Trust Capacity Fund

In July, the then Education Secretary Damian Hinds, announced that the Trust Capacity Fund (TCaF) will award up to £17 million to support trusts growth and development across England.  There is facility to check your eligibility online before you formally apply.  Applications are now open and close 31 December 2019.
 
The TCaF is aimed to build on the success of previous rounds of funding awarded to successful academy trusts to help tackle underperformance and improve schools.
 
TCaF will have four strands with each strand having different eligibility criteria:
 
A1: £50,000 to £310,000 supporting strong MATs to grow and innovate 
A2: £50,000 to £200,000 encouraging strong trusts to grow by converting and improving weaker maintained schools, or adding vulnerable academies to their trust and improving them
B: £20,000 to £150,000 accelerating the development of mid-sized trusts with the potential to be strong
C: £20,000 to £100,000 creating new strong trusts, either by single-academy trusts (SATs) joining larger trusts, or by supporting the growth of existing trusts via mergers, or priority projects identified by RSCs
 
The eligibility criteria uses metrics from financial health, trust size, school improvement, progress, phonics, attainment and English Baccalaureate (EBacc).
 
The first stage of any application will determine whether a trust is eligible to apply and under which strand of the fund.  Once the trust then makes an application, the RSCs will undertake a stage 2 assessment (which will be subject to national moderation), alongside the trust application for growth.  It is the RSCs who will make the final decision on whether the trust should be funded, under national guidelines, and taking into account the outcome of the application for growth.
 
The TCaF is part of the published package of assistance to build on support for underperforming schools, to improve their leadership.
 
With the emphasis continuing to be on integrated curriculum and financial planning (ICFP), it is highly likely that this could be included as part of the conditions, although this is not confirmed. What will be crucial is to demonstrate that any grant funding is utilised and evidenced to maximise outcomes with significant impact.
 
If your trust is one of the high performing strong academy trusts and is looking to apply, firstly check eligibility.  If you would like any guidance or support with this, contact a member of the Bishop Fleming Education team.