Page 19 – FIS

The FIS Acoustic Verification Scheme is expanding

by Iain McIlwee | 28 Jul, 2025 | Technical

Growing concerns and legal challenges around acoustic performance claims led FIS in 2018 to take positive action and launch an acoustic verification scheme that covered glazed and demountable partitions and acoustic walls. The scheme reviews test data through a third-party verification process (carried out by independent acoustic engineers), performs a series of checks to verify information is accurate and genuine against marketing claims.

Verified Products can be marketed with the FIS Acoustic Verified Certificate and listed as Acoustic Verified on NBS to provide reassurance to specifiers and users. FIS members are poised to add a number of new product lines to the scheme and, as the verification cost is based on batch pricing, FIS is opening up the next round of verifications to all members to ensure that we can offer best value in bringing products into the scheme.

The scheme, developed through the relevant FIS Working Groups, established standard methodology for how tests should be conducted and reported. This means products can be effectively compared and the potential for inaccurate or misleading information from undermining project integrity and responsible manufacturers is limited. In 2024, for similar reasons, the scheme was extended to cover the validation of claims for acoustic pods. Larger meeting room pods are marketed as flexible solutions to provide acoustic privacy. However, ISO 23351-1:2020 states that the pod should not occupy more than 5% of the volume of reverberation test chamber. For most test chambers, this limits the maximum pod size to 11m³, leaving this emerging sector to use inconsistent parameters when making marketing claims.

The classification certificates will indicate to an acoustician that there is deep, verified data behind the classification allowing the acoustician to have a reliable dataset to use within their assessments.

If you are interested in bringing your products into the scheme or adding to your range of already verified products, please email info@thefis.org and we’ll get details of next steps out to you. Any questions call the FIS on 0121 707 0077.

For more details on how you can specify with confidence with the FIS Acoustic Verification Scheme, click here.

UK construction growth but risks intensify

by Clair Mooney | 28 Jul, 2025 | Main News Feed, Market data

The Construction Products Association’s Summer Forecasts, published today, show that the key drivers of cautious growth in UK construction remain similar to three months ago but the economic risks and uncertainties have risen considerably. Total construction output is forecast to rise by 1.9% in 2025 and 3.7% in 2026, matching projections from Spring.

The growth in construction activity in 2025 and 2026 is forecast to be driven by the three largest sectors of construction: private housing new build, private housing repair, maintenance and improvement (rm&i) and infrastructure. Nevertheless, these sectors remain vulnerable to delays in starting new projects in the near-term, homeowner and consumer confidence to spend, and risks around the government increasingly looking as though it will need to raise taxes once again, potentially cut back on its capital expenditure plans, or both.

Private housing output is forecast to rise by 4.0% in 2025 and 7.0% in 2026. Fortunes for firms in house building will depend heavily on which part of the sector they are operating in. Major house builders continue to see a gradual recovery in completions, from a low base. Smaller house builders have seen an improvement in demand, but site viability remains challenging, given the numerous costs that the government continues to add to house builders. Build-to-Rent and high-rise continue to be affected by 6-9 month delays at the Building Safety Regulator, which are not expected to be resolved during the forecast period. Whilst government’s focus on supply side measures such as the National Planning Policy Framework, and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill may benefit towards the end of the forecast period and beyond, the demand side will be the key driver of activity in the near-term, balancing further interest rate cuts and improving confidence with continuing constraints around affordability.

In private housing rm&i, activity continues to be supported by government-subsidised energy-efficiency programmes, predominantly for heat pumps and solar photovoltaics, as well as a stream of fire safety remediation work. Outside of this, general home improvement activity remains subdued because although many homeowners currently have spare funds available for general home improvements, they are choosing to save rather than spend due to the scarring effect of the inflation spikes in 2022 and 2023 and current economic uncertainty. The key to growth in the sector overall will be when these homeowners with finance feel confident enough to spend on home improvement projects. This is still expected to be in late 2025 but it may be pushed back into 2026, especially if there are tax rises in the Autumn. Overall, private housing rm&i output is expected to rise by 2.0% in 2025, with any growth at the backend of the year, followed by 3.0% growth in 2026.

