Can CIF Fund a Modular Classroom? Roof Replacements, Windows and Other Eligible Projects

A school can have a roof that needs replacing, windows that are no longer fit for purpose or a modular classroom reaching the end of its usable life. All three sound like capital projects, but does that mean all three can be funded through the Condition Improvement Fund?

The short answer is potentially yes, but CIF does not fund a project simply because it falls into a particular category.

The Department for Education assesses the condition need behind the project, how urgent it is, the impact on the school, whether the proposed solution is proportionate and whether the costs and delivery plan represent value for money.

That distinction matters. Roof coverings and windows are specifically identified in the current CIF guidance as building components the fund commonly supports. A modular classroom is more nuanced because the correct funding route depends on whether the project is replacing a life-expired building, adding floor area or creating additional pupil places.

So, rather than asking whether CIF funds a particular product or building type, schools should start with a different question: what is the condition problem, and can we evidence why it needs investment now?

The Condition Improvement Fund is primarily there to address significant condition need. In the current Department for Education guidance, condition projects are projects that improve the condition of existing buildings without increasing their gross internal floor area.

The DfE says it expects the majority of funded projects to involve high-priority building components such as structural elements, boilers and electrical systems, fire doors and alarms, roof coverings, windows and asbestos removal.

That gives schools a useful starting point, but the type of work is only one part of the assessment. A roof replacement is not automatically fundable simply because it is a roof, and new windows will not score simply because the existing ones are old. The application still needs to demonstrate the condition problem, its urgency and impact, a proportionate solution and value for money.

The question to ask is therefore not only, 'Can CIF pay for this type of work?' It is, 'Can we evidence why this project needs funding now?'

Potentially, but the reason for the modular classroom matters more than the construction method itself.

There is no general rule in the current CIF guidance that says a project qualifies because it uses modular construction. Instead, the DfE assesses the purpose of the project and whether it falls into the condition, condition-with-expansion or expansion category.

If an existing teaching block or modular building is life-expired and the proposal is to replace it because of significant condition need, a replacement building can be considered. The DfE normally expects the replacement to be no larger than the existing block, although small increases may be accepted where they are needed to meet current space standards, health and safety requirements, equality requirements or safeguarding considerations.

A condition-with-expansion project can allow the replacement block to be up to 10% larger than the block being replaced, provided the primary purpose remains addressing significant condition need and the additional area is justified against the relevant Building Bulletin standards.

If the purpose is different (for example, the school wants a new modular classroom specifically to create additional pupil places or address overcrowding), the project moves into the expansion rules. Only a small proportion of CIF is allocated to expansion, and those bids have additional eligibility and evidence requirements.

So, a modular classroom can form part of a CIF-funded project, but 'we need another classroom' is not enough on its own. The application needs to fit the correct project category and meet the evidence requirements for that category.

This can be a stronger condition-led scenario where the existing block is genuinely life-expired or no longer provides an acceptable teaching environment.

The current guidance specifically allows block replacement to be considered, but the school should expect to evidence why replacement is more appropriate than repair or refurbishment. An independent condition survey, an options appraisal and a clear scope are important because assessors will want to see that the proposed solution is proportionate to the problem.

Replacing a poor-condition temporary or modular block with a modern building also does not give the school an unrestricted opportunity to enlarge the accommodation. The proposed gross internal floor area needs to be clearly stated and justified. Where the replacement goes beyond the existing area, the rules for condition with expansion or full expansion can apply.

The practical point is that the building form (modular, traditional or otherwise) does not determine eligibility. The condition evidence and the purpose of the replacement do.

Yes. Roof coverings are specifically identified by the DfE as one of the high-priority building components commonly supported through CIF condition projects.

That does not mean every ageing roof should be submitted as a full replacement. The evidence needs to establish the extent of failure and why the proposed scope is the right response. For example, the guidance asks applicants for detailed and clearly labelled photographs across relevant sections of the roof, alongside appropriate survey evidence.

