RISE launches its Retrofit Supply Chain support service

Offering free, taylored support to all those in the retrofit supply chain with the RISE Supply Chain Week

RISE's first ever Supply Chain Week will be made up of a series of masterclasses, podcasts, drop-in sessions and a roundtable, tailored to anyone working within the supply chain wanting to develop an understanding of Housing Retrofit.

All events during the week are free and online, and include a Beginners Guide to Retrofit for the Supply Chain, Retrofit Solutions and Supply Chain Development and a Masterclass into Contracting Options for Supply Chain.

You can find the full list of Supply Chain Week events on the RISE Eventbrite page now.

Interested but not sure where to start?

A great way to find out more about RISE’s supply chain support is at our free, online introductory Drop-in session on Friday 14th June. It's free to attend, just register here.

Introducing RISE's supply chain services with Owen Daggett

We caught up with Owen Daggett, Principal Consultant at Turner & Townsend, who is leading the development of this service, on why this new strand of support is so important for the retrofit sector.

What inspired the decision to introduce a dedicated focus on the retrofit supply chain as part of RISE?

The most recent retrofit guidance, including the SHDF Wave 3 draft guidance, calls for development in the retrofit sector. This includes growth in the retrofit supply chain capacity and capabilities.

To support future improvements in housing energy efficiency, productivity and innovation within the construction sector should continue to advance, and, importantly, upskilling prospective applicants in retrofit is critical. The expertise and support offered by RISE can help achieve this.

Why is it so important that the supply chain is considered and supported as part of RISE?

As a nationwide retrofit support program, RISE must look at the whole picture of housing retrofit. So it is crucial to consider and support the supply chain. A robust supply chain ensures efficient delivery of retrofit projects at scale, while maintaining quality standards and boosting local economies.

Establishing connections between the supply chain and prospective applicants will help build trust. And supporting the supply chain will help promote new innovations. So nationwide retrofit initiatives will become more efficient and impactful.

What do you hope to achieve through this part of the RISE programme?

The end goal is to motivate the supply chain to engage in retrofit projects, and increase the pool of eligible installers for government home decarbonisation retrofit schemes.

Who is this support for? Is it for prospective applicants who want to improve their interactions with, and management of their supply chains, or companies and organisations who are part of the supply chain?

Our goal is to support supply chain activity, creating relevant guidance for companies and organisations within the supply chain.

To achieve this we will be collaborating with key stakeholders who are involved with supply chain activity. This includes prospective applicants, but also contractors and compliance providers for example, Tier 1 contractors and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, and Product/System Suppliers, entities that supply products or systems that are used in the projects.

Although it is still early days, what do you expect will be some of the key areas of focus for RISE’s supply chain support?

Our support will be spread across three defined areas.

First, we will address standards requirements, ensuring that suppliers meet industry standards for quality, safety, and sustainability.

Second, certification of retrofit measures will be crucial, ensuring that any modifications or improvements to existing systems are properly validated.

Third, trustmark registration will help build confidence among consumers and partners by signaling RISE’s commitment to excellence.

Lastly, commercial frameworks and subcontracting will be essential for efficient collaboration and scalability.

These all feed into our goal of helping to create a robust and reliable supply chain ecosystem.

If a prospective applicant is unclear about how to make the best decisions around suppliers, or needs help with managing their suppliers on retrofit projects - what would you advise them to do?

I would say to get in touch with rise@turntown.co.uk so our team can help with any expert advice, or direct you to the best support available.

If there is a business within the domestic retrofit supply chain right now, who would like to access some support to be able to better meet the needs of the local authority and social housing sectors, what would you advise them to do?

We would be more than happy to help, again just send over an email to rise@turntown.co.uk with your questions so our team of retrofit experts can share any support available.