Education Estates Older Buildings Research

The Department for Education (DfE) is looking to commission research to improve the department's understanding of future building safety risks and condition issues in the education estate, in particular in post-war buildings (constructed between 1945 and 1990).

The multi-disciplinary research will include: • Desk-based analysis. • Intrusive structural surveys* and qualitative research in a representative sample of post-war buildings to reflect different construction type, material, age, and degrees of maintenance. • Modelling to map the prevalence of future structural risks and condition issues across the post-war estate. • Exploration of technology and innovations to understand structural risks including potential use of machine learning artificial intelligence modelling to process high volumes of data to identify and learn specific types of defects experienced in older buildings associated by age and typology with cross reference to condition data to predict the likely nature(s) of building deterioration. • Key observable characteristics of structural risks. • Policy recommendations on mitigating future risks. *DfE will separately procure works to facilitate intrusive surveys (including opening up locations to access the structural frame; safe handling and removal of asbestos where required; on and off-site testing of samples).

Funds for this will come from the department's overall budget associated with this project.

The lead supplier will be responsible for ensuring a full specification of the works required is designed and liaise with the DfE Older Buildings team, the 'minor works' contractor and participating schools once appointed.

This follows feedback from the initial Older Buildings Research market engagement event held on 3 June 2024.

The DfE Older Buildings team will be hosting the online workshop on 1 July 2024 at 13:00 GMT to provide more information on the scope and content of the research invitation to tender and the contract terms.

This will be followed by opportunities to ask questions.

For more information on the research and how to attend the workshop please see the attachment.