Infrastructure activity continues to remain strong on major projects such as Hinkley Point C and HS2, with water & sewerage as well as energy generation and distribution also set to become key drivers of growth next year. Large announcements of capital expenditure, the government’s recent ten-year Infrastructure Strategy and the Infrastructure Pipeline also show potential for the long-term. However, constant pauses, delays and cancellations to road and rail projects, the most recent of which were at the start of the month, as well as questions over the level of funding in the next National Highways settlement highlight major risks to infrastructure delivery. Overall, infrastructure output is expected to rise by 1.9% in 2025 and 4.4% in 2026.

Commenting on the Spring Forecasts, CPA Head of Construction Research, Rebecca Larkin, said:

“The key fundamentals for the construction industry remain largely unchanged. Although everything continues to point towards the gradual growth in construction activity gathering pace over the rest of this year and in 2026, the only thing that has changed is the uncertainty.

“The forecasts envisage demand and activity gradually picking up in the two largest construction sectors but with all the different uncertainties around the economy, the key question for housing new build and rm&i is still when – when will mortgage rates fall to allow for more homebuyers, when will existing homeowners feel confident enough to spend on larger home improvements, and when will delays at the BSR ease to allow house builders and developers to start more high-rise projects.

“The government’s focus on capital investment in the Spending Review, plus the ten-year infrastructure strategy and infrastructure pipeline have helped to plot a path a path to long-term growth, but it is looking increasingly likely that the Chancellor will need to either raise taxes or cut capital expenditure – or do both – in the Autumn Budget. This would directly affect the largest private construction sectors, such as private housing new build and rm&i, as well as the largest public construction sectors, including schools, hospitals, and infrastructure, depending on where the capital expenditure cuts may fall.”

Download the CPA Construction Industry Forecasts (Summer 2025) here

Guidance on Building Control Approval Applications for a new Higher-Risk Building (Gateway 2)

by Oscar Venus | 25 Jul, 2025 | Main News Feed

The Construction Leadership Council has published a suite of guidance on Building Control Approval Applications for a new Higher-Risk Building (Gateway 2).

This guidance has been produced by the CLC, industry stakeholders and the Building Safety Regulator. It provides the baseline principles to guide those involved in submitting and assessing applications and includes practical recommendations on the approach and submission of relevant information.

Read the full CLC press notice here.

Read the CLC guidance here.

Further guidance is also available on the CLC website here.

Fighting your corner…FIS advocacy and Representation

by Oscar Venus | 25 Jul, 2025 | Main News Feed

One of the 7 core objectives of FIS is to provide:

A voice to lead positive change and champion the sector and membership.

This is something we are doing all the time as we work directly talking to civil servants and politicians. Below is a snapshot of what this looks like over the past couple of months.

On better working and culture, in the last few weeks, we have:

Met with Lord Aberdare, Baroness Anderson and colleagues from the Cabinet Office to talk about the effective implementation of project bank accounts on Public Sector Works. We also met this week with a representative of Australian Government to understand the difference between our respective legislative approaches.
Supported the Construction Leadership Council’s Working Group on improving insurance Provision
Responded to the Department for Business consultation on better support for Small Businesses and Start-ups. The key recommendations in our response have been discussed with David Robertson MP and his team (David has been a strong advocate for SMEs in construction).
Continued to support the Conflict Avoidance Coalition via their steering Group and published a white paper through the Coalition based on a Round Table that we organised with representatives from our community and the wider construction sector on Rethinking Contracts. An initial output from recommendations from this Round Table were the simplified contracts FIS published in July.
FIS continues to support the Wales Industry Stakeholders Group and Construction Industry Collective Voice in Scotland to feed in on devolved matters.
The FIS Responsible No Campaign has been extended to cover over-zealous inspections in our Shine a Light Campaign.

On Compliance and Regulation, we have:

Represented specialist contractors and their supply chain at a Building Safety Regulator focus group led by Build UK. The focus of discussion was Gateway 3 and how we limit friction at that stage of higher risk building applications.
Attended a number of online and face to face meetings with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government organised by the Construction Products Regulation looking primarily at the impact of changes to the Building Regulation with respect to the adoption of European Standards and classification and how assessments will work.
We also met separately with the Construction Products Regulator to discuss our recent response to the White Paper.
FIS has been working closely with NHBC on new training to support compliance on house building sites that is due for roll-out in the Autumn.
FIS also met with representatives of the Home Builders Federation H&S Working Group to discuss a more joined up approach to improving safety associated on site (particularly manual handling and dust related matters).
FIS continues to support the cross-industry technical forum Passive Fire Knowledge Group (that have recently published Knowledge Share 8 – Structural Steelwork Interfaces and Knowledge Share 9 – Use of Tested Or Certified Penetration Seal Details For Fire Stopping Of MEP Services.

