• As the DfE moves from narrative-based funding bids to mandatory annual returns and structured data, how should trusts balance central compliance oversight with the operational autonomy of site-based leaders managing their own buildings day to day?
• With the Condition Improvement Fund being replaced by a data-enabled funding model from 2028, what capability and governance structures do trusts need to put in place now to avoid being structurally disadvantaged once funding starts following evidence rather than argument?
• Where does the sector's real estate management risk lie — skills, systems, or governance — and what should trust leaders prioritise before the first mandatory return lands in autumn 2026?
