Bid score estimator.
The estimator applies the published 60/25/15 weighting to three 0-10 inputs. It does not estimate the assessor scores themselves; the bursar provides those.
Compiled by Oliver Wakefield-Smith, founder, Digital Signet. Reviewed against ESFA Information for Applicants 2026-27 and the Condition Funding Methodology March 2026 revision.
How to use it
Estimate each criterion 0-10 honestly. A C-grade roof bid with three quotes and a credible programme typically lands in the 6-8 range on Need, 6-7 on Cost, and 6-7 on Planning.
What the threshold means
The indicative funded threshold from the May 2026 outcomes is approximately 72 of 100. The threshold moves cycle-to-cycle with applicant volume; a high-volume cycle pulls it up, a low-volume cycle pulls it down.
Sensitivity to Project Need
A one-point shift in Project Need moves the weighted total by 6. A one-point shift in Project Cost moves it by 2.5. Investing effort in Project Need evidence is structurally higher-ROI than the same effort on Project Cost.
Minimum worth-submitting score
Bids below approximately 65 on the weighted total are rarely funded outside niche sub-budget circumstances. Below 60 the bid is generally better saved for the next cycle after evidence is strengthened.
Source: ESFA Information for Applicants 2026-27 (60/25/15 weighting); DfE outcomes Round 13.