Systemic capture and analysis of structural condition data
The iX programme is supporting the Department for Education to find methods to capture data on school building structures, before they are demolished, and to analyse this data to enable deeper understanding of the condition of similar structures in service.
Opportunity
Challenge opens
23/10/2026
Challenge closes
04/12/2026
Benefit
Through this Innovation Exchange Challenge, the Department for Education (DfE) is seeking innovators to demonstrate a scalable and cost-effective approach to systematically capture and analyse structural condition data from buildings due for demolition. The analysis should generate reliable, engineering-based insights into structural condition, defects, deterioration patterns and risks of different construction types used in the education estate. Subject to DfE commercial procurement processes and available budget, the successful applicant(s) may have the opportunity to test their methodology through a pilot on up to 3 schools scheduled for demolition. Following successful pilot outcomes, applicant(s) may then have the opportunity to work collaboratively with DfE to refine their methodology into a standardised approach that may be adopted on future projects where appropriate, based on a building's characteristics and project specific constraints. Please note, participation in the iX Challenge does not constitute a commitment by DfE to enter any future contractual arrangement.
Background
The education estate comprises approximately 69,000 buildings across more than 22,000 schools and colleges in England. It includes a range of construction types and structural components, many of which are concealed while buildings are in use.
DfE continuously seeks to improve its understanding of construction materials and structural arrangements used in school and college buildings. This is essential as these buildings age, have increasing maintenance requirements and will be impacted by climate change. DfE uses this knowledge to prioritise investment in the estate, inform policy and project-specific decisions,and ensure interventions such as retrofit, renewal or rebuilding are appropriately targeted. It also supports the review and development of reliable and proportionate guidance for those responsible for operating educational buildings.
Buildings due for demolition through SRP offer a rich source of informationas they are typically included in the programme because of safety issues or severe condition need, including structural defects. Immediately prior to demolition, finishes and fixtures are often removed as part of the ‘softstrip’, exposing large areas of the load bearing structure that would normally remain concealed in an operational school because of the disruption of intrusive investigations. At present there is no systematic programme to capture and analyse information on the final structural condition of these buildings. This challenge seeks to establish a way to do this with minimal impact to the cost and programme of project delivery.
Further information on the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) can be found here School rebuilding programme - GOV.UK.
This challenge is brought to you by:
