Guidance

Academies budget forecast return

Information to help academy trusts submit their budget forecast return.

From:
Department for Education
Published
28 February 2018
Last updated
9 September 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Academies budget forecast return (BFR)

This year’s BFR deadline, 29 August 2024, has passed.

Thank you to all of the trusts who submitted on time. If your trust has not submitted your BFR yet, log into your return and complete your return as soon as possible.

Log in here

Academies budget forecast return background

The BFR  is a collection that spans the past, current and future financial years. It collects data in a format to allow for academic and financial year analysis by the Department for Education (DfE).

BFR 2024 covers these periods:

  • September 2022 to March 2023 and April 2023 to August 2023 (part pre-populated from previous BFR return)
  • September 2023 to March 2024 and April 2024 to August 2024
  • September 2024 to March 2025 and April 2025 to Aug 2025
  • Summary forecasts for September 2025 to August 2026
  • Summary forecasts for September 2026 to August 2027

To find out more about how to use the BFR online form, use the link below for detailed guidance.

Guide for using the academies budget forecast online form

There are 2 versions of the Excel workbook to help you prepare your BFR:

  • a single-page version
  • a multi-page version structured to look like the online form

Both versions have the same questions and validations contained within the online form.

BFR 2024: traditional workbook

299 KB

BFR 2024: multi-page workbook

357 KB

BFR ICT guidance

New fields have been added to the BFR to capture information around trusts forecast ICT spend. The BFR ICT guidance explains why we are doing this, and how to report these costs within the revenue and capital sections of the BFR 2024.

In-year academy transfers

Your  BFR return must reflect any academies transferring in or out of your trust. The re-brokerage of academies section in the main BFR guidance contains tables with details of what you need to include in your  BFR  based on the month of transfer.

BFR lines quick reference guide

The purpose of ​the BFR lines quick reference guide (PDF, 741KB) is to provide ‘one click’ access to specific lines of the budget forecast return to enable you to complete your return.​

Access to your BFR online form

The budget forecast return online form uses the DfE Sign-in (DSI)  registration service. Academy trusts must be registered and set up to use the service before they can access the form. Read this guide on how to register and set up the online forms for the BFR.

Log in here

Support

You can contact us using the customer help portal.

Updates to this page

Published 28 February 2018
Last updated 9 September 2024 + show all updates

  1. This year’s BFR deadline, 29 August 2024, has passed. If your trust has not submitted your BFR yet, log into your return and complete your return as soon as possible.

  2. We have updated the 'BFR 2024 multi-page workbook' and the 'BFR 2024: traditional workbook' based on user feedback.

  3. The academies budget forecast return (BFR) is now open, the deadline to complete your return is 29 August 2024. Added in the sector calls arrangements, if you have queries.

  4. Replaced 'BFR 2023 multi page workbook' and 'BFR 2023 traditional workbook' with 2024 versions. Updated the page details to reflect these changes.

  5. This update includes more details on in-year transfers including links to more information on what to when academies join or leave a trust. We have also added a new quick reference guide for all BFR lines.

  6. The academies budget forecast return (BFR) deadline of 31 August 2023 has passed. Thank you for all the academy trusts who submitted by the deadline, if your academy trust has not yet submitted your BFR use the link on the webpage to access your return.

  7. We have added information on our weekly webchat question sessions, with dates and details on how to participate.

  8. BFR Form is now live. This year's deadline for completion is 31 August 2023.

  9. BFR Power Hour session date and time included on the main page.

  10. We've updated the BFR 2023 workbooks.

  11. We've added new BFR sector call dates for the 2023 return.

  12. We've added details about the BFR deadline for this year, 31 August 2023, including updated guidance and supporting information.

  13. The academies budget forecast return has passed, please submit your return as soon as possible if you've not already done so.

  14. Updated the duration details for the weekly sector calls and webchats.

  15. The weekend service update was successful and the budget forecast form is accessible again from the dashboard.

  16. The online form for the academies budget forecast return is now live. The deadline to complete and submit the return is 26 July 2022.

  17. We have updated this page with new versions of the Excel workbooks to include the extra questions for academy trusts with a revenue balance of 20% or more.

  18. We have uploaded 2 Excel workbooks to help users prepare for the online BFR collection in June. There is a new multi-page workbook that mirrors the layout of the online form.

