News

AEC is proud to have helped colleges secure funding to increase post-16 capacity and expand construction skills training provision.

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.

Last month, more than 1,000 schools across the UK were forced to close fully or partially as record-breaking temperatures pushed classrooms beyond safe operating conditions.

What this did was expose a much bigger issue. It wasn't simply an unfortunate consequence of an extreme weather event. What became evident is something that those working across the education estate have understood for quite some time, and that is that many of our school buildings were never designed for the climate we're now experiencing.

As the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) programme enters its final years, education leaders across the country are preparing applications for what is widely believed to be the penultimate bidding round. Yet a closer examination of the funding landscape suggests that many cash constrained schools may be underselling their capital needs and, as a result, missing out on the level of investment they genuinely require.

The rapid rise in demand for special educational needs and disabilities provision is often described as a capacity crisis. But at AEC, we say that framing it this way misses a more fundamental problem.

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

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed the outcome of the latest School-Based Nursery (SBN) capital funding round, marking a significant expansion of early years provision across England.

AEC is pleased to announce that we are now an accredited supplier on the Constellia marketplace, enabling public sector organisations to access our specialist estate consultancy services through a compliant procurement framework.

Constellia provides a streamlined route for public sector bodies to procure professional services efficiently and in full compliance with procurement regulations. Our inclusion on the marketplace makes it easier for organisations to engage AEC on projects that unlock value in property assets.

If you are procuring through Constellia and would like to discuss a project, please get in touch with our team below.