No funding. No fee. No upfront cost for preparing your CIF application. Book a free consultation
AEC Estate Consultants
Education funding

Education funding consultants for schools and trusts

We help schools, academies, trusts and colleges find the right capital fund, build the evidence, write the bid and deliver the funded works.

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Book a free funding consultation

Talk to our education funding team about your estate, the project you are considering and which fund could pay for it.

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Free and without obligation.

Tenterden
Chiswick School
Soke
Coastal
Ark
Wilberforce
Trusted by over 500 education clients across the UK

How our education funding consultants work

Capital funding for schools is spread across a dozen streams, each with its own eligibility rules, deadlines and evidence requirements. Our education funding consultants find the right fund for your project, build the evidence, write the bid and, once it is won, deliver the works.

For academies, trusts, schools and colleges we bid for the Condition Improvement Fund, plan School Condition Allocation spending and secure SEND, post-16, T Level and nursery capacity funding.

Every bid is written by the same surveyors and project managers who will deliver it, so what we promise the funder is what gets built. For CIF we work on a no funding, no fee basis: our fees are covered within the grant, and you pay nothing if the bid is unsuccessful.

The right fund depends on your type of school, the size of your trust and the work you need. We start with a free consultation.

Book a free consultation

Condition works

The Condition Improvement Fund for standalone academies, small trusts, voluntary aided schools and sixth form colleges.

Larger trusts

School Condition Allocation for trusts with five or more schools and over 3,000 pupils, planned and spent strategically.

New places

SEND, post-16 and nursery capacity funding for expansion and new provision.

Skills and T Levels

T Level capital and construction skills funding for colleges and post-16 providers.

Colleges

FE College Condition Allocation for condition and compliance works in further education colleges.

Urgent capital

Urgent Capital Support where a building risk threatens closure or the safety of the site.

One team takes your project from the first survey to the finished building.

Talk to our team

Free consultation

A free review of which funds you qualify for and your strongest project.

Evidence and design

Condition surveys, designs and costings that stand up to the assessors.

Bid and delivery

We write and submit the bid to each fund’s criteria, then manage delivery once it is funded.

Once a project is approved, it still needs to be procured, managed and delivered correctly. We stay with you from the award to completion.

Talk to our team

Procurement

We run the tender process so the right contractor is appointed on terms that match the funded project.

Project management

Project management keeps the programme, budget and risks under control from appointment to handover.

Contract administration

Contract administration covers the building contract, from valuations and variations through to completion.

600+
projects funded
£570m+
funding secured
£0
up front on CIF bids
Our track recordOver the last five years

Education funding

13 funding streams we secure and deliver for education estates.

We have had an excellent experience working with AEC. Their support in drawing up comprehensive plans and costings for a new SEN centre on our campus has been invaluable. Their expert advice has enabled us to navigate complex regulations with confidence, and we have found them extremely responsive and adaptable during our many back-and-forth discussions. We couldn't be happier with their service.
Ndullee Stevens, Chief Operating Officer, Tudor Park Education Trust
AEC has provided us with high quality support during each stage of our project. A collaborative, patient approach was taken with our stakeholders which helped to ensure that the designs of our space were able to evolve to support our overall vision. Communication has been clear throughout the project and we have felt that AEC have acted in our best interests at each and every stage of the project.
Jon Briggs, Chief Finance & Operations Officer, Pioneer Learning Trust
AEC have been nothing short of exceptional in supporting the school through the disruption that comes with (multiple) roof changes, including those imposed externally at short notice. They offered our team full reassurance that complex, and potentially dangerous projects were well thought through, managed to time (in some cases ahead of time) and safe. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
Dan Wright, Headmaster, The London Oratory School
FAQs

Common questions about education funding

Can’t see your question? Ask our consultants directly.

Which fund is right for my school or trust?

It depends on your type of school, the size of your trust and the work you need. Standalone academies and small trusts usually bid for the Condition Improvement Fund, larger trusts receive School Condition Allocation, and there are separate funds for new places, post-16 and nursery provision.

Book a free consultation to find out where you stand.

Do you charge for bid writing?

For CIF we work on a no funding, no fee basis: our fees are covered within the grant if your bid succeeds, and you pay nothing if it does not. We confirm fees for other funds before any work starts.

Book a free consultation to discuss your project.

How long does a funding bid take to prepare?

A strong CIF bid takes several months of surveys, evidence and costed design work, so we start well before the window opens. Other funds vary with their deadlines and evidence requirements.

Talk to our team about the next deadline.

What is the difference between CIF and SCA?

CIF is a competitive annual bid for standalone academies, small trusts, voluntary aided schools and sixth form colleges. School Condition Allocation is condition funding paid directly to larger trusts, which they plan and spend across their estate.

Read more about School Condition Allocation, or check which applies to you.

What happens if our bid is unsuccessful?

We review the feedback with you, look at appeals where they are available, and build the strongest case for the next round or a better-suited fund.

Talk to our team about your options.

Can you deliver the project once it is funded?

Yes. The surveyors and project managers who write the bid manage delivery through project management and contract administration, keeping the funder informed of progress.

Talk to our team about delivery.

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