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Best practice guidance for successful SME engagement

Produced with Action Sustainability, in association with Lend Lease, this guide provides best practice guidance for large organisations looking to diversify their supply chain by engaging with SMEs. The report, 'Best Practice Guidance for Successful SME Engagement', has been written with the construction sector in mind, but is relevant to all sectors.

To download the report click here (6MB).

SMEs, social housing providers and the members of the built environment may also be interested in other publications released by the Institute to help businesses unlock the huge potential of the UK's domestic retrofit market. The Institute has partnered with UCL Energy Institute (UCL-Energy) to produce a range of publications addressing the challenges of retrofitting domestic properties. Together they offer the first independent analysis of the UK's leading domestic retrofit demonstrators; the Technology Strategy Board's £17 million 'Retrofit for the Future' (R4tF) programme Eight projects consisting of ten houses were selected from 25 R4tF projects in London based on their social and economic diversity.

'Retrofit Insights: perspectives for an emerging industry' summarises the complete analysis to address a number of key issues including how retrofit can realistically help address the UK's low carbon targets, capturing the occupant's experience of retrofit delivery and installed measures, how these can add value to improve comfort in the home and how the supply chain needs to be developed in order to deliver - retrofit at scale.

Based on a series of interviews and feedback sessions with project teams, the 'Retrofit project team perspectives summary guides' identify lessons learned during projects covering:

working with residents
retrofit delivery
retrofit strategies
mechanical and electrical systems integration.

The 'Occupant centred retrofit: engagement and communication guide' summarises some key themes from the post occupancy evaluation interviews with retrofit occupants.

Finally, you may also find the updated Buildings Opportunities for Business: 'Low Carbon Domestic Retrofit Guides including Guide A: 'Promotion programmes' and Guide B: Skills, 'Training and Accreditation for Low Carbon Retrofit', which have been updated to reflect the latest developments on Government incentive schemes including the Green Deal.