Make Consulting are delighted to report they have secured £10 million for academy schools across the UK, taking the total amount won to over £40 million in the past three years.
With applications for the vital compliance and condition funding over subscribed by four to one, Make’s success rate of 90% across the ESFA’s strict qualifying criteria has resulted in more than 120 academies meeting statutory compliance regulations and having their school’s buildings renewed and learning environment transformed.
Successful projects have included asbestos removal projects, fire safety system installations, legionella water safety works and vital safeguarding measures including re-designing reception areas.
Entire school estates have had their roofs insulated and recovered, window replacement programmes and new cladding have seen external facades uplifted and with new boilers and distribution installed, pupils and teachers have benefitted from a warm and dry environment.
In late 2017 the ESFA announced the inclusion of a ‘one off’ Healthy Pupil Capital Fund (HPCF) or ‘Sugar Tax’ and invited bid applications for projects that met its criteria that centred provision of sports and catering facilities. Make’s bid writing experience and ability to adapt to changes in funding stream criteria has also resulted in successes for schools here too.
Make’s success in securing funding also extends to their ability to win appeals and last year eight schools benefited from a £4 million retrospective award.
Offering a turn-key service from bid preparation and submission through to tendering and project management, Make seek long term strategic partnerships with Single and Multi Academy Trusts.
Those academies who are in receipt of formulaic funding, via the ESFA’s School Condition Allocation, have found Make equally helpful in providing strategic asset management and best value procurement advice. Make further report the rise in their Technical Due Diligence service which is designed to ensure sponsoring Trusts are appraised of costs of built environment liabilities before tipping over the threshold of 3,000 pupils and 5 Schools and no longer being eligible for CIF.
We attribute much of our success to preparing the CIF submission as early in the year as possible. We visit each school and conduct the necessary surveys and by using our partnered supply chain, we are able to collect and collate the necessary evidence to ensure each bid is afforded the very best chances of success.
Any school considering an appeal or submitting a CIF bid in December 2018, would be well advised to contact either Make’s Nottingham or London offices.