On Skills and Training:

FIS have been attend weekly meetings with the Department for Education and Skills and Skills England, helping to support the new Construction Skills Mission Board. Our detailed submission to the call for evidence from the Board (which met for the first time in July) is available here. This response was developed in consultation with the FIS Skills Board.
FIS met with Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Hon Baroness Smith in a RoundTable set up by CITB and NHBC to bring together senior leaders from across the house-building industry to discuss the skills challenges facing the industry and share insight with the Minister.
FIS is Chairing a Working Group reporting to the Building Safety Regulator’s Industry Competence Committee (ICC) writing, improving and supporting the implementation of competency standards for trade workers in the “Interiors Sector”. We are also reviewing a new standard for Occupational Work Supervisors.
FIS has been invited to join a cross-industry Task and Finish Group (through the ICC) looking at definitions and requirements for Organisational Capability requirements set down in the Building Regulators.
FIS are next week attending the CITB Board meeting to discuss concerns that led to FIS voting “No” to the Levy Proposals. To try and support better flow of levy to employers, FIS has agreed and to co-chair the development of a new Sector Plan for Commercial, Industrial, High-rise Residential and Public Sector Buildings (and provide oversight for a c£3m investment in skills in the sector).

On Sustainability:

As an active member of the Green Construction Board feeding in directly on policy and collaborative action.
FIS contributed to British Land fit-out strategy consultation. British Land presented the Strategy to members at the last Sustainability Leadership Group meeting
FIS have been working closely with the Department for the Environment Circular Economy Task Force (who attended the recent FIS Sustainability Leadership Group meeting to advise on progress and plans. FIS Project Re-use has gained a lot of interest as an industry led initiative looking to catalyse change.
FIS met with Department for Environment Sustainability and Net Zero to discuss skills need for retrofit and sustainable refurbishment.
FIS continue to support the City of London Corporation’s Skills for a Sustainable Skyline as a Strategy Board Member. Through this project the City of London Corporation have done a significant amount of research and structured engagement across the sector and have now launched a dedicated Skills and Employment hub for London. They are now working directly with the London Boroughs and employers in the Capital to look at more effective management of Section 106 Social Value Interventions.

FIS have also been working closely with the New Hospitals Programme (NHP), attending a Round Table at the Department of Health looking at the readiness to deliver the 40 new hospital buildings required by 2030. All of the above topics have come up! Follow-up meetings have focussed on how to better integrate innovation in the process through better collaboration with the supply chain. Representatives of NHP will be attending upcoming FIS Working Group meetings in 2025.

When you talk to FIS, we listen and try to reflect your views effectively to the right people so that we are building a better future together.

For more on FIS Campaigns, visit the FIS Campaigns Hub here.

Growth returns for the second quarter of 2025

by Clair Mooney | 23 Jul, 2025 | Market data

Growth returned in the Construction Products Association State of Trade Survey for the second quarter of 2025, with 53% of heavy side product manufacturers and one-third of those on the light side reporting an increase in sales, on balance. This follows the fall in heavy side sales that was reported in Q1 and the latest results echo trading statements from house builders of a tentative pick-up in new starts (reliant on heavy side products), alongside a continuation of offices and commercial refurbishment and work under various government-funded energy-efficiency improvement schemes (that are dominated by light side products). Demand for heavy side products has remained weak for longer than expected over the last 12-18 months, as project starts have been held back by subdued homebuyer, consumer and investor confidence, slow economic growth and lingering uncertainty over geopolitical developments regarding tariffs, the Middle East and oil prices.

House of Lords call for evidence on the Building Safety Regulator

by Clair Mooney | 21 Jul, 2025 | Building Safety Act

Following concerns raised by Industry that delays in approvals by the BSR have slowed down the delivery of new buildings and homes, the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee, chaired by Baroness Taylor of Bolton, has launched an inquiry into building safety regulation, with a particular focus on the work of the Building Safety Regulator, which was established following the Building Safety Act 2022.

The Committee invites interested individuals and organisations to submit evidence here by 31 August 2025.

New legislation to improve building safety in Wales

by Clair Mooney | 21 Jul, 2025 | Building Safety Act

Safety, accountability, and residents’ voices were the three key principles of a landmark building safety Bill that was laid before the Senedd earlier this month, according to Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant.

