Protecting SCA Funding, Procurement Compliance & Value for Money

Many Academy Trusts receiving School Condition Allocation (SCA) funding are currently planning condition improvement works at pace to meet DfE timelines and rising cost pressures. With the introduction of the UK Procurement Act 2023, it is increasingly important that these projects are procured in a way that is not only efficient, but fully compliant, auditable, and demonstrably value for money.

We are seeing a growing trend where suppliers or manufacturers are nominated or named within tender documents, often to benefit from free technical advice or early design input. While understandable, this approach can unintentionally expose Academy Trusts to risk. The Act requires contracting authorities to set clear, unbiased technical specifications and objective award criteria. Allowing a supplier or manufacturer to influence or develop specifications may create a perceived or actual conflict of interest, leaving the procurement open to challenge and potentially putting SCA funding at risk.

Just as importantly, strong procurement compliance drives better value for money. Open, unbiased specifications encourage genuine market competition, reduce dependency on single suppliers, and ensure solutions are selected on performance, lifecycle cost, and outcomes, not brand preference. This typically results in more competitive pricing, better-quality solutions, and improved long-term asset performance, helping SCA budgets go further.

At OMNIA, we work extensively with Academy Trusts delivering SCA-funded programmes. We understand the need to balance compliance with pragmatism. Our role is to provide independent, proportionate advice ensuring specifications are outcome-focused, procurement-ready, and defensible, while maximising value from limited capital budgets.

We can support you by:

• Developing or reviewing procurement-compliant specifications

• Removing conflict-of-interest risk from SCA-funded works

• Improving competition and value for money through robust procurement

• Ensuring decisions are transparent, auditable, and DfE-aligned

• Tailoring support to suit your budget and delivery timescales

If you would welcome an informal discussion about your current or upcoming SCA-funded projects and how to protect compliance while maximising value, we would be very happy to help.

Get in touch with OMNIA today to ensure your SCA funding is delivered compliantly and competitively, backed by expert guidance you can rely on.