The Blueprint for Better Learning: CF25 & The Role of BIM

The UK government's investment in educational buildings presents major opportunities for the construction industry, including the manufacturers supplying the products and materials used in their delivery.

With the introduction of the Construction Framework 2025 (CF25), the Department for Education (DfE) has established a major procurement route for new schools, colleges and refurbishment projects across England.

Alongside the scale of this investment, the framework also highlights the growing importance of structured digital information in construction.

For manufacturers, this presents an opportunity to consider how accessible, accurate product data and Building Information Modelling (BIM) can support the design and specification process. For architects and specifiers, reliable manufacturer-approved BIM objects can support more informed product decisions, improve coordination and contribute to better-managed project information.

So, what does CF25 mean for educational design, and what part does BIM play?

Understanding CF25

Developed by the Department for Education, the Construction Framework 2025 (CF25) is a government procurement framework designed to support the delivery of educational construction projects across England.

With an estimated value of £15.4 billion, an initial six-year duration, and ten procurement lots, it provides an established route for public bodies to appoint contractors for a wide range of education projects. This includes new school buildings, further education facilities and refurbishment programmes. The framework can also be extended by up to two additional years.

Rather than requiring organisations to run a new procurement exercise for every project, CF25 provides access to an approved group of construction contractors through established procurement procedures. This is intended to support the efficient delivery of educational buildings while maintaining consistent standards across projects.

However, the framework is about more than appointing contractors. It also emphasises how information is produced and exchanged throughout the construction process.

Why Digital Information Matters

A key part of CF25 is its alignment with ISO 19650, the international standard for managing information across the lifecycle of a built asset using BIM.

This reflects a wider shift towards more structured approaches to construction information. As projects become increasingly complex, architects, engineers and contractors need reliable information to make informed decisions, coordinate building systems and manage assets effectively.

For building product manufacturers, this makes product information quality and accessibility particularly important.

When designing an educational building, project teams must consider hundreds of individual components, from doors, windows, and flooring to ventilation systems, lighting, and fire protection products. Each must meet the project's relevant technical and performance requirements.

Accurate digital product information helps designers understand how individual components fit within a wider building model, assess their suitability, and coordinate them with other building elements.

Manufacturer-approved BIM objects become valuable assets for providing digital product representations, along with relevant technical data. This gives architects a more accessible way to explore products during the design and specification process.

As Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) becomes increasingly embedded within school delivery, BIM also plays a fundamental role in enabling design teams to produce a standardised 'kit of parts' approach. This supports greater design consistency, reduces material waste, improves manufacturing efficiency, and helps compress construction programmes.

What Does CF25 Mean for Manufacturers on Bimstore?

The scale of CF25 creates ample opportunity for new educational construction projects. For manufacturers supplying products suitable for schools and colleges, it is an opportunity to consider how prepared their product information is for an increasingly digital construction industry.

Having products available in BIM formats can help manufacturers make their ranges more accessible to architects, engineers and specifiers working on education projects.

Rather than relying solely on traditional product brochures and technical datasheets, manufacturers can provide digital resources that support the design process from the outset. Well-developed BIM objects can communicate key product information, support coordination, and help specifiers identify suitable solutions.

This does not mean that having a BIM object guarantees a product will be selected for a CF25 project. Nor does the framework require manufacturers to list their products on a particular BIM platform. Product selection will continue to depend on individual project requirements, procurement procedures and relevant technical specifications.

However, ensuring product information is accurate and accessible in appropriate digital formats can help manufacturers support the construction industry's changing needs.

One way manufacturers can align with baseline output specifications for CF25 is by providing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Embodied carbon reporting and whole-life carbon assessments are baseline expectations for CF25 projects, and a building’s embodied carbon profile is proven only through third-party-verified EPD data.

CF25 incorporates DfE’s GenZero initiatives by focusing on low-carbon, energy-efficient design. When a manufacturer obtains an EPD, they have committed to measuring and reducing the environmental impact of their products and services. These impacts are reported transparently, allowing easy comparison of objective, third-party-verified data.

Connecting Manufacturing with Design

For manufacturers looking to improve the accessibility of their digital product information, Bimstore provides a platform to publish and share manufacturer-approved BIM objects with the construction industry.

By bringing product information and digital resources together in one accessible location, Bimstore helps architects, engineers and other construction professionals discover products and incorporate them into their design workflows.

For project teams working on educational buildings, this can provide a useful starting point when researching and evaluating products for a particular application.

Bimstore also offers a dedicated Products for Education Design collection that brings together BIM resources relevant to educational environments, helping designers explore products suitable for schools and other learning spaces.

As demand for structured digital information continues to grow, resources like these can help bridge the gap between product manufacturers and the professionals responsible for designing and delivering buildings.

"I have found BIM to be an essential tool for coordinating with the wider design team. The ability to develop and navigate a fully coordinated 3D model before construction begins is invaluable in identifying clashes, highlighting compliance issues, and reducing unnecessary costs early in the design process.

The Department for Education (DfE) has championed this approach for many years, and my own experience with BIM began on both the MMC1 and CF21 frameworks. However, under CF25, BIM has evolved beyond being solely a 3D coordination tool. Building on the foundations established under CF21, the continued emphasis on asset information management through COBie has become a key component of BIM with CF25. This information supports the entire lifecycle of a school building, from design and construction through to operation, maintenance, and estate management."

- Josh Banks, Senior Technologist at SPACE Architects

The Future of Education Construction

CF25 demonstrates the scale of the government's commitment to educational construction and reinforces the importance of effective information management across the built environment.

To achieve effective information management, manufacturers should ensure that all product information is accurate, accessible, and ready for digital workflows. This, in turn, benefits architects and specifiers, as reliable, manufacturer-approved BIM objects support more informed product decisions, improve coordination, and contribute to better-managed project information.

While CF25 does not prescribe a particular platform or guarantee opportunities for individual manufacturers, its emphasis on structured digital information highlights why BIM resources are becoming an increasingly valuable part of the specification process.

Through Bimstore, manufacturers can make their products more accessible to the professionals shaping the next generation of educational buildings, helping connect product information with the design decisions that bring these projects to life.

In summary, the convergence of government investment, frameworks like CF25, and the adoption of digital resources such as BIM objects and EPDs is shaping a new standard for educational construction. By embracing accessible, accurate digital product information and transparent sustainability data, manufacturers, architects, and specifiers can work collaboratively to deliver learning environments that are not only functional and cost-effective but also environmentally responsible.

Products for Education Design