Procurement and SMEs

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

Our Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) is a supply chain list where tenders or other bidding opportunities are published to specific members that have been successful in maintaining a position on that list, and is similar to a framework agreement.

To join you must complete an online standard questionnaire. The submitted questionnaire is evaluated to establish your general suitability and capability to provide the works and services under contracts awarded through the DPS. The questionnaire has been designed to be as simple as possible.

The assessment considers whether certain minimum criteria are met including aspects of your financial and technical capability appropriate to the size and type of work. Based on this assessment you are either accepted onto the DPS or provided with feedback to enable you to re-apply should you wish to do so.

Those accepted will be asked to provide copies of certain documents such as insurance certificates.

The main differences between a DPS and the typical tender process include the fact that a DPS is to:

• be run as a completely electronic process
• allow new suppliers to join at any time or within set window periods
• show longevity in its run (it can be open for years)

How are works and services advertised and awarded?
If you have been appointed onto the DPS you will be notified of any tender within the categories of work you have expressed an interest in and your geographical location. The scope of the tender will reflect the size, type, and complexity of the work to be undertaken.

The tender will be sent to you through an email inviting you to submit a tender. Having read the tender and what is required it is up to you whether you want to apply.

If you have been appointed onto the DPS you will be notified of any tender within the categories of work you have expressed an interest in and your geographical location. The scope of the tender will reflect the size, type, and complexity of the work to be undertaken.

The tender will be sent to you through an email inviting you to submit a tender. Having read the tender and what is required it is up to you whether you want to apply.

The form of contract applied to each tender will be dependent on the requirements of the client. Full clarity over any preferred form of contract will be provided in each tender issued under our DPS.

If you are ready to register to our DPS you can do so here.

Help and support is available from several sources

• Sero
• Business Wales
• Sell2Wales
• CHIC