Capital funding and works applications

Capital funding guidance

Since 1st April 2014 all Primary schools in Hertfordshire have received additional revenue funding in their budget that had previously been held centrally for capital maintenance. As a result of receiving this funding, schools now have greater capacity to undertake capital works themselves and are expected to take forward elements of their school Asset Management Plans (AMPs). All maintained schools, however, are entitled to apply to Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) for capital funding for higher value works to school premises (ie. those which are estimated to cost more than £15,000). Funding is prioritised and allocated on the basis of condition and need. Applications, including those held for future years, are reviewed termly by the HCC Design and Capital Delivery Team. 

Financial contributions from schools

• as from 2017, schools will no longer be required to make a financial contribution to schemes, as highlighted in the schools forum paper (7 December 2016):

Hertfordshire County Council: Schools forum paper

• no funding will be awarded to schools who have indicated their intention to convert to an academy

Works applications process

Any request for funding must be accompanied by supporting evidence and all schools applying for capital funding are asked to provide the following documents:

A one page Business Case outlining the scope, cost and expectations of the works.

Please note all bid submissions will be returned unless it contains the correct Property Reference. (Block/Room Reference) This should be taken from the Corporate Property Database. Please do not use old HCC floor Plans. All schools will have received HCC Floor plans with their Asbestos Management Survey and the correct version will be available on the CPD.

An up-to-date copy of the school's 5-year Asset Management Plan:

A condition survey describing the condition and an estimate of the costs of repair.

When submitting a bid to replace boilers/hot water systems, additional questions on the pipework condition must be answered.

Notes on completing an application

• schools can submit bids at any time and, whilst the current year's programme is likely to be largely committed, new bids will be reviewed, and a decision made about their relative priority
• if a bid is deemed an emergency or a H&S concern, we will always consult with the Health and Safety team in the first instance and and a decision may be made outside the usual bid cycle
• receipt of your application will be acknowledged within three working days
• you may be asked to provide additional information if your bid is not complete
• a project will currently only be progressed in the current year if it is in poor condition, there is sufficient budget available to undertake the works and the school can demonstrate that all routine servicing and/or remedial works have been undertaken and all reasonable measures/endeavours have been employed
• acceptance of a bid may not constitute an immediate funding approval; however, it is an important first gateway for your project. Schools will be given an indication of when the project might be progressed, but this will be subject to budget. It is not uncommon for there to be 18 months between approval of a bid and the project being implemented

Schools may submit bids throughout the school year but these will be reviewed with discussions taking place once a year, as outlined in the below table.

It is recommended that you monitor dates as these may change.

If you have any questions about the process or would like to send an application:

Email: SchoolsDCD@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Condition grants and spend guidance March 2022

Further information to the DfE guidance on SCA and CIF can be found online:

Gov.UK: School capital funding

Useful resources