schoolfeasibility.co.uk

SRP rebuild feasibility study brief

Authored by Oliver Wakefield-Smith, Founder of Digital Signet. Working from RIBA Plan of Work 2020, RICS NRM1, BB103/BB104 and ESFA CIF 2026-27 rules.

From Cohort 4 onward, the DfE funds and procures the feasibility for SRP rebuilds through its Technical Advisor Services framework. Where trusts run parallel pre-priority work, the brief should match the DfE Technical Advisor brief.

SRP scope and DfE appointment

SRP feasibility is whole-school: condition, options appraisal (refurb vs rebuild vs hybrid), Gen Zero net-zero alignment, and full multidisciplinary Cost Plan A. Where the DfE appoints, the trust contributes site context, occupancy data and stakeholder access [source: SRP prioritisation, verified 2026-06-24].

Programme weeks

SRP feasibility typically runs twelve to twenty weeks because of the full multidisciplinary scope and Gen Zero compliance work. Programme is set by the DfE delivery partner not the trust.

Trust-funded pre-priority work

Where the school is not yet in an active cohort, trust-funded preparatory work may cover initial condition evidence and an options appraisal. Typical fee envelope £15,000-£28,000 for Stage 0-1 scope ahead of full DfE engagement.

Deliverables expected at handover

RIBA Stage 2 concept, Cost Plan A, Gen Zero energy and carbon model, planning pre-app feedback, programme through to construction handover, full risk register.

Last reviewed against CIF 2026-27 round, RIBA POW 2020 and BB103/BB104 on 24 June 2026.