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Enhanced Renewal Grants Phase 2 – Additional 19 Projects to be funded
An additional 19 colleges have received confirmation of capital funding by means of an Enhanced Renewal Grant.
The Skills Funding Agency Chief Executive, Geoff Russell, has written to the 19 colleges that applied for the Enhanced Renewal Grant advising them that the Agency, in agreement with BIS, is now able to fund their proposals. These proposals exceeded the Agency’s quality threshold but could not be funded with the main allocation of £100 million.
Geoff Russell said: “We are delighted that we can provide Enhanced Renewal Grant allocations to an additional 19 colleges. These grants are part of our continuing support and commitment to colleges and the modernisation of the FE estate. This investment reflects the crucial role that further education colleges have to play in providing skills to young people, adults and businesses, providing regeneration to local communities and the economy.”
Demand for the Enhanced Renewal Grant was extremely high with the Agency receiving over 129 applications totalling over £200 million, for an initial fund of £100 million. All applications went through a rigorous assessment and moderation process by the Skills Funding Agency against the needs based criteria, which was consulted widely and agreed with the Association of Colleges’ Capital Reference Panel. Forty six colleges were successful in their application for the Enhanced Renewal Grant.
In December, Geoff Russell wrote to 19 colleges whose applications exceeded the quality threshold but could not be funded within the available £100million capital fund. These colleges were informed that additional funds may become available and that BIS and the Agency would consider funding options to allow the projects to proceed. Following this, the Agency has been able to re-prioritise its own budgets to fund these 19 projects amounting to just under £29 million.
The 19 Colleges that will now receive an Enhanced Renewal Grant are as follows:
Abingdon and Witney College
Berkshire College of Agriculture
Bury College
City College Plymouth
Dudley College
Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education
Henley College Coventry
Knowsley Community College
Lancaster and Morecambe College
Leek College of Further Education & School of Art
Leicester College
North Hertfordshire College
Oxford and Cherwell Valley College
Plumpton College
South Devon College
Stafford College
Truro and Penwith College
Westminster Kingsway College
Wiltshire College
