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Guidance

Academies budget forecast return: guides to using the online form

Guidance to help academies and academy trusts complete their budget forecast return.

From:
Department for Education
Published:
9 March 2020
Last updated:
4 November 2026 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Academies budget forecast: guidance for completing the online form

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Re-brokerage of academies

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Details

The BFR 2026 is closed.

If you need a copy of your academy trust’s prior submission, log in to the BFR and select ‘download return overview’ or ‘download historic return overview’ to extract as a PDF or excel file.

The guidance for completing the online form is to help trusts prepare and complete their BFR. The re-brokerage of academies guide explains how a trust should report on academy movements.

The academies budget forecast return provides more details, a link to the form, and workbooks to help with the return.

If you have any questions about the BFR, you can use the customer help portal.

Updates to this page

Last updated:
4 November 2026
Show all updates

  1. Updated landing page and 'Academies budget forecast: guidance for completing the online form' as BFR 2026 is now closed.

  2. Updated to state that the deadline for submitting a budget forecast return to DfE has now passed. The form will remain open for a short period for late submissions. Academies and trusts should submit their return as soon as possible.

  3. Updated to state that the budget forecast return (BFR) is open and to add information to the guidance for completing the online form.

  4. The 2026 academies budget forecast return (BFR) will open on 13 July 2026. We have also added a link to the guidance on the teachers’ and support staff pay awards for 2026.

  5. Updated 'Academies budget forecast: guidance for completing the online form' and 'Re-brokerage of academies' for the 2026 academies budget forecast return (BFR).

  6. Updated to reflect that the 2025 academies budget forecast return (BFR) has closed.

  7. This year’s BFR deadline, 28 August 2025, has passed. If you still need to submit your return, log in and complete it as soon as possible.

  8. Updated ‘Academies budget forecast: guidance for completing the online form' and 'BFR lines quick reference guide' with changes regarding pupil numbers. In 'Re-brokerage of academies’, updated the section on ‘Academies joining or leaving the trust from 1 September 2025’ and added a new section on future growth strategies.

  9. Updated to reflect that the budget forecast return is open.

  10. Added links to the schools’ costs technical note and National Insurance contributions (NICs) grants funding rates and methodology in section 3 of 'Academies budget forecast guidance for completing the online form'.

  11. Updated the 'BFR lines quick reference guide' and the 'Re-brokerage of academies' attachments. Removed 'BFR ICT guidance- HTML attachment' as this has now been incorporated into 'Academies budget forecast guidance for completing the online form'. Updated this attachment with improved line numbers guidance and details for new and transferring academies.

  12. This year’s BFR deadline, 29 August 2024, has passed. If your trust has not submitted your BFR yet, log into your return and complete your return as soon as possible.

  13. Updated 'Academies budget forecast guidance for completing the online form' to include details for the School Teachers Review Body's (STRBs) recommendations and provide links to new guidance for the Core schools budget grant (CSBG) 2024 to 2025 which will paid from September 2024.

  14. The academies budget forecast return (BFR) is now open, the deadline to complete your return is 29 August 2024. Added in the sector calls arrangements, if you have queries. Added sections 1.4 and 14 to 'Academies budget forecast guidance for completing the online form' to include privacy notices.

  15. BFR go live and deadline dates added DfE Sign In (DSI) has replaced IDAMs so trust users must have a DSI account to access BFR ICT Spend actual and forecast figures requirements has been added to the guidance Buildings repairs and maintenance line (379) is a new addition to separate out what trusts spend on buildings repairs and maintenance and the percentage funded through capital grants (DFC, CIF, SCA) Line 399 removed Pay award rates and assumptions for staff and support staff has been added to the three year forecast section to help the department understand trusts intentions/plans RAAC funding and expenditure guidance has been provided to inform trusts where to report these on the BFR Scenarios added in for lines to complete if a new or existing academy joins or leaves a trust Quick reference guide added for BFR lines

  16. We have updated the BFR guidance to include details for the new data required for the BFR 2024. This covers extra details for ICT spend and for building maintenance and improvements.

  17. The academies budget forecast return (BFR) deadline of 31 August 2023 has passed. Thank you for all the academy trusts who submitted by the deadline, if your academy trust has not yet submitted your BFR use the link on the webpage to complete your BFR as soon as possible.

  18. We have updated the dates in section 2.11, 'Re-brokerage of academies'. We have also added additional information in section 4.4, 'Surplus transfers on conversions'.

  19. The BFR form is now live. The deadline for completion is 31 August 2023.

  20. We've added details about the BFR deadline for this year, 31 August 2023, including updated guidance and supporting information.

  21. The academies budget forecast return deadline has now passed, please submit your returns as soon as possible if you haven't already done so.

  22. Updated to clarify the process of how to report the NNDR rates reclaim in the BFR form

  23. Updated BFR line 101 to make reference to the NNDR rates consultation outcome to pay rates directly to local authorities rather than to academy trusts.

  24. The weekend service update was successful and the budget forecast form is accessible again from the dashboard.

  25. The online form for the academies budget forecast is now live. The deadline for academy trusts to complete and submit their return is 26 July 2022.

  26. We have updated the BFR form guidance with information about arrangements for academy trusts with revenue reserves of 20% or more.

  27. The BFR deadline has now passed.

  28. The academies budget forecast return is now open, please complete your return by the deadline, 27 July 2021.

  29. We have updated the guide to the budget forecast return online form ahead of the form go-live by 22 June 2021. The deadline for academy trusts to submit their budget forecast return is 27 July 2021.

  30. The BFR3Y deadline has passed - if your academy trust has not yet submitted your return please do so as soon as possible.

  31. The BFR3Y is now live, please see this webpage for details about the form and the login link.

  32. We have published the BFR3Y online form guidance - the form will be available from the 8 July and has a submission deadline of 29 September 2020.

  33. First published.

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