School buildings

DfE defunds school maintenance projects over ‘irregularities’

Department won't say how many or which schools are affected

Department won't say how many or which schools are affected

The government has withdrawn funding for “a number of projects” granted school maintenance cash through its condition improvement fund, after identifying “serious irregularities” in their applications.

The Department for Education said it had launched “detailed investigations” into some successful bids and it had taken “immediate action”.

It comes after Schools Week revealed the system for issuing maintenance funding for schools was under review by the new government.

Around 4,500 academies in small trusts, sixth form colleges and voluntary-aided schools are eligible to bid for CIF cash for smaller maintenance projects, while bigger trusts and local authorities receive direct SCA funding.

Successful applicants for CIF funding for the 2024-25 year were informed in March, but the government then put some on hold to probe their applications further.

Some schools have now been told their projects will no longer be funded. The DfE has not said how many projects this affects, nor has it named the schools affected.

‘Serious irregularities’

The department said it had invoked clause 23.1 in its CIF grant terms and conditions

This states that a funding agreement “may be terminated by either party giving at least one months’ notice in writing”.

A DfE spokesperson said the government was “committed to ensuring that the school funding system is fit for purpose to ensure all schools receive the support they need to give every child the best life chances, whilst protecting taxpayers’ money.

“Following detailed investigations, we have taken immediate action to terminate funding to a number of projects in the condition improvement fund where serious irregularities had been identified within their applications.”

The spokesperson added the government had “strengthened our guidance to further protect schools and taxpayer funding from such risk and this government are committed to reviewing the system going forward”.

The guidance for 2025-26 has “introduced a new declaration for CIF 2025-26 that the accounting officer, or in the case of a sixth-form college or VA school a member of the senior management team, will need to read, print, sign and upload on the CIF portal with any CIF application”.

“This is to acknowledge their responsibility for the application, the management of any successful project, and meeting the requirements of the post approval guidance and complying with the terms and conditions.”

Schools that have had funding withdrawn “can apply for urgent capital support funding provided they meet the criteria”.

Correction: This article has been updated

The DfE initially told Schools Week that it had invoked clause 23.1 of its general grant agreement, rather than its CIF funding grant terms and conditions.

The clause originally given states that bidders “must have regard to the need to ensure that” small and medium employers and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations “are given fair, equal and proportionate access to any contracting opportunity”. 

However, the DfE has since told us that the information it gave was incorrect, and that the correct clause states the agreement “may be terminated by either party giving at least one months’ notice in writing”.

The story was updated on October 31 to reflect this.

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