About the project
You can find out more about the optimised retrofit process and what it means by clicking here – but the key thing you need to know is that this is a growing area and we need lots of boots on the ground and skilled tradespeople to make sure we can get this done.
The Optimised Retrofit project has so far been awarded more than £13m in funding by Welsh Government, and the collaboration of 68 partners (including 28 social housing providers), will see more than 1,700 pathfinder homes across Wales retrofitted to become more energy efficient. This means they will be cheaper to run and have a smaller carbon footprint.
The Welsh Government has already committed a further £50million to decarbonising homes across Wales in this financial year – and all homes across Wales and the UK will need to be retrofitted by 2050 to help reduce carbon emissions in line with targets.
Get involved: help us retrofit Wales
We are committed to ensuring Welsh businesses and tradespeople play a core part in delivering this project, and with the project now in full swing, we are on the lookout for competent tradespeople and companies to help us deliver this ambitious and exciting project.
The retrofit process will need a range of skills and trades, from window fitters and insultation specialists, to general building and maintenance. In particular at the moment, we are keen to hear from businesses and tradespeople who are skilled in electrics, plumbing, gas safe, comms networking, ASHP and G3 (see more details below).
If you want to get involved or find out more, please fill out this quick form here so that we can keep you updated.
Retrofit: a growing opportunity
Recent statistics published by Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) suggests that an additional 12,000 workers will be needed in Wales by 2028, to help deliver improvements to existing buildings to reduce energy demand.
This will include:
- 2,800 plumbers and HVAC workers – to enable the installation of heat pumps
- 2,500 project managers – to include specific roles like Retrofit Coordinator
- 900 Building Envelope Specialists (which includes insulation installers)
What types of trades and skills are needed?
The retrofit industry has created a range of specialist roles that need to be filled including: retrofit coordinator, advisor, assessor, designer, installer and evaluator. With the right training and accreditation this can result in more opportunities for both existing and future building industry professionals – including architects, installers, engineers and many other tradespeople.
As well as the surveying, analysis, design and project management part of the Optimised Retrofit project, a wide range of construction skills and trades will be needed to deliver the identified home improvements needed to make the homes more energy efficient.
These will include:
- Assessors and smart technicians
- Plumbing and electrical (such as heating installers)
- General construction (building skills)
- Wet trade (including plastering and dry lining)
As the Optimised Retrofit project progresses, we anticipate a range of opportunities across a wide range of areas including:
- Solar Thermal
- Technical Surveying (heating load, thermography, air tightness)
- Car Charging Points (Ozev)
- Insulation (RIR, Loft, IWI, EWI, suspended floor, solid floor)
- Ventilation Design & Install
- Glazing and window detailing
- Draught Proofing & Air Tightness
- District Heating
- General Building/Maintenance (pointing, guttering, roofing)
To create new pathways into construction and ensure the provision of lifelong learning, Optimised Retrofit is working with education partners such as Cardiff University, Trinity Saint David’s, Swansea University and NPTC Group of Colleges to identify the key skills needed and where the most significant gaps will be.
If you would like to be kept updated about the projects, procurement process and opportunities, and training and skills development – then please fill out and submit our short registration form and we’ll keep in touch.
Becoming a supplier
A Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) is currently being developed as part of the Optimised Retrofit project to provide an efficient, value for money procurement route for local authorities, social landlords and other public sector bodies to source specialist suppliers who can undertake works to make homes and public buildings more energy efficient, and can carry out any associated repairs and retrofit work.
The DPS will be in place from Autumn 2021 and offers the potential to link to any future Government funding initiatives, with the aim of ensuring a wide range and consistent flow of work opportunities for approved suppliers.
Using a simple process, companies and tradespeople will be able to join the DPS at any time by demonstrating the relevant skills, experience and competencies, and will then have the opportunity to bid for work.
If you would like to be kept up to date about the DPS and what you will need to do to become a supplier then please register here for updates.
