CIF 2027 to 2028 outcomes: when results are announced and what happens next

By Grayling Thomas Architects · October 2026

CIF outcomes for the current round are expected in May 2027. That is when the Department for Education (DfE) plans to notify applicants to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), although its information for applicants marks the date "subject to change". An appeal window is due to open in June 2027, and appeal outcomes are due to be published in July 2027, both also subject to change.

A result is not always a simple yes or no. The DfE sorts every application into one of four outcomes, and only one of them lets a school accept the grant straight away. This article sets out when to expect news, what past rounds show about timing and scale, what each outcome means, and what to do next. The deadlines and rule changes for this round are covered in the practice's guide to this round's key dates, rule changes and what to prepare before the deadline.

For how the fund works from eligibility through to scoring, see the practice's complete guide to CIF funding for schools.

When will CIF bids be announced?

Applications are now open for funding for 2027 to 2028, and the DfE's information for applicants for this round gives three dates after the bidding closes:

In past rounds the DfE contacted all applicants to tell them the outcome of their application, then published a gov.uk outcome page listing successful projects, with breakdowns by region, phase of education and project type. Successful appeals were added to the same page later.

Past rounds show how those pages actually landed:

The dates move from round to round, so treat May 2027 as the DfE's plan rather than a promise. In the two most recent rounds, the successful appeals followed about ten weeks after the main announcement. A school waiting on an appeal should not plan to be on site until that decision is in.

How many CIF bids are successful?

The DfE is direct about the odds. Its guidance says "On average only around a third of applications are successful each year", and that not everyone will succeed "even if you provide a high-quality bid".

The three most recent outcome pages give the scale of each round in their own words:

Two things stand out. Successful appeals are few: 10 projects in 2026 to 2027, 9 in 2025 to 2026 and 31 in 2024 to 2025. An appeal is not a second assessment; as the section below explains, it only succeeds where the DfE made a material error. And in two of the three rounds, the confirmed figures include projects that were not yet fully approved. For 2024 to 2025, the DfE counted "40 projects at 35 academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary-aided schools that are pending approval, subject to further due diligence". For 2026 to 2027, it counted "12 projects at 11 academies, sixth-form colleges and voluntary-aided schools that are pending approval, subject to further due diligence".

The four CIF outcomes and what each one means

The information for applicants says each application will be categorised as "fully funded, approved subject to conditions, pending approval subject to further due diligence, or unsuccessful". A disqualified application is recorded as unsuccessful.

Fully funded is the clean yes. The school can accept the grant terms and conditions on the CIF portal and move to procurement and delivery.

Approved subject to conditions and pending approval subject to further due diligence are both a not yet. In the DfE's words, "full approval has not yet been granted", so the school cannot accept the terms and conditions or access funding until the conditions are met and the checks are complete. The DfE says it may ask for "tender returns, planning evidence, updated project programmes", and that it may make a site visit before a final decision. It lists the kinds of project that may be treated this way, including:

• "Projects with a total project value of £1m or more."

• expansion projects and block replacement projects;

• projects with possible duplicate funding, such as the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP), the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) or a PFI contract;

• projects where the DfE needs more on procurement, including procurement of the technical adviser;

• projects with concerns about professional or contingency fees, or about the cost-effectiveness of the solution.

The DfE may also change what it funds. It "may reduce the scope of any project, amend the works to be funded, or require a project to be rescoped before funding is approved". It will not fund part of the works in an application unless it requires a rescope, and if that happens the application is placed on hold. The condition stage is not a formality either: "Failure to meet any condition of funding to the satisfaction of the department will result in your application being unsuccessful."

What happens after a successful CIF bid?

The first rule is about timing. "You must not commence work on the CIF project until the department has confirmed that full approval has been given." The DfE adds that it "will not fund projects which have already commenced before the announcement is made and funding may be withheld or recovered in these circumstances", and that expenses incurred before full approval or acceptance of the terms and conditions will not be funded.

Once approved, the school or trust owns the project. It is responsible for managing it, for meeting the post approval guidance and for complying with the grant terms and conditions. Using the money for anything other than the approved works "may result in you having to repay some, or all, of the funding". The DfE also says "Any cost overruns will be at the expense of the applicant", which is why the contingency in the original cost plan matters long after the bid is won.

Then there is the clock. "The majority of funds will be allocated for projects that complete by 31 March 2028. Larger projects may last up to 2 years, but all projects must complete by 31 March 2029."

If you want works to run during a school holiday, a May notice leaves little time to tender and mobilise, so have the design and procurement ready to move. That applies to a fully funded project; a conditional or pending project must wait until the department has confirmed that full approval has been given.

If the school has yet to appoint its design team, the practice's guide on how to choose an architect for a school capital project covers what to look for.

One more hold can apply. Works that may be covered by the RPA should go through the RPA first, and where a successful CIF application relates to the same works, it "will be placed on hold pending the outcome of the RPA claim".

If your CIF bid is unsuccessful: appeal or strengthen the case

The first option is an appeal, but the grounds are narrow. The DfE says it "will only consider appeals from applicants who can show that we have made a material error in the assessment, or disqualification, of their application and this has resulted in the application being unsuccessful". Appeals go through the CIF portal only, and the DfE says detailed guidance on this round's appeals process "will be published in due course". Disagreeing with a score is not enough; an appeal needs a specific error. The appeal decision ends the process: past outcome pages state "This decision is final and there is no further stage in the appeals process."

The second option is to strengthen the case for any future funding route. That is less certain than it used to be. The DfE has said it will be introducing a new programme by autumn 2028 to replace CIF, under which eligible responsible bodies "will no longer need to submit full bids", and that it will set out further details in due course. A school should not assume another full bidding round of the same shape will follow, but the evidence behind a failed bid keeps its value. Independent condition surveys, a costed options appraisal and a realistic programme describe the building's need whatever the route.

The practice's article on education building surveys and what school leaders need to know explains what that survey evidence should cover.

Read the outcome notice carefully either way. It sets out next steps, and the public outcome page shows which kinds of project were funded in that round.

Related guides

• CIF 2027 to 2028: key dates, rule changes and what to prepare by 15 December

• Unsuccessful CIF bid in 2026 to 2027? How to strengthen it for 2027 to 2028

• The CIF application for 2027 to 2028: a section-by-section walkthrough

Grayling Thomas Architects and CIF outcomes

We are a RIBA Chartered Practice that designs and delivers large school buildings. Grayling Thomas Architects was CIF bid writer, lead consultant and architect for Dorothy Goodman School in Hinckley, a new building for an existing special school, funded through the Condition Improvement Fund.

Whether your result is a yes, a not yet or a no, we work with schools as lead consultant and architect: preparing the condition evidence, the design and the costed options with the school, and taking a funded project through to completion. Our CIF funding page explains how we work on CIF projects, and our school funding services cover the other routes. To talk about a bid, a conditional approval or a project that has just been funded, use our CIF enquiry form.