The government has withdrawn funding for 鈥渁 number of projects鈥� granted school maintenance cash through its condition improvement fund, after identifying 鈥渟erious irregularities鈥� in their applications. The Department for Education said it had launched 鈥渄etailed investigations鈥� into some successful bids and it had taken 鈥渋mmediate action鈥�. It comes after Schools Week revealed the system for issuing maintenance funding for schools was under review by the new government. Around 4,500 academies in small trusts, sixth form colleges and voluntary-aided schools are eligible to bid for CIF cash for smaller maintenance projects, while bigger trusts and local authorities receive direct SCA funding. Successful applicants for CIF funding for the 2024-25 year , but the government then put some on hold to probe their applications further. Some schools have now been told their projects will no longer be funded. The DfE has not said how many projects this affects, nor has it named the schools affected. ‘Serious irregularities’ The department said it had invoked clause 23.1 in its CIF grant terms and conditions This states that a funding agreement “may be terminated by either party giving at least one months’ notice in writing”. A DfE spokesperson said the government was 鈥渃ommitted to ensuring that the school funding system is fit for purpose to ensure all schools receive the support they need to give every child the best life chances, whilst protecting taxpayers鈥� money. 鈥淔ollowing detailed investigations, we have taken immediate action to terminate funding to a number of projects in the condition improvement fund where serious irregularities had been identified within their applications.鈥� The spokesperson added the government had 鈥渟trengthened our guidance to further protect schools and taxpayer funding from such risk and this government are committed to reviewing the system going forward鈥�. The guidance for 2025-26 has “introduced a new declaration for CIF 2025-26 that the accounting officer, or in the case of a sixth-form college or VA school a member of the senior management team, will need to read, print, sign and upload on the CIF portal with any CIF application”. “This is to acknowledge their responsibility for the application, the management of any successful project, and meeting the requirements of the post approval guidance and complying with the terms and conditions.” Schools that have had funding withdrawn 鈥渃an apply for urgent capital support funding provided they meet the criteria”. Correction: This article has been updated The DfE initially told Schools Week that it had invoked clause 23.1 of its general grant agreement, rather than its CIF funding grant terms and conditions. The clause originally given states that bidders 鈥渕ust have regard to the need to ensure that鈥� small and medium employers and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations 鈥渁re given fair, equal and proportionate access to any contracting opportunity鈥�.聽 However, the DfE has since told us that the information it gave was incorrect, and that the correct clause states the agreement “may be terminated by either party giving at least one months’ notice in writing”. The story was updated on October 31 to reflect this.