Funding and Bid Team

Mark leads the designated funding team, which has been established to exclusively assist academies, schools, colleges, sixth forms and universities secure the capital funding required to improve estates and facilities.

With a number of years bidding experience Mark and the team have secured in excess of £150m for academic establishments, across a variety of funding streams, which includes - Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), Urgent Capital Support (UCS), T Level Capital Funding (TLCF), Further Education Capital Transformation Fund (FECTF) and Post-16 Capacity Fund.

Mark’s extensive bidding knowledge, proactive support and advice, coupled with a degree writing background, ensures bids are prepared and submitted to maximise the chances of securing funding.

Sam joined the AEC funding team following a 17 year career as a Barristers Clerk where he focused mainly on the Construction and shipping markets.

During this time Sam honed his skills in business development and procuring work through various avenues both domestically and internationally. He has a keen eye for detail and offers pragmatic advice to all clients.

Sam is highly motivated and passionate about his work, always wanting to succeed and achieve the best for our clients. Since joining AEC Sam has secured a multitude of projects across various funding streams, including Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), T Level Capital Fund (TLCF) and Urgent Capital Support (UCS). As well as bid writing, Sam also advises clients in relation to Good Estate Management for Schools (GEMS) to ensure they comply and have the relevant documents in place.

Joe joined our funding team after an 8 year professional career as a Senior Medical Recruitment Consultant. He completed a degree in Journalism at university and his writing skills have become an asset to the team. His background makes him able to comfortably communicate with our clients across all platforms.

In 2018, Ryan graduated from Anglia Ruskin University with a First-Class honours degree in Building Surveying.

Ryan has vast experience in securing numerous projects for schools through a variety of funding streams, including the Condition Improvement Funding (CIF) and Urgent Capital Support (UCS).

Since joining AEC, Ryan has worked closely with the Project Management team where he has obtained further first-hand surveying experience and is looking to continue this career path.

Lucy’s career began in 2012 working as an Office Secretary / Junior PA for a leading specialist (re)insurance broking partnership after completing an Advanced Secretarial Level 3 Diploma. The majority of her career has been spent working for large Insurance firms within the City of London.

In the early part of 2020, Lucy joined AEC as one of our Funding Consultant’s and has a high success rate of securing funding for schools over the last two years.

Lucy is currently studying at Anglia Ruskin University as an Apprentice Building Surveyor and works closely with the Projects and Building Surveying Teams within the company, alongside continuing her initial role as a Funding Consultant within the Funding Team.

In 2021, Ricky graduated from the University of Essex with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Criminology. After working across various industries including hospitality, retail, construction and education, Ricky has joined the AEC Funding team as a Trainee Funding Consultant.

Ricky’s work experience and academic background have equipped him with an extensive skill set to excel and support both the Funding Team and his clients. Ricky is rapidly extending his knowledge in building consultancy and estate management.

Ella has joined AEC with 6 years administrative experience through the retail and financial sectors, gaining a Level 2 diploma in Business Administration. Ella will be able to utilise her administrative skillset to ensure funding applications are prepared and presented in a timely manner for bid submission.

John joined the AEC team following 20 years’ experience as a Document Controller at several London based Architectural practices, working on some high-profile projects along the way. The Trainee Funding consultant role is an exciting new career path for John, where he can put his organisational skills to use in creating high quality bid documentation.

William Joined the AEC team in February 2024, following over 6 years working in a complex, diverse local government organisation. During this time, he developed in-depth knowledge of project management, procurement, and funding applications, demonstrating a successful track record of delivery.

The Funding Consultant role is an exciting new opportunity to apply these skills and experiences to support the Funding Consultant Team as it seeks to deliver a quality service and create excellent funding opportunities.

Matthew joined the AEC funding team following a 10-year career in the construction industry as a Fire Alarm and Gas Suppression Engineer. His background equips him suitably with communicating with clients and surveying jobs, especially Fire Safety related.

The Funding Consultant role provides an exciting and diverse opportunity to gain knowledge and hone skills using previous experience.