Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in Schools Grant Scheme
Department for Education (DfE)
Award
£10k – £1m
Total fund Up to £5m
Deadline
Closes 2 November 2026
Where
England
North East, North West, South East, South West
Summary
The Department for Education (DfE) are pleased to announce that the Schools Water Strategy is now inviting applications for the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in Schools Grant Scheme. The aim of the SuDS in Schools grant is to reduce surface water flood risk in the school estate. This is a match funded scheme and therefore, at the DfE’s discretion and where the scheme criteria allow, the DfE can grant fund up to 50% of the total project costs. The full application guidance set out below provides details of the eligibility criteria, project objectives, Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and how to apply, alongside dates and supporting information.
Who can apply
The Department for Education (DfE) SuDS in schools project is an invest to save initiative, aimed at installing SuDS features in the school estate to help mitigate the risk of surface water flooding. You can apply for the SuDS in Schools grant funding if you are*: A Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA). A Water Company. A Non-Profit Organisation. A State Funded School (Nursery, Primary, Secondary and Alternative Provisions) in England. A Voluntary Aided School in England. * All eligible delivery providers and project contributors will be subject to DfE’s due diligence checks prior to acceptance.
Full details
The Department for Education (DfE) is looking to work with delivery providers who will successfully project manage the design and installation of SuDS features on school sites to reduce the risk of surface water flooding to the school estate, these solutions may also reduce the strain on local drainage networks. The DfE will consider grant funding contributions towards all scales of SuDS Projects, from small rainwater downpipe planters to schemes with multiple types of SuDS solution including but not limited to detention basins, raingardens and bioretention tree pits. As part of the application you are asked to provide an indicative estimate of the size of your project as defined below: Small schemes e.g. a range of small, medium and large downpipe planters. Medium schemes e.g. a range of planters, small sized rain gardens and bioretention tree pits. Large schemes e.g. a range planters, bioretention tree pits, swales/detention basin and a range of medium to large rain gardens. For full category details, please refer to Section A of the Supporting Information. The examples above are indicative rather than exhaustive and illustrate the types of schemes eligible for this grant. Designs do not need to include all measures listed within a category and should instead incorporate the most appropriate solutions to meet the specific needs of the site. As part of the benefit scoring (conducted by the DfE) this categorisation is used to determine the environmental benefits associated with a scheme. 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 contribute to the funding of the SuDS related aspect of the project. As the schemes can be complex to manage in terms of technicality and reporting requirements (Please refer to the 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. As part of the application applicants will be required to provide: Contact details and general information about your organisation An outline programme of work; Delivery timeframe, project stage, total project cost and funding sought from the DfE excluding VAT scheme size and the level of protection the scheme will be designed to Historical flood history (if relevant) Confirmation of whether your school/organisation can or cannot recover VAT for the proposed SuDS works, in line with Clause 12 of the DfE Grant Funding Agreement Terms and Conditions (applicable to Not-for-Profit organisations only) The DfE requires 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 budget constraints. 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 if their application is withdrawn. Application Process There are 7 stages involved in the application process. They are as follows: Initial Sift: SuDS applications will first be reviewed against the mandatory selection criteria. Discretionary Exclusion Check: If an application meets the mandatory selection criteria, it will then be assessed against the discretionary exclusion questions. Award Criteria Assessment: Applications that pass both the mandatory and discretionary stages will proceed to be assessed against the award criteria. Moderation: Applications that progress to the award criteria stage will be moderated to ensure consistency and fairness. Minimum Score Threshold: Applicants must meet a 20% minimum award score threshold. At the discretion of the Department for Education (DfE), those scoring below this threshold may not be awarded funding. (The final number of grants awarded are budget dependent, and therefore the advertised £5m total pot size is an estimated cost that is subject to change. Scoring above the minimum threshold does not guarantee grant funding) Outcome Notification: Following moderation, applicants will be notified of the outcome. Successful applicants will be informed of the funding awarded. Grant Agreement: Draft grant agreements will be shared with successful applicants. Please note that this may require additional information, which must 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 from design to completion of construction of the SuDS project does not exceed 3 years. Please note: We are not able to consider applications for any scheme longer than 3 Financial Years, unless the SuDS elements funded by the DfE completes within 3 financial years, other elements of your wider scheme not funded by the DfE may continue for longer.If your project will require complex activities (for example, gaining planning permission or lengthy construction works) please factor this into the expected number of financial years required to deliver your project. 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 internal review will be carried out prior to assessment. Please note that this may affect your bid, as any schools included on the SRP list will be removed before the bid is evaluated Applicants agree to the standard Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Please refer to 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. Please refer to 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 (Please refer to 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 question in this section, you will be required to provide further evidence. At the DfE's discretion, applications that do not provide sufficient evidence may not proceed to assessment against the award criteria. The questions asked in this section relate to: Modern slavery offences Provide a modern slavery statement (if relevant) Breaches of environmental, social or labour law regulations Details around bankruptcy or insolvency Professional misconduct Acting improperly in procurement Breach of contract and poor performance Environmental misconduct Infringement of Competition Act 1998, Under Chapter II prohibition Labour market misconduct Potential competition or competition law infringements Suspension or ceasing to carry on all or a substantial part of a business Award Criteria DfE assessors will evaluate each applicants bid using the information contained within the application only and award each application an overall score (see below for more detailed descriptions about the criteria). Applications can secure an overall score of 100% which is broken down into: 30% - Surface Water Flood History 30% - Benefits (as assessed by the DfE) 17.5% - Costs 10% - Accessible Greenspace Inequality and Deprivation 7.5% - Project Stage 5% - Number of schools within the scheme/application 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. Further information on the Award Criteria can be found in the attached document, 'Information on the Award Criteria - SuDS in Schools' 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 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.