4.CIF bid writing cost calculator
Compare estimated consultant fees across the published rate-card consultants. Quote-only consultants are surfaced explicitly rather than shown with an invented number. ESFA caps professional services fees at 10% of the grant on a successful bid.[2]
4.1Estimated fee under each model
| Consultant | Model | Upfront | Total if won | Total if lost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2e (Surveyors to Education) | quote-only | - | - | - | No published rate. Bursars should request a written fee schedule before instructing. |
| BTG Eddisons Education | nwnf | £0 | £50,000 | £0 | No-win-no-fee. Bid is free upfront. Professional fees on a successful award are capped at 10% of the grant under ESFA rules (£50,000 on a £500k award). |
| Coomber Associates | nwnf | £0 | £50,000 | £0 | No-win-no-fee. Bid is free upfront. Professional fees on a successful award are capped at 10% of the grant under ESFA rules (£50,000 on a £500k award). |
| Barker Associates | quote-only | - | - | - | No published rate. Bursars should request a written fee schedule before instructing. |
| Roger Hannah | quote-only | - | - | - | No published rate. Bursars should request a written fee schedule before instructing. |
| SAAF Education | quote-only | - | - | - | No published rate. Bursars should request a written fee schedule before instructing. |
| Synergy LMI | quote-only | - | - | - | No published rate. Bursars should request a written fee schedule before instructing. |
| Make Consulting | quote-only | - | - | - | No published rate. Bursars should request a written fee schedule before instructing. |
| Spicer & Co | quote-only | - | - | - | No published rate. Bursars should request a written fee schedule before instructing. |
4.2Fee schedule register
The schedule below restates the headline published rate for each consultant. Source URL and capture date are recorded against every row in the source register.
| Consultant | Fee model (as published) | Headline rate | Indicative on £500k grant | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2e (Surveyors to Education) | Quote-only. Fees recovered within the CIF award scale and within the ESFA 10% fee cap on professional services. | Quote only | Request quote | viewcaptured 2026-06-22 |
| BTG Eddisons Education | Free bid writing tied to a project-delivery appointment. No-win-no-fee on the bid; project oversight fees included within the CIF award and capped at the DfE 10% limit. | £0 upfront | £0 for CIF bid writing where Eddisons is appointed to oversee successful delivery | viewcaptured 2026-06-22 |
| Coomber Associates | Free bid preparation on a no-win-no-fee basis. Professional fees recovered through the ESFA award only if the bid is successful. | £0 upfront | £0 upfront for CIF bid support; fee recovered within award on success | viewcaptured 2026-06-22 |
| Barker Associates | Quote-only. Building-surveying led practice; CIF fees included within the application as professional services under the 10% cap where awarded. | Quote only | Request quote | viewcaptured 2026-06-22 |
| Roger Hannah | Quote-only. Education funding team within a wider surveying practice; engagement scoped per project. | Quote only | Request quote | viewcaptured 2026-06-22 |
| SAAF Education | Quote-only via a membership-and-services model. CIF bid support is offered as a chargeable add-on to existing SAAF customers. | Quote only | Request quote | viewcaptured 2026-06-22 |
| Synergy LMI | Quote-only. Project-management and condition-survey practice serving academies and MATs. | Quote only | Request quote | viewcaptured 2026-06-22 |
| Make Consulting | Quote-only. Smaller, education-focused consultancy active in CIF bid writing. | Quote only | Request quote | viewcaptured 2026-06-22 |
| Spicer & Co | Quote-only. Multidisciplinary building consultancy that bundles CIF bid support within its education-sector retainer offer. | Quote only | Request quote | viewcaptured 2026-06-22 |
Rows shaded rust indicate consultants who do not publish a public rate card. No inferred fee is shown for those rows. The source register stores screenshots and retrieval dates for every anchor.
4.3Worked example, £500k grant
On a £500,000 grant the ESFA 10% professional services cap is £50,000. A no-win-no-fee engagement therefore costs nothing upfront and at most £50,000 on a successful award. A published fixed fee is the same whether the bid wins or loses. Quote-only consultants must be asked in writing before they can be benchmarked.
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