Scheduled to be complete in August 2024, the project would not have been possible without the £5.5 million of capital funding granted from the DfE. The team at Drees & Sommer UK worked with the college from the outset, supporting them in securing the grant via the Further Education Condition Transformation Fund (FECTF). The funding will be used to transform their facilities and significantly improve energy efficiency. Andrew Harrison, Vice Principal – Corporate Services at Calderdale College and project lead, said: “This funding has come at a critical time for the College, as the nation faces increased energy costs.” Richard Murray, Director at Drees & Sommer UK, commented: “The UK government has legislated to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 and aims to be fully Net Zero by 2050, so decarbonisation measures are an essential criterion for quality estate conditions. However, with college and school budgets under increasing pressure, long-term retrofitting plans are unsurprisingly falling down the agenda. “The Department for Education (DfE) acknowledges its responsibility to improve conditions to bring education estates up to quality specification. Decarbonising will become a key by-product of improving the quality of the overall estate, and the added pressure to meet Net Zero targets means the various pots of UK Government capital funding schools are entitled to bid for are valuable vehicles for sustainable development.”