  19. We have updated this page with information that academy trusts are no longer required to submit a separate budget forecast return outturn.

  20. The BFR deadline has now passed, it was 27 July 2021.

  21. We've updated the Excel workbook as older versions may have a bug on BFR line 365 on the BFR suite tab and lines 6 and 7 on the Trust Validation Table. If you have any queries about this, please us refer to the "Help with your BFR" section for how to contact us.

  22. The academies budget forecast return is now open - please complete your return by the deadline, 27 July 2021.

  23. The excel workbook has been updated based on user feedback.

  24. We have published the Excel workbook for the academies budget forecast return (BFR) to help users prepare their return later in the year.

  25. We have updated this page to include information about how to complete your budget forecast return if you have academies transferring in or out of your trust.

  26. We have updated this page with information about a single BFR return this year, which will combines both the BFRO and the BFR3Y into a single online form. The combined form will go live in June 2021 with a deadline 27 July 2021. We will publish the Excel workbook for trust's to use in due course.

  27. The BFR3Y deadline has passed - if your academy trust has not yet completed your return please do as soon as possible.

  28. The BFR3Y is now live, please see this webpage for details about the financial return and the BFR3Y login link.

  29. We have added Skype dial-in details for the BFR3Y collection period and published the BFR3Y online form guidance - the form will be available from 8 July 2020 with a deadline of 29 September 2020.

  30. We have published new details about the BFR3Y financial return including an extended deadline, 29 September 2020.

  31. Page updated to confirm that academy trusts are not required to submit the budget forecast return outturn (BFRO) this year.

  32. Updated to include the details for the BFRO collection as well as the BFRO excel workbook.

  33. Updated to remove information about the in-year budget forecast return for new academies as this is no longer required.

  34. We have updated the page to include the latest information for the budget forecast return for new academy trusts and new academies only. We will write to those in scope for this return.

  35. Removed live link to BFR3Y form as submissions have now closed

  36. We have fixed the fault when users submit and get an error message - if you're still receiving this please let us know via the enquiry form on the webpage.

  37. There is a defect on the BFR3Y that is generating an error message on submission for some users. Please ignore this and we are fixing it this evening. Please see the webpage for more details.

  38. The budget forecast return three year forecast form is now live and ready for users to login to complete. The deadline for submission is 30 July 2019. We will holding weekly Skype calls with the sector - please see the website for further details.

  39. We have updated the excel workbook as we had been informed that a formula wasn't working properly. We have corrected and updated this version of the workbook.

  40. We have updated the budget forecast return three-year excel document with a revised version that reduces the amount of detail required for this return. We have made the line ref: 378 in the workbook inline with the last BFRO return.

  41. We have updated this page to include further details about the budget forecast return 3 year and to provide the excel template workbook to help trust's prepare for the return.

  42. Page has been updated with a link to the online BFRO form.

  43. Due to technical difficulties, the BFRO online form will now be available on Wednesday 10 April.

  44. The BFRO online form is now live. This page has been updated with a link to the BFRO online form and a PDF with updated guidance on completing the online form.

  45. We have updated the excel workbook guidance document for the BFRO form. The BFRO will open 9 April and has a deadline of 21 May 2019.

  46. Page updated with information and a link to the online form for the new academy budget forecast return (BFR).

  47. Updated information about academy budget forecast returns for new academies.

  48. Updated to add the link to the online form and the guide to completing the budget forecast return (BFR) 2018. The deadline for academy trusts to submit their completed BFR is 30 July 2018.

  49. We've published the BFR 3-year Excel workbook and guidance document for trusts to help them to prepare for their BFR return, the deadline is 30 July 2018. The form will go live on 21 June 2018.

  50. We have updated the page with a document explaining more about the BFR 3-year forecasts

  51. We have updated the budget forecast page with an introductory video to help explain all of the budget forecast returns that we collect.

  52. We have added a budget forecast return outturn guidance video to help users complete their return.

  53. Updated to include information about weekly BFRO Skype dial-ins for trusts that take place each Wednesday between 1pm and 2pm throughout April and May.

  54. Updated with the link and guide to completing the online form for the academies budget forecast return outturn, which academy trusts submit by Monday 21 May 2018.

  55. We have updated the academies budget forecast return outturn 2018 workbook templates.

  56. First published.

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