Guidance

Strategic school improvement capital budget (SSICB)

Published 30 October 2025

Applies to England

Who this guidance is for

This guidance is for potential incoming responsible bodies that may need capital funding to support a school joining a strong trust through the sponsorship funding route.

It will be reviewed annually (or sooner if needed).

What SSICB funding is for

When responsible bodies acquire a new school, they gain a valuable asset and an increase in their school condition allocation.

The Department for Education (DfE) expects incoming responsible bodies, over time, to meet any capital needs of the school through the use of their school condition allocation.

Responsible bodies should not assume that DfE will fund capital works for schools changing responsible bodies.

However, DfE is aware that there are cases where the capital needs of a school are so significant and essential, and the cost of them so high, as to form a barrier to a successful move to a new responsible body. In such cases, we will consider applications from responsible bodies to help fund some of these works through the SSICB.

Eligibility

DfE is happy to discuss individual cases with the relevant responsible bodies.

In summary:

• SSICB funding may be available for responsible bodies taking on full sponsorship, intermediate sponsorship, or fast-track academy projects (or in cases of academy transfers subject to intervention)
• the fund can only be used to address very urgent and critical needs that have a significant cost attached
• DfE expects any low-cost work to be funded by the incoming responsible body as a matter of routine
• for more significant works, DfE will:
  • give due consideration to the incoming responsible body’s financial reserves
  • not normally fund works if the responsible body has means to fund them itself

DfE will make a preliminary assessment of the necessary works, to set the parameters for discussions with potential incoming responsible bodies.

The assessment will often set a maximum figure for any potential SSICB application. It may also conclude, in some cases, that any necessary works are not significant enough to attract SSICB at all.

What works might be funded?

DfE applies a high bar when assessing whether proposed works are genuinely urgent and critical, and a particularly a high bar when assessing issues around suitability.

We will consider the following:

• Condition - repairs and upgrades to school buildings without increasing gross internal floor area, this includes:
  • priority C or D condition repairs and priority 1 or 2 works in educational spaces
  • information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure (excluding equipment)
  • cost effective solutions like relocation or mothballing under-used facilities
• Suitability - enhancements to ensure facilities are appropriate for teaching and learning:
  • applications related to suitability must meet a particularly high bar but may be considered if teaching and learning are severely compromised

• Safeguarding - ensuring that buildings are handed over in a safe condition, including:

  • fencing
  • asbestos removal
  • other essential safety measures

DfE will expect the outgoing responsible body to have met its legal duties with regard to safety and safeguarding. We will seek a contribution from the outgoing responsible body if they have not done so.

Conditions for funding approval

DfE must approve SSICB funding in principle before the responsible body transfer. Retrospective applications are not accepted.

DfE will give due consideration to the financial reserves of the incoming trust when looking at SSICB applications and would not normally expect to fund works if it is clear that the responsible body could fund them itself.

Applications

Potential incoming responsible bodies for eligible schools should contact their Regions Group Delivery Officer directly.