PfS will decide funding allocations this week

锘縏he government is to release 拢85m of funding for urgent maintenance and improvement works to academies, set to be tendered imminently.

The funds, which must be spent by the end of the financial year, are likely to come as a boost to SMEs working in the education sector. Work will be tendered outside of the national academies framework for contractors.

Academies have submitted bids for funding to Partnerships for Schools, which is aiming to decide allocations this week. Projects will come to market 鈥渧ery soon鈥� afterwards, according to sources. A statement on PfS鈥� website says the spending will 鈥渁ddress where there has not been any recent new building or refurbishment works or where no future works have been agreed鈥�.

Meanwhile, Laurence Leader, head of capital and infrastructure at the Young People鈥檚 Learning Agency - which will be merged with PfS into a new education funding agency - told a British Council for School Environments (BCSE) conference this week that he was open to 鈥渄iscussions and ideas鈥� from industry about how to deliver schools on reduced funding.

BCSE鈥檚 founding director, Ty Goddard, confirmed this week he was leaving the organisation to set up a think tank.

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