Partnerships for Schools has published guidance documents on the BSF programme, in order to support local authorities in preparing their documentation.

The guidance documents can be categorised as follows: 

• Expressions of Interest guidance
• Readiness to Deliver guidance
• Strategy for Change (SfC) guidance
• Outline Business Case (OBC) guidance
• Final Business Case (FBC) guidance
• Funding guidance
• ICT guidance
• Commercial guidance
• Operational LEPs guidance

All documents and guidance are regularly reviewed - the date in brackets shows the publication date.

Expressions of Interest guidance

• Expressions of Interest guidance; Letter from Sally Brooks (September 2008) (zip file)

Readiness to Deliver guidance

• Introduction to BSF (updated February 2008)
• Readiness to Deliver: guidance for local authorities in BSF waves 4-6 (July 2006)
• Project Planning (and Project Initiation Document) guidance (October 2007)

Strategy for Change (SfC) guidance

• Strategy for Change guidance: for local authorities in BSF wave 4 onwards (July 2006)
• Strategy for Change guidance: for local authorities in BSF wave 5 (September 2007)
• Strategy for Change Part 1: approvals checklist for Wave 5 (January 2008)
• Strategy for Change Part 2: supplementary guidance on use of appendices (January 2008)
• Strategy for Change Part 2a: approvals checklist for Wave (January 2008)
• Strategy for Change Part 2b: approvals checklist for Wave 5 (January 2008)
• Step-by-Step Guidance to Pupil Place Planning (December 2007)
• School Strategy for Change Guidance (January 2008)
• Change management plans within Strategy for Change (January 2008)
• Guidance on Strategy for Change KPIs and Collective Partnership Targets (January 2008)

Outline Business Case (OBC) guidance

• Outline Business Case Guidance: for local authorities in BSF wave 4 onwards (April 2007)
• OBC Appendix 1b: Abnormal and External Works Costs Proforma (March 2008)
• OBC Appendix 1b: OBC Abnormal and External Works Guidance (December 2006)
• OBC Appendix 3: PFI Quantative Evaluation Spreadsheet (September 2006)
• OBC Appendix 3: VfM Guidance Note and Input Assumptions (October 2006)
• OBC Appendix 5: Unitary Charge Model (September 2006)
• OBC Appendix 6: Funding Allocation Model (June 2008)
• OBC Appendix 7: Affordability Model (November 2006)
• OBC Appendix 9: Governing Body Specimen Resolution for PFI Contributions (November 2006)
• OBC Appendix 9: OBC ICT Letter (December 2006)
• OBC Appendix 9: PfS Example OBC FM and Lifecycle Letter (May 2006)
• OBC Appendix 10: Draft OJEU
• OBC Appendix 12: Approvals Checklist (November 2006)
• Outline Business Case – new PfS Approval Process (January 2008)
• Outline Business Case – Supplementary Clarification on OBC Guidance (February 2008)
• ICT Supplementary Outline Business Case Guidance (March 2007)

Final Business Case (FBC) guidance

• Final Business Case: for all local authorities in BSF (January 2007)
• FBC Appendix 10 - FBC Required KPI Data (December 2006)
• FBC Appendix 11 - Guidance on Cost and Financial Proformas (April 2007) 
• FBC Appendix 11 - ITCD Financial and Technical Proformas (April 2007)
• FBC Appendix 12 - Template FBC Review Checklist (August 2006)

Funding guidance

• Funding Guidance for BSF Projects (revised August 2007)
• Funding Guidance Appendices (zip file) (August 2007) 
• Project Support Funding Guidance (January 2008)
• Funding Allocation Model (June 2008)

ICT guidance

• ICT Consolidated Guidance for BSF (May 2007)
• ICT Consultancy Scope of Works Template for LAs (August 2007)

Commercial guidance

• Guidance on How to Conduct a Competitive Dialogue Procedure (January 2006)
• Economics of the LEP Paper (January 2008)
• Guidance on Classification of the Contract and Choice of Procedure under the EU Procurement Rules for BSF (February 2006)

Operational LEPs guidance

• Stage Zero Submission Guidance (February 2008)
• Approval Procedure for New Projects (Stage 0 and OBC interface with SPA) (February 2008)
• OBC for Next Waves Guidance (February 2008)