Introducing AI-powered enhancements in Formulate – Smarter, faster SEND funding decisions

We are pleased to announce the release of Formulate for SEND 2025.2, the latest evolution of our market-leading solution designed to help local authorities deliver fair, consistent, and transparent SEND funding decisions.

This release marks a significant step forward in supporting councils to meet the growing challenges of SEND provision – introducing both structural enhancements and the first phase of our AI-powered functionality.

Tackling complexity with innovation

With rising EHCP demand, increasing legal challenges, and growing budget pressures, local authorities need more than incremental improvements – they need smarter systems that help them manage resources with confidence and precision.

Formulate for SEND 2025.2 introduces our first AI-powered capabilities, designed in collaboration with local authorities and SEND professionals to reduce administrative burden, improve accuracy, and provide stronger evidence to support funding decisions.

What’s new in Formulate?

Meet Imogen – AI-powered enhancements (Beta)

Our latest update introduces Imogen, Formulate’s new AI assistant, designed to help SEND teams make faster, more informed decisions.

Now available to early adopters, our new AI-driven features offer practical tools to support faster and more robust decision-making:

EHCP Summarisation – Automatically extracts key information from EHCPs, helping assessors complete Needs Profiles with greater speed and consistency.
Automated Rationale Generation – Instantly generate clear, evidence-based funding justifications to support conversations with settings, schools, and parents.
Quality Assurance Tools – AI checks for missing, contradictory, or inconsistent information to improve overall EHCP quality and reduce the likelihood of appeals.

These features are currently in beta, and we are actively inviting local authorities to participate as early adopters for a limited period. Register your interest here and we will be in touch with further details.

Core product enhancements

Alongside AI, 2025.2 introduces a range of usability and performance improvements, including:

Redesigned Needs Profile interface – A sleek new layout with persistent top navigation for faster, more intuitive completion.
New “Calculate” button – Allows users to generate funding calculations on demand, without needing to complete the entire form first.
Streamlined login experience – A new “Remember Me” option enables secure access without repeated 2FA for 30 days on trusted devices.
Auto-close feature – Configurable auto-close functionality ensures open forms are finalised in line with local policies, maintaining clean, accurate data for reporting.

Built for the challenges councils face today

Formulate is built to directly address the operational, financial, and compliance challenges local authorities face in managing SEND funding. Councils using Formulate for SEND have:

A 25% higher likelihood of meeting the 20-week EHCP deadline
Up to 70% reduction in administrative time for SEND teams
Smarter resource allocation aligned with needs-based, equitable decision-making

With the introduction of AI, local authorities now have the opportunity to go further – automating repetitive processes, enhancing the consistency of assessments, and producing robust justifications with less effort.