Warm Homes Skills Programme
The Warm Homes Skills Programme is an £8 million programme to deliver up to 9,000 training places to enable people to develop skills as installers and retrofit professionals within the retrofit and energy efficiency sector, focused on both domestic and non-domestic buildings. It is an open grant competition considered as Phase 1 grant funding for a range of suppliers to deliver accredited training to support the scaling up of the retrofit and energy efficiency sectors, it opened on the 30th April and closes midday on 6th June 2025. The funds will enable training in the following Work Packages:
- Work Package 1: Home Retrofit professionals: Training in retrofit assessor (including combined domestic energy assessor and retrofit assessor training) and retrofit coordinator skills leading to a recognised qualification aligned to PAS 2035.
- Work Package 2: Fabric Insulation and Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Installation: NVQ Level 2 or 3 or equivalent award in fabric insulation or Small-Scale Solar PVinstallation resulting in a proven competency in line with PAS 2035 or MCS standards; or NVQ Level 3 or equivalent award in Energy Efficiency for Older and Traditional Buildings
- Work Package 3: Entry-level courses: NVQ Level 2 or equivalent award in Understanding Domestic Retrofit in line with the PAS 2035 standard. An award in Energy Efficiency and Retrofit of Non-Domestic Buildings in line with the PAS 2038 standard
- Work Package 4: Skills for professionals working on Non-Domestic Buildings: 4Warm Homes Skills Programme Guidance. Level 3 or 4 in Non-Domestic Energy Assessor skills leading to a recognised qualification aligned to PAS 2038.
Subject to successful delivery and confirmation of additional funding, the intention is to make available up to £9,283,000 in Phase 2 up to July 2027, as such applicants can submit indicative bids for Phase 2. The Department reserves the right not to proceed with Phase 2 and confirmation will be provided to successful applicants in due course.
The overall objective of the programme is to build competence and capacity in the retrofit supply chain by training and upskilling installers and retrofit professionals that can deliver energy efficiency installations through the Government’s energy efficiency schemes and in the wider market. The Competition also aims to:
- Support skills training in the installation of energy efficiency measures to the relevant PAS and MCS standards by increasing the number of competent installers and retrofit professionals.
- Provide trainees with a strong understanding of the routes into the retrofit sector and the opportunities within the Government’s energy efficiency schemes, this includes providing tailored support to unemployed people and those currently underrepresented in the construction sector.
- Increase the capacity of training providers in delivering high quality retrofit training by demonstrating the demand for such training and supporting them to set up new delivery of courses.
- Gather information about the specific supply chain and skills provision, to allow the Department to consider targeted support and other interventions in the future.
For full information visit the Government Notice on the Warm Homes Skills Programme here.
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