As the academies budget forecast return (BFR) goes live on 4 June, it's crucial to be aware of the latest ESFA guidance for this year's submission, which is due on 29 August 2024.
All academy trusts must complete the BFR if they were active on 30 April 2024.
What you need to know
- The return must be completed on an accruals and prepayments basis.
- The BFR covers the previous, current, and future financial years. As IDAMs will no longer be operational, these will be completed through the DfE Sign-in (DSI).
- The ESFA has published the workbooks before the online form, which will go live on 4 June on the DfE Sign-in (DSI).
- Academy trusts must be registered and set up to use the service before accessing the form > Log in here.
Key changes to this year's budget forecast return
1] Expenditure fields to reflect information about spending on ICT have been added, so trusts will be required to split out expenditure. The new, mandatory ICT lines (within revenue and capital) are:
- ICT costs – connectivity
- ICT costs – onsite servers
- ICT costs – IT learning resources
- ICT costs – admin software & systems
- ICT costs – laptops, desktops & tablets
- ICT costs – other hardware
- ICT costs – IT support.
This information is only required for 2023/24 and 2024/25 — it won't be needed for 2022/23, 2025/26, or 2026/27. ICT costs should be included in either 'revenue' or 'capital' and not duplicated in each section.
Take a look at the ICT guidance here.
2] A new line has been added to show the amount trusts are spending on building repairs, maintenance, and/or building improvements where these items have not been capitalised. The trust may decide to set up new nominal codes for these items to ease the population of the BFR.
3] Trusts must state their assumptions for any teaching and support staff pay awards they have applied in their 3-year medium-term financial plan.
A quick DfE reference guide can be found here.
If you’re looking for support with the submission of your budget forecast return, our Finance Team can provide specialist guidance on the process to ensure a smooth and accurate return. Or, if you would like to learn more about our support and relevant training, please talk to us.