Post-16 and construction skills capacity funding: 2026 to 2030 in non-devolved areas
£287 million capital funding will be awarded through this national bidding round administered by the Department for Education (DfE). This is comprised of £191 million Post-16 Capacity Funding (P16CF) and £96 million Construction Skills Capacity Funding (CSCF). Bidding is open to eligible providers seeking to increase education and training capacity at sites located outside Strategic Authority areas (i.e. non-devolved areas).
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Contents
Summary
This round of Post-16 Capacity Funding is complemented by additional Construction Skills Capacity Funding, aimed at increasing the number of construction training places.
In line with the Department for Education’s (DfE) commitment to simplify funding arrangements and reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on providers, we have decided to run a single, unified exercise covering both funds. By aligning the application, award, reporting and assurance processes across these funding streams, our intention is to enable applicants to plan their estate strategically to deliver greater impact.
Post-16 and construction skills capacity funding 2026 to 2030 in non-devolved areas - guidance for applicants sets out the purpose of the two funds, who is eligible to apply, how to apply, and how applications will be assessed and funding awarded.
The areas subject to devolved funding differ between the two funding streams. A full list of non-devolved areas from which eligible providers can apply for Post-16 Capacity Funding and/or Construction Skills Capacity Funding is provided in Annex A of the guidance.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for either or both funds, the provider must be one of the following types:
an FE college established as a further education corporation under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (FHEA 1992).
a designated institution as per section 28 of FHEA 1992.
a Sixth Form College as defined by section 91(3) FHEA 1992.
an academy (established as per Academies Act 2010) providing sixth form education ONLY (referred to as 16-19 academies in the guidance).
Please note that schools with sixth forms, University Technical Colleges (UTCs), Studio Schools and Maths Schools are not eligible for funding.
Providers may only apply for DfE funding with respect to sites in areas where Post-16 Capacity funding (P16CF) and Construction Skills Capacity funding (CSCF) has not been devolved to Strategic Authorities.
Objectives
The core objectives of the P16CF are:
to provide additional capacity in 16-19 providers, where there is due to be a demographic increase in learners and there is not enough existing capacity to accommodate that increase;
to ensure that provision to be delivered through the additional capacity created supports the development of skills needed for local and national growth and is reflective of learner demand as set out in the Skills White Paper; and
to do so in the most efficient and sustainable way possible, to ensure value for money in the investment of public funds, and to support the Education Estates Strategic Aims.
For the CSCF the core objectives are:
to increase construction skills provision to address waiting lists for construction courses, and
to meet the skills needs of employers and contribute to our goal of 60,000 additional construction workers by the end of the Parliament to support Government commitments.
Dates
The application window will run from 10 February 2026 until 5pm on 17 April 2026.
Applicants will need to register an account on the DfE eTendering Portal (Jaggaer) by 27 February 2026.
Applicants will be notified of outcome in July 2026.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted through the online DfE eTendering Portal (Jaggaer).
You will need to register for an account to be able to access the application form; we encourage you to do this as early as possible and you must be registered by 27 February 2026.
If you have any queries about registering on the Jaggaer portal, please email them to Enquiries.FECAPITAL@education.gov.uk including your provider name and UKPRN in the subject line.
Applicants may raise questions or seek clarification regarding the application process via the Jaggaer application portal. DfE will publish responses to questions on the Jaggaer portal for applicants to view at regular intervals, unless they contain commercially sensitive information.
The deadline to submit questions relating to the application process is 7 April 2026.
Due to the competitive nature of the process, we are unable to offer advice on individual applications.