering a flat roofing project with the support of CIF funding is to enlist a flat roofing specialist to conduct an in-depth roofing survey. From this they will be able to report on the current condition, potential improvements required, and recommended solutions. “By choosing to work with a reputable specialist to support an application, the project requirements, planning and costing will all have been outlined by roofing experts. This gives extra authority and structure to the CIF application submitted, which will increase the likelihood of receiving funding. It makes sense, therefore, to enlist the services of a supplier sooner rather than later.” Applications are now open, with a deadline of this month for registration and December for final submission. It then takes four months for all the applications to be individually assessed by the Education and Skills Fund Agency, part of the Department of Education, with successful projects being notified around April time. Discussing PermaRoof Commercial’s recent work in the education sector, Sunny said: “Recently our team has confirmed work at three academies with Southern Industrial and Kiers Group, having worked with them for the last few months on the best approach. “At the schools we conducted core tests and survey reports to determine the solution that was required. From this, we offered full specification support ensuring the schools were aware of the cost, need and planning process – all of which could go on to support a CIF application.” For more information on how PermaRoof Commercial can support with a CIF application and subsequent work, please visit permaroofcommercial.co.uk or call 01773 608839. For more information on CIF applications visit the government website. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
