Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in Schools 2025/2026

The Department for Education (DfE) is looking to work with delivery providers to reduce the risk of surface water flooding in the school estate, these solutions may also reduce the strain on local drainage networks. The DfE will consider grant funding contributions towards small, medium and large Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) projects as defined below: 

• Small schemes e.g. a range of small, medium and large planters.

• Medium schemes e.g. a range of planters, small sized rain gardens and tree pits. 

• Large schemes e.g. a range planters, tree pits, swales/detention basin and a range of medium to large rain gardens.

Please note: Please review section A in the Supporting Information for full category details. The list provided above is not exhaustive but serves to provide an indication of the types of schemes this grant would be eligible for. Please note not all the measures listed under each category need to be included in each design, the list is indicative only and the design should comprise of the best solution to meet the site needs. 

The DfE contribution will vary depending on the SuDS categories installed on the school estate. 

The DfE are welcoming applications from delivery providers either as a stand-alone SuDS project or as part of a wider set of works. Please note, the DfE will only fund the SuDS related aspect of the project. As the schemes can be complex to manage in terms of technicality and reporting requirements (see KPI’s stated in section C  in the Supporting Information), individual schools that are considering submitting a standalone bid are encouraged to speak with their Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), local water company or relevant non-profit organisation to establish if they are submitting a larger bid and seek to join their bid.

Applicants will be required to provide an outline programme of work as part of the application form.

As part of the application, the DfE require applicants to submit a list of schools they are planning to install SuDS features in. This list must include the school(s):

• URN.

• Name, and

• Postcode. 

The above information for each school can be found on Get Information About Schools. 

Funding for the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in schools Grant Scheme is subject to approval in the 2025 Government Budget. If funding is not secured in the 2025 Budget, then the SuDS Grant Scheme application may be withdrawn, DfE reserves the right to terminate the application process at any stage prior to grant signature. The Schools Water Strategy team will endeavour to notify applicants as soon as possible in the event that funding is not secured and/or the application is withdrawn.

Application Process

There are 6 stages involved in the application process. They are as follows:

1. The SuDS applications will initially be sifted against the mandatory selection criteria.

2.  If the application meets the mandatory selection criteria the discretionary exclusion questions will be reviewed. 

3. If the application meets the mandatory selection criteria and the discretionary exclusion questions are acceptable, your application will progress to be assessed against the award criteria. 

4. Applications that have progressed through to the award criteria stage will be moderated.  

5. Post moderation, successful and unsuccessful applicants will be notified of the outcome and the funding they have been awarded, if successful. 

6. Draft grant agreements will be shared with successful applicants, please note this may require further information and will need to be provided in a timely manner.

Please see the criteria definitions below:

Mandatory Selection Criteria

• The applicant must be within the scope of eligible delivery providers for the SuDS in school project (as listed under the eligibility section).

• The application is for both the design and construction of the SuDS in school project.

• The maximum duration of the SuDS project does not exceed 3 years.

• None of the schools within your delivery list are scheduled to be rebuilt within the next 3-5 years. Please review your school list against the School Rebuilding Programme schools list (SRP) (an inhouse check will be conducted. This check might affect your bid, as submitted schools on the SRP list will be removed before assessing your bid). 

• Applicants agree to the standard Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), as shown in Section C  in Supporting Information.   

• Applicants confirm that they will match fund the SuDS project to a minimum of 50% of the total SuDS project costs (see section D - Match Funding Requirement in Supporting Information).  

• Applicants understand and confirm that they accept the DfE’s general Grant Funding Agreement Terms & Conditions including the payment in arrears requirement (see section B in Supporting Information) Grant Terms and Conditions

• Applicants confirm that they will be delivering an educational session, e.g. lesson, presentation, school assemblies, workshops etc. on the SuDS features installed to the school as part of the project output.

• Applicants confirm they have not been convicted of any crime listed in the Public Procurement: Mandatory Exclusion Grounds. Annex_C_Exclusion_Grounds.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

If you do not pass the mandatory selection criteria section, your application will be automatically declined and will not be assessed against the Award Criteria.

Discretionary Exclusion Questions 

If you do not pass any questions in this section, further evidence will be required and at the DfE’s discretion your application may not process to be assessed against the award criteria. 

Award Criteria 

DfE assessors will evaluate each applicants bid using the information contained within the application only and award each application an overall score. 

Applications can secure an overall score of 100% which is broken down into:

• Surface Water Flood History  - 32.5%

• Benefits  - 32.5%

• Costs   - 20%

• Project Stage   - 10%

• Number of schools within the scheme/application   - 5%

Please note that the criteria all have individual weightings relating to the score given for that criterion, the higher the weighting percentage the greater criterion importance and therefore the greater the contribution to the overall score achieved.  

• Surface Water Flood History 

The surface water flood history accounts for 32.5% of the overall available score. Surface water flooding is also known as pluvial flooding. It occurs when the volume of rainfall exceeds the capacity of drains and surface water sewers and is unable to drain away through drainage systems or soak into the land, and instead flows over the land. The intensity of this flooding can be increased by blocked road gullies, drains and sewers, saturated and waterlogged land, and an increase in hard surfaces.

