One year prior, the University of Bradford was acknowledged as a top-performing institution in the country for its investment in building repairs and upgrades, based on research conducted by SFG20.

The university received this recognition after submitting a Freedom of Information request that gathered information from 61 higher education institutions across the nation.

The study analysed complete spending on repair and upgrade projects, completed work, projects currently underway, and total budgets.

The University of Bradford achieved an overall score of 64.21, recording the lowest number of outstanding maintenance requests among the five highest-ranked institutions, with that figure at 200.

Paul Bullard, who works as product director at SFG20, explained that achieving significant underspend on maintenance costs while keeping individual repair expenses affordable demonstrates a well-structured, proactive approach to building upkeep – one that focuses on effectiveness and minimises serious and expensive unexpected breakdowns.

He further noted that appropriately maintained buildings do more than simply create inspiring environments for learning but also play a significant role in influencing student recruitment and retention at universities.