Value for money is the second-largest weight in CIF scoring at 30%. The score is driven by the contribution offered, project-value efficiency against cost-per-element benchmarks, and Green Book alignment of the appraisal.
On this page
What does ESFA mean by VFM in CIF?
How is cost-per-element benchmarked?
Does a higher contribution lift VFM?
Specimen high-scoring VFM section?
Common weak inputs?
A contribution materially above the rule floor is the single largest VFM lever. A Green Book-style appraisal narrative is the second. Cost-per-element benchmarking against the DfE's implied schedules is the third.
Common weak inputs: contribution at the floor, no Green Book reference, and a project value drifting toward the £4M cap without cost-per-element justification.