You are required to specify if any of the schools within your application list have suffered any previous surface water flooding which could include damage to the building and/ or pupils being unable to learn in their school environment. 

If you have stated on the DfE SuDS in Schools Grant Funding Application for the 25/26 FY question form that any of the schools within your delivery list have surface water flood history, you will be required to provide evidence of this to SuDS.mailbox@education.gov.uk  when submitting the question form or by 17:00 on Monday 18 November 2024 at the latest. The type of evidence that can be submitted, may include but is not limited to:

• Testimonial from the Head Teacher

• Photographic or video evidence showcasing the flooding at the school

• Flooding incident report

• Invoices for flooding remedial works

• Insurance claims in relation to surface water flooding

• Newspaper articles in relation to surface water flooding.

Failure to provide the required evidence to substantiate any claims of surface water flood history or falsification of evidence could result in your application being voided. 

• Benefits

The benefit criterion accounts for 32.5% of the overall available score. This criterion is assessing the expected value of cost avoidance achieved through the delivery of the SuDS. This includes the expected cost avoided from both direct (property damage and business interruption) and indirect damages (lost learning). The assessment takes account the risk of the school building flooding (according to Environment Agency surface water modelling based on flood extent), along with the size of the building and the number of pupils protected, as well as the level of protection the scheme is meant to provide. The more ‘at risk’ the schools you include in your bid are, and the higher level of protection you offer e.g. 1:30 or above, the higher you will score.

Please refer to the Annex 1 document attached for examples of how to identify surface water flood risk. 

• Cost

The cost criterion accounts for 20% of the overall available score. This criterion assesses what the average funding request per school in your bid is. The lower the overall average funding request per school, the better you will score in this section. Please note the cost criteria only accounts for 20% of the total award criteria and there is a higher focus on Value for Money (VfM) of the schemes being proposed, with greater emphasis on flood history and benefits of the solution.

• Project stage

The project stage accounts for 10% of the overall available score. This criterion considers the current stage of your project and points are awarded based on the stage. If you are submitting a bid to install SuDS features across multiple schools, you will need to specify the project stage that applies to each of the schools when completing the DfE SuDS in Schools Grant Funding Application for the 25/26 FY question form. 

More points are awarded the further along the stage the scheme is at i.e. stage 1 has the lowest points awarded and stage 5 has the highest points awarded. The stages are:

1. Stage 1 - Initial idea: 

For projects in this stage, applicants are declaring that no external work, i.e., planning, school engagement, procurement, designs and/or construction has commenced on the proposed project. This is only an internal idea within the applicant’s area.

1. Stage 2 - Feasibility Assessment stage:

For projects in this stage, applicants are declaring that they have begun initial discussions in determining the feasibility of the SuDS project on each school. The expectation is that activities such as, school engagement, feasibility studies and initial surveys have been completed or commissioned. 

1. Stage 3 - Concept Design Stage:

For projects in this stage, applicants are declaring that initial design work has begun. The expectation is that activities such as surveys and modelling alongside initial designs have been completed. 

1. Stage 4 - Detailed Design Stage:

For projects in this stage, applicants are declaring that substantial project final technical design works have been commissioned or are in progress and all the key stakeholders, including the school have been engaged in the design discussion.Please review section B (KPIs) in the supporting information below, to ensure you would be able to meet the design KPIs, i.e. 2 and3, as you might need to comply with some additional requirements if your application is successful. 

1. Stage 5 - Pre-construction Stage:

For projects in this stage, applicants are declaring that the design phase of the project is completed, and the project is currently preparing towards construction. The expectation is that school engagement, surveys, data modelling, and final technical designs are complete, and any tender activity is fully prepared to launch once funding has been confirmed. 

Please review section B (KPIs) in the supporting information below, to ensure you would be able to meet the KPIs, as you may need to comply with some additional requirements if your application is successful. 

• Number of schools within the scheme/application.

This criterion accounts for 5% of the overall available score. An evaluation will be done based on the number of schools within your scheme/application and points will be awarded accordingly. The more schools, the more points will be awarded.

The DfE still welcome applications from individual schools, however, as the DfE are looking to maximise the number of schools delivered via the grant funding scheme, individual schools that are considering to submit a standalone bid are encouraged to speak with their Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), local water company or relevant non-profit organisation to establish if they are submitting a larger bid and seek to join their bid. You can search for your relevant LLFA via Find your local council. You will need to do an online search for your local water company and relevant non-profit organisation. 

Application Costs

The DfE will not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred by any applicants or the applicant's team or any other person in connection with the application process, including (but not limited to) the preparation and submission of the application, nor will the DfE or any of its officers, Ministers, employees, agents or advisors will be liable in any way to any applicants, any member of the applicant's team or any other person for any costs, expenses or losses incurred by any applicants, any member of the applicant's team or any other person in connection with this application process, including (but not limited to) where the application process is cancelled or amended or the DfE otherwise decides not to award any Grant Funding Agreements pursuant to the application process.