A strong roof application might demonstrate recurring water ingress, deterioration of the covering or structure, repeated repair expenditure, damage to teaching spaces, health and safety consequences or a credible risk that parts of the building could become unusable.

The options appraisal is also important. If targeted repairs could reasonably extend the roof's life, the application should explain why repair is or is not the better-value option. CIF is competitive, so assessors need to see that the proposed project is necessary rather than simply preferable.

There is one important exception. CIF applications for RAAC mitigation or RAAC roof replacement are not accepted through the normal CIF route because the DfE funds confirmed RAAC issues separately.

Yes. Windows are also explicitly listed in the current CIF guidance as a building component that can form part of a condition project.

As with roofing, the strength of the bid will depend on the evidence behind the proposed replacement. Windows that are simply dated or inefficient are different from windows that are life-expired, unsafe, allowing significant water penetration, failing to operate properly or creating a wider building-condition problem.

Energy performance can strengthen the long-term case for a sensible replacement specification, but CIF is not primarily an energy-efficiency fund. The DfE states that energy-efficiency works which do not address high-need condition issues are unlikely to be successful because they sit lower in the funding priorities.

In practice, the condition case should come first. Once replacement is justified, the school should then consider a specification that improves performance, sustainability and whole-life value rather than replacing a failed component with an unnecessarily inefficient equivalent.

The current guidance covers a broad range of condition issues, provided the project is supported by sufficient evidence and meets the relevant priority level.

Examples can include:

• Structural repairs and building safety works
• Boiler and heating system replacement
• Electrical systems and utility capacity
• Fire doors, alarms and other fire safety works
• Drainage and water services
• Asbestos removal where the risk cannot be effectively managed in place
• Ventilation or overheating interventions where there is evidence of significant impact
• Other life-expired building fabric and essential compliance works

The priority attached to each project will vary. CIF assessors consider not only the component involved but the condition, risk, operational impact and strength of the supporting evidence. A project that is technically within scope can still score poorly if the need is low or weakly evidenced.

CIF is not a general school improvement budget. The DfE gives greater priority to significant condition, compliance and health and safety needs, so lower-priority or mainly cosmetic works are much harder to justify.

The current guidance gives examples of works that are unlikely to be prioritised where there is weak or no evidence of significant condition, compliance or health and safety need. These include car park resurfacing and small teaching-environment refurbishments.

ICT software, loose furniture and equipment are also ineligible, while ICT hardware and infrastructure are only eligible where they are integral to a wider qualifying capital project. CIF cannot be used to purchase land.

Schools should also be cautious about building a bid around energy savings alone. Sustainability is increasingly important in the assessment, but it does not replace the need to prove the underlying condition problem.

Two schools could submit applications for the same type of project and receive different outcomes because CIF is assessed on the strength and urgency of the individual case.

For condition projects, the evidence needs to make the existing problem difficult to dispute. That can include independent condition surveys, specialist reports, photographs, compliance evidence, maintenance records, invoices, incident information and evidence of the operational impact on the school.

The DfE also expects a realistic options appraisal. Rather than presenting one predetermined solution, the application should show that credible alternatives have been considered and explain why the preferred option provides the right balance of condition improvement, deliverability and value for money.

Project planning matters too. A technically justified project can still lose marks if costs are uncertain, procurement is weak or the delivery programme does not look achievable.

Yes. Under the 2027-28 guidance, primary and special school projects have a minimum funding threshold of £20,000, while secondary schools, all-through schools and sixth-form colleges have a minimum of £50,000. The maximum project threshold is £4 million.

The 2027-28 round is open now and closes at midday on 15 December 2026.

Eligible applicants can submit up to two projects in a round, but only one can be an expansion project. The DfE also warns against splitting what is effectively one cohesive project into multiple bids, particularly where the works overlap or could achieve better value if delivered together.