When it comes to capital projects in education, securing funding and delivering against ambitious timescales can feel like a high stakes balancing act. For Bradford College, the art lies in preparation: aligning long-term estate plans with immediate opportunities, building trusted partnerships, and embedding risk management at every stage.
We sat down with Louise Dean and Pam Sheldon, who are part of Bradford College’s projects team, to discuss how master planning underpins successful funding applications, why early contractor involvement is critical, and how trust in public-private partnerships is key to unlocking feasible and successful project outcomes.
Balancing Strategy and Flexibility
At the heart of Bradford College’s approach is a comprehensive estates masterplan, supported by a decarbonisation strategy. Together, these documents set the direction of travel, identifying priority buildings, mapping growth opportunities, and establishing a consistent architectural approach for long-term planning.
But unlike rigid masterplans that can lock institutions into narrow pathways, Bradford’s plan is designed to be fluid rather than prescriptive.
“The estates plan gives us direction, but it doesn’t pigeonhole us,” says Pam. “If we’d tied ourselves to just one curriculum area, like construction, we miss out on other opportunities. Instead, the plan allows us to pivot when bids arise, whether it’s for decarbonisation, skills, or curriculum growth.”
This flexibility ensures the college can remain responsive to fast-changing needs. Once existing projects are completed, the masterplan will guide how the estate can expand capacity in other high demand areas.
The Value of Pre-Planning
The ability to respond quickly when funding calls arise is only possible because of extensive pre-planning.
Bradford College carries out biannual room utilisation surveys to understand how spaces are used, identify underutilisation, and ensure accurate data underpins bids. Condition surveys are regularly refreshed, and a bank of evidence is kept up to date to demonstrate need at short notice.
“We always try to make sure we have surveys and a bank of evidence in place,” explains Pam. “That way, if a funding call comes out sooner than expected, we’re ready. Agility is critical.”
This proactive groundwork allows the college to respond to unpredictable funding timelines with an evidence-based case for new opportunities.
Leveraging Strong Public-Private Partnerships
A cornerstone of Bradford’s funding success has been its ability to build and maintain strong public-private partnerships. The college works with a trusted network of architects, contractors, engineers, and surveyors who understand its estate and can be engaged efficiently and compliantly.
From a procurement standpoint, this is made possible through Procure Partnerships Framework, which enables the college to appoint multidisciplinary teams through a single, compliant route.
“Having access to multidisciplinary teams through the Procure Partnerships Framework is really valuable,” says Pam. “It simplifies procurement and helps us engage the right specialists at the right time, while staying fully compliant.”
These relationships allow the college to move quickly when projects need to be mobilised, offering compliant routes that save time and reduce risk.
Using Early Contractor Involvement to Reduce Risk Ahead of Funding
One of the team’s most significant lessons has been the value of involving contractors early in feasibility studies. Traditionally, the college used consultants alone to conduct their feasibility studies, though found contractors could often redesign cost plans once projects reached the build stage.
By inviting contractors in at the outset, the college has avoided costly risks.
Louise recalls, “A contractor once told us that a project wasn’t feasible, even though it meant losing out on the work. That honesty saved us from potential failure. It showed us the power of using contractors to input on the actual buildability, not just the feasibility.”
Winning the bid for funding is half the battle, but delivering the project successfully within funder conditions and timescales is ultimately most important. Louise explains “It’s all well and good winning the bids, but if you don’t deliver them within the funding conditions, you open yourself up to a lot of risks. For us, getting contractors involved early is a big lesson.”
Governance and Evidence
Governance provides an essential layer of accountability. Bradford College has a dedicated governors’ group for Capital Projects, ensuring oversight and challenge at board level.
At the same time, projects are only progressed if they align with the college’s strategic objectives.
Coupled with the ongoing evidence base, from utilisation surveys to labour market data, this governance structure ensures bids are credible, robust, and aligned with community need.
Louise explains, “Funders want to see that projects will meet skills gaps and employer needs. Our bids are built on hard evidence, not just aspirations.”
Employer engagement has become another cornerstone, with local businesses providing endorsements, assisting the College with Curriculum Design, and even contributing to curriculum delivery with masterclasses.
Case in Point: The Arts School Refurbishment
The most recent example of this approach in action is the refurbishment of the college’s Arts School. Initiated in July and scheduled for completion by the September start of term, the project demonstrates the combined impact of foresight, evidence, and trusted partnerships.
The scheme involved relocating the Arts department from Lister, an outdated and inaccessible building, into the college’s main campus David Hockney Building. The move was designed to enhance the student experience and strengthen the further education offer in the creative industries. It followed the success of a £3.2m T Levels Capital project the previous year, which relocated other provision from Lister into the main campus and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff and students. Building on that momentum, this latest project set out to create modern, bright and sustainable specialist learning environments that not only inspire but also provide space for future growth.
“For students, it’s transformational,” says Pam. “They’re moving from a dark, segregated building into the heart of the college, in spaces built for their curriculum, which includes Print, Media Make-up and Special Effects and Fashion. It’s about inclusivity as much as it is about design.”
Funded internally, the project relied on the ability to mobilise contractors at pace. Within two weeks of instruction, a full multidisciplinary team was on site. This trust in private sector partners, and evidence backed data from their estates masterplan, made sure that this refurbishment was completed on time and on budget, ready for the start of term.
Social Value and the Wider Impact
Although social value is not a direct criterion in funding applications, Bradford College sees it as an essential part of project delivery. Social value opportunities are provided to both students, staff and the local community. For their students, these opportunities provide skills beyond the curriculum and increase their prospects once they finish their studies. Contractors and consultants have delivered skills workshops, staff training, placements, internships and student engagement sessions linked to live projects.
Pam reflects: “It helps us maximise the benefit of disruption. Whether it’s masterclasses or upskilling our staff, the projects become learning opportunities in themselves.”
Although social value is not a direct criterion for funding, this commitment strengthens stakeholder confidence and showcases genuine value for money.
Transforming Lives Through Capital Investment
For Bradford College, successful capital delivery is not just about winning bids, it’s about ensuring projects are deliverable, strategically aligned, and transformative for learners.
“We won’t invest unless it transforms lives,” says Louise. “That’s the thread running through everything we do, making sure every project delivers real impact for our students, employers, and community.”
In summary, your estates masterplan should set the agenda for what is a priority for funding, but flexibility, pre-planning, governance and engagement with trusted delivery partners is vital to making projects a reality.
If you’re looking to engage a contractor or consultant early, whether it’s to conduct a feasibility study, or access general information, contact a member of the team today who can offer no-obligation free procurement advice.
