Funding

Education and healthcare funding consultants

Education and healthcare funding consultants: we find the right capital fund, write the bid and deliver the project. CIF bids are no funding, no fee.

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Book a free funding consultation

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

Free and without obligation.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Trusted by over 500 clients

How our funding consultants work

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

For schools, academies, trusts and colleges we bid for the Condition Improvement Fund, School Condition Allocation projects, SEND and post-16 capacity funding, nursery grants and more. For healthcare and public sector estates we secure decarbonisation funding through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and the Low Carbon Skills Fund.

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 who you are, what needs doing and when. We start with a free consultation.

Book a free consultation

Condition works

The Condition Improvement Fund for academies, small trusts and sixth form colleges.

More places

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

Decarbonisation

PSDS and the Low Carbon Skills Fund for heat decarbonisation and energy plans.

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, then manage delivery once it is funded.

Capital funds for schools, academies, trusts and colleges.

Explore education funding

Condition Improvement Fund

Annual competitive fund for condition works in eligible schools.

School Condition Allocation

Direct funding for larger trusts, planned and spent strategically.

Capacity funds

SEND, post-16, T Level and nursery funding for new places.

Decarbonisation funding for healthcare and public sector estates.

Explore healthcare funding

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

Capital grants for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency.

Low Carbon Skills Fund

Funding for the heat decarbonisation plans that PSDS bids depend on.

Delivery

Design, procurement and project management for funded schemes.

600+: projects funded

£600m+: 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.

Education funding only

Healthcare funding

2 funding streams we secure and deliver for healthcare estates.

Healthcare funding only

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 funding

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

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Which fund is right for my organisation?

It depends on your type of organisation, its size and the work you need. Academies and small trusts usually bid for the Condition Improvement Fund, larger trusts receive School Condition Allocation, and healthcare estates use decarbonisation funding. A free consultation tells you 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.

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.

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.

Can you deliver the project once it is funded?

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

Funding news

All news

Funding

The Biggest CIF Mistake? Choosing the Wrong Bid

Competition for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) funding remains high, and a well written application on its own won't secure it. Academy trusts need to begin with the decisions that come before the bid itself.

Mark Jackson 14 Sept 2026 - 7 min read

Funding

Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) Outcome

At a time when Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) allocations have reduced, AEC is delighted to confirm that we secured more than £100 million in capital funding for our clients in the latest 26/27 funding round.

Mark Jackson 7 Aug 2026 - 1 min read

Funding

What does this mean for responsible bodies?

The Department for Education has published provisional capital funding allocations for 2026/27, including School Condition Allocation (SCA) and the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF).

Mark Jackson 27 Mar 2026 - 2 min read

Education and healthcare funding consultants

Book a free funding consultation

How our funding consultants work

Condition works

More places

Decarbonisation

Free consultation

Evidence and design

Bid and delivery

Condition Improvement Fund

School Condition Allocation

Capacity funds

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme

Low Carbon Skills Fund

Delivery

Education funding

Condition Improvement Fund (CIF)

Construction Skills Capacity Fund (CSCF)

FE College Condition Allocation (FECCA)

Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF)

Post-16 Capacity Fund (P16CF)

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS)

School Condition Allocation (SCA)

School-Based Nurseries Capital Grant (SBN)

SEND Funding (HNPCA)

Strategic School Improvement Capital Budget (SSICB)

T Level Capital Funding (TLCF)

Urgent Capital Support (UCS)

Wolfson Foundation

Healthcare funding

Low Carbon Skills Fund (LCSF)

Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS)

Common questions about funding

Which fund is right for my organisation?

Do you charge for bid writing?

How long does a funding bid take to prepare?

What happens if our bid is unsuccessful?

Can you deliver the project once it is funded?

Funding news

The Biggest CIF Mistake? Choosing the Wrong Bid

Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) Outcome

What does this mean for responsible bodies?

Speak to us about the future of your estate