The short answer
Yes, when the toilets are a real condition, compliance or health and safety problem and the school is eligible to bid. The 2027 to 2028 round closes at 12 noon on 15 December 2026, the smallest project is £20,000 for primary and special schools and £50,000 for secondary, and outcomes are expected in May 2027, which suits a summer holiday install.
On this page
Toilet blocks are one of the most common things schools want to fix and one of the hardest to fund from a revenue budget. The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) is the main Department for Education capital fund for schools that do not get their own capital allocation, and a failing toilet block can be a good bid. A tired one usually is not.
Who can bid
The 2027 to 2028 information for applicants says CIF is open to:
- single academy trusts, and academies in trusts with fewer than five schools or fewer than 3,000 pupils
- sixth form colleges
- voluntary aided schools
Larger trusts get a School Condition Allocation and set their own priorities. Community and voluntary controlled schools are funded through their council’s capital programme. If you are in one of those, ask your trust estates team or council how toilet projects are prioritised; several councils ran summer toilet programmes in 2025.
The dates that matter
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Round opened | 21 October 2026 |
| New applicants register | By 12 noon, 30 November 2026 |
| Deadline | 12 noon, 15 December 2026 |
| Outcomes expected | May 2027 |
A May outcome lines up with a summer holiday install, but only just. Cubicles and panels are made to order, so the contractor needs to be ready to order as soon as the money is confirmed. That means having your specification and quotes done before you submit.
Project size limits
CIF sets a minimum request: £20,000 for primary and special schools, and £50,000 for secondary schools, all-through schools and sixth form colleges. The maximum is £4 million. Voluntary aided schools pay at least 10% of a successful project.
A single block refit is often below the secondary minimum. Council awards in 2025 for one primary school’s toilets ran from about £52,000 to £95,000 before VAT (see the cost planner), which clears the primary minimum. Secondary schools often bundle several blocks into one bid.
What DfE funds first
CIF ranks bids in priority bands. Compliance, health and safety and serious condition problems come first, then keeping buildings weather tight. The guidance says projects without strong evidence of a significant compliance, health and safety or condition need will not be funded in this round.
For toilets, that means the case has to be about failure, not appearance.
Stronger toilet cases
- Failing below-ground drainage, with CCTV survey evidence of collapse or root ingress.
- Repeated leaks or flooding causing damage to the building fabric.
- Asbestos that a refurbishment and demolition survey shows must be removed for safe repair.
- Facilities that do not meet the School Premises Regulations, for example no separate provision for pupils aged eight and over.
- Water hygiene risks recorded in your water risk assessment, such as dead legs and old tanks.
Weaker cases
- Worn finishes and dated cubicles that still work.
- A wish for a new layout or more modern look.
- Adding toilets for a growing roll, which is expansion rather than condition.
Evidence to gather
The guidance asks applicants to show the poor condition clearly. For a toilet block that usually means:
- A recent condition survey that names the toilets as a priority.
- Drainage CCTV and a plumber’s or surveyor’s report.
- The asbestos register, plus a refurbishment and demolition survey if you have one.
- Photographs, maintenance logs and incident records.
- A drawn layout and specification, and a realistic cost, ideally from more than one quote.
- A programme showing the work fits the summer holiday.
Quotes matter twice: they make the bid credible and they let you order quickly if it succeeds. Use the cost planner for a first figure, then get contractor prices on your specification.
If the bid fails
Most schools still need the work done. Options include phasing one block per year from devolved formula capital, bringing the project into a trust-wide programme, or making a stronger condition case next round with better evidence. Keep the survey and quotes; they stay useful.
The short version
CIF can fund school toilets when there is a real condition or compliance problem and you are eligible. Bid by 12 noon on 15 December 2026 with survey evidence, a specification and quotes ready, and plan for a May outcome and a summer 2027 install. Cosmetic refits rarely score well.
Ready to price your school toilet refurbishment? Send us the brief.