Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) School Improvement Grant
Department for Education (DfE) · England
The Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) School Improvement Grant provides funding for mandatory targeted intervention for schools identified by Ofsted as needing to improve. RISE advisers work with eligible schools and their responsible bodies, and where appropriate arrange for high-quality organisations to provide support. (Find a Grant)
Summary
Deadline
31 Mar 2027
Updated
16 Oct 2026
The Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) School Improvement Grant provides funding for mandatory targeted intervention for schools identified by Ofsted as needing to improve. RISE advisers work with eligible schools and their responsible bodies, and where appropriate arrange for high-quality organisations to provide support. (Find a Grant)
Eligibility
Applicant types
See eligibility requirements
Industries
Education
Match funding
Not specified
Eligible applicants
Public sector schools that meet the eligibility criteria for targeted RISE intervention.
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
£40,000 to £240,000 according to the current Find a Grant listing. (Find a Grant)
Total fund available
£12 million for the grant scheme listed on Find a Grant. The wider RISE programme has an initial £20 million investment in RISE teams and support. (Find a Grant)
Funding intensity
Not specified
Payment type
Not specified
Application and risks
Application platform
No application process. Eligible schools are contacted directly by their relevant RISE regional team. (Find a Grant)
Competitiveness
Not scored
Decision timeline
Eligibility is determined through Ofsted inspections. Eligible schools are contacted by RISE regional teams, which then work with the school and responsible body to determine the appropriate intervention and support. (Find a Grant)
Assessment process
Eligibility is determined through Ofsted inspections. Eligible schools are contacted by RISE regional teams, which then work with the school and responsible body to determine the appropriate intervention and support. (Find a Grant)
Application sections
Not specified
Application components
- No standard grant application. RISE advisers engage directly with eligible schools and their responsible bodies to determine improvement needs and agree an improvement plan.
Timeline and partners
Opening date
6 Jun 2025
Project duration
Not specified
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-08-24.
Key Organisational Requirements
For the current academic year, eligible schools include those that were previously due to receive structural intervention after 1 January 2025 but had that intervention revoked, and "stuck schools". A stuck school is one graded Requires Improvement or equivalent at its most recent Ofsted inspection, which was also graded below Good at its previous inspection and remains within the same structure. (Find a Grant)
Objectives
To raise school standards by providing bespoke targeted intervention, bringing expertise and capacity into schools facing particular challenges, and securing support from high-quality organisations with a strong track record of improvement. (Find a Grant)
Duration of Support
Targeted intervention is designed to support schools over 12 to 24 months. Ofsted monitors improvement progress while RISE teams regularly review implementation and engagement. (Find a Grant)
Important Notes
Schools cannot apply directly for this grant. Eligibility is determined through Ofsted judgements and eligible schools are contacted directly. The current eligibility list can change as schools undergo further inspections. The DfE published an updated May 2026 baseline of schools eligible for targeted RISE intervention on 30 July 2026. (GOV.UK)
Application deadline in source document
31 March 2027, 11:59pm
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Open
- Deadline
- 31 Mar 2027
- Funding amount
- £40,000 to £240,000 according to the current Find a Grant listing. (Find a Grant)
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- Grant funding for targeted school improvement support
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- Education
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- Not specified