The Building Safety (Wales) Bill forms part of a wider programme of reforms aimed at improving safety in these buildings, and is part of the Welsh Government’s broader response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy which seeks to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again, and includes:

A programme of work aimed at addressing fire safety issues in multi-occupied residential buildings of 11m and above;
Significant reforms to the building control system;
Introducing new regulations for high-risk buildings;
Clearer responsibilities for duty holders;
Mandatory registration and regulation of building control professionals.

The Bill will require building safety risks to be assessed and managed while buildings are in occupation, for the benefit of residents and others, with a robust enforcement regime to back that up. Fire safety duties will also apply to certain Houses in Multiple Occupation.

The legislation will also create clear lines of accountability for duty holders. These duty holders will have legal responsibility for assessing and managing building safety, ending confusion over who is responsible for the safety of residents and others.

Additionally, the Bill will see residents in all regulated buildings provided with greater reassurances about the safety of their homes and clear routes for redress to raise building safety complaints. While also placing responsibilities on residents to play their part in keeping their building safe.

Cabinet Secretary Jayne Bryant said:

This landmark Bill will fundamentally transform safety in multi-occupied residential buildings across Wales.

Its key principles are safety, accountability and residents’ voices, and it goes wider and further than existing legislation in other parts of the UK.

It creates clear legal responsibilities for owners and others, gives residents new rights and pathways to raise complaints, enables standards for professional assessments, and provides robust enforcement powers when safety requirements aren’t met.

Because the safety and wellbeing of people in their homes must always be our priority.

This Bill is part of a wider programme to ensure that buildings in Wales are safer, and that people are protected in their homes.

The legacy of Grenfell Tower must be meaningful change. We owe it to those who lost their lives, their families, and the survivors to ensure that such a tragedy can never happen again.

There are several differences between this and the UK Building Safety Act 2022. The Welsh bill:

Applies to all multi-occupied residential buildings with two or more units regardless of height whereas the UK Act primarily applies to higher-risk buildings over 18m or seven storeys
Expands the definition of higher-risk buildings to include hospitals, care homes and children’s homes while the UK Act focuses solely on residential buildings
In Wales, local authorities will regulate the occupation phase with the HS&E overseeing registration. In England, the HSE Building Safety Regulator oversees both construction and occupational phases.

For more information on the Welsh Bill click here.

Fit-Out Futures: First Social Event Brings Together the Next Generation of Talent

by Oscar Venus | 18 Jul, 2025 | Main News Feed

Yesterday, FIS hosted its first ever Fit-Out Futures social event at OD Group HQ in London, an inspiring evening designed to connect young professionals in the Finishes and Interiors Sector, nurture new networks, and support the future talent that will drive our industry forward.

The event, developed by the Fit-Out Futures Group committee, brought together early-career professionals for an informal opportunity to meet peers, share experiences, and build relationships within the sector.

FIS CEO, Iain McIlwee, joined the event and delivered a short speech, underlining the importance of initiatives like Fit-Out Futures and the critical need to engage the next generation of talent early, both with FIS and with one another, to help shape the future of our sector.

This was the first in a planned series of social events for Fit-Out Futures, so keep an eye out for details of the next one!

FIS Fit-Out Futures Committee

If you’d like to learn more about the Fit-Out Futures group, get involved, or even explore joining the committee, visit our Fit-Out Futures page for more information.

FIS Working Groups

Find out how you can get involved with FIS through our working groups

Click here

CITB Employer Networks – Making Training and Funding Easier for Employers

by Oscar Venus | 17 Jul, 2025 | Skills

FIS is pleased to highlight the CITB Employer Networks, a funded initiative designed to make it simpler for construction employers to access the training and support they need, now and for the future.

What are Employer Networks?

Employer Networks bring local employers together to identify training needs, shape funding priorities, and ensure effective delivery. Funded by CITB, they take the headache out of applying for support, with no paperwork required from employers, the Networks handle it all.

Why get involved?

Simplified access to training & funding – whether it’s trade skills, net zero, digital skills, or mentoring.
Local empowerment – employers directly inform CITB of their real-world training needs.
Future-focused – helping close skills gaps in emerging and critical areas.

Proven Results

Since its pilot in July 2022, the Employer Networks initiative has already supported more employers to access training and receive meaningful support.

If you’d like to learn more about how the CITB Employer Networks can help your business, contact Marie Flinter at: marieflinter@thefis.org

More on skills

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