FIS is holding its Ceilings and Absorbers working group in person on 7 October. The location, timings and agenda will be posted here shortly.
If you would like to receive notification via email once the details are confirmed, please email hermioneneale@thefis.org
FIS is holding its Steel Framed Systems in person on 14 October. The location, timings and agenda will be posted here shortly.
If you would like to receive notification via email once the details are confirmed, please email hermioneneale@thefis.org
We are delighted to announce that Reverend Richard Coles – former pop star, vicar, broadcaster, and best-selling author, will be our guest speaker at the 2026 Awards Lunch. As one half of 1980s pop duo The Communards, he achieved three UK Top 10 hits including the No. 1 single Don’t Leave Me This Way, making him the only vicar to have topped the charts.
After leaving the music industry, Richard found faith, studied theology at King’s College London, and was ordained in 2005, serving as parish priest in Finedon until his retirement in 2022.
Richard is a familiar face on TV starring on programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity Masterchef and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, where he finished in third place.
Photo credit: Matt Crockett
FIS is holding its Ceilings and Absorbers working group online on 9 June. The timings and agenda will be posted here shortly.
If you would like to receive notification via email once the details are confirmed, please email hermioneneale@thefis.org
FIS is holding its Operable Walls working group in person on 13 May. The location, timings and agenda will be posted here shortly.
If you would like to receive notification via email once the details are confirmed, please email hermioneneale@thefis.org
FIS is holding its Ceilings and Absorbers working group in person on 15 April. The location, timings and agenda will be posted here shortly.
If you would like to receive notification via email once the details are confirmed, please email hermioneneale@thefis.org
This 90-Minute webinar brings together 4 organisations who have been involved in the demounting and reusing of some suspended metal ceiling tiles and luminaires from Rathbone Place to Broadgate Tower. The speakers will share their experiences and an overview of how the reusing of products into new building fits within their overall company’s strategies.
The FIS Project Reuse initiative has been running for the last 18 months. The aim of the scheme is to understand how to accelerate reuse in commercial buildings. This webinar is centred around a case study which took place within the remit of this initiative and involved the removal and packaging of suspended metal ceiling times from Rathbone Place to Broadgate Tower owned by British Land. Both buildings are based in central London.
In this webinar, you will hear from British Land and their drive to see more reuse in their buildings. After an intense period of data collection and analysis, they have set some ambitious targets for embodied carbon and reuse in their newly launched fitout sustainability brief. You will also hear from the architect and the contractor involved in the Broadgate Tower development and how they managed to integrate the reused tiles and luminaires into their new home. Importantly, you will also hear from Workplace Future group who are redeveloping Rathbone Place and played a key role in identifying, taking down and packaging the ceiling tiles and luminaires for their safe transportation to Broadgate Tower.
What will I learn?
This webinar will help you to understand:
This webinar is relevant to anyone in the construction industry interested in making reuse happen, from manufacturers, architects, contractors, demolition contractors, to clients and consultants.
Please arrive promptly and stay for the duration of the event.
To receive your CPD accreditation and for this to be tracked through your Supply Chain Sustainability School dashboard make sure your full name is reflected on your Zoom account when you join the session.
Please note, if you fail to meet the attendance requirements, unfortunately you will not be issued a CPD Certificate.
If you have any questions about this session, please contact webinar@supplychainschool.co.uk
This workshop introduces how SKA Rating can be used as a practical framework to transform your business. It shows how to deliver projects in a structured, consistent way that places environmental good practice at the heart of everything you do and how to demonstrate this progressive approach to your clients.
SKA Rating has been developed specifically to assess interior fit out and refurbishment projects against clear, evidence based good practice criteria. Created collaboratively with experts from across the sector and supported by FIS, SKA provides a robust method for measuring success not only through financial performance (profit), but also through the positive and negative impacts your work has on people and the planet.
The SKA Rating process is built on a freely available framework offering simple, practical, and cost effective measures to benchmark interior fit outs and refurbishments. Its core purpose is to simplify sustainability, encourage incremental improvements across the supply chain, and make responsible practice accessible to all.
This session will be led by renowned interior designer Elina Grigoriou, a powerhouse of inspiration and innovation in commercial interior design for over two decades and a leading light in the development of SKA Rating.
Duration: 1 hour
Qualifies towards your CPD
Join us at our Partitions and Pods working group at the Saint-Gobain Solutions Centre. We have a strong ongoing agenda of work by, and for, our members in the sector. Members will also have the opportunity to raise any of their own concerns or propose activities that will support improvement.
Agenda
On behalf of HM Government, The Department for Business and Trade is consulting on a suite of new measures designed to tackle Fair Payment. The proposed package of measures was launched by the Prime Minister, Kier Starmer on the 30th July with the following statement:
“From builders and electricians to freelance designers and manufacturers—too many hardworking people are being forced to spend precious hours chasing payments instead of doing what they do best – growing their businesses. It’s unfair, it’s exhausting, and it’s holding Britain back. So, our message is clear: it’s time to pay up.
Through our Small Business Plan, we’re not only tackling the scourge of late payments once and for all, but we’re giving small business owners the backing and stability they need for their business to thrive, driving growth across the country through our Plan for Change.”
The consultation proposes the following package of legislative measures:
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Policy |
Description |
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1. Audit committees and board-level scrutiny of large company payment practices |
In September 2024, the government reaffirmed commitments to legislate on audit committees and other board level responsibilities to improve payment practices. The government believes further positive change could be achieved by increasing discussion and scrutiny of large companies’ payment practices at board level. |
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2. Maximum payment terms |
The policy will amend The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, removing the exemption that allows businesses to agree to payment terms longer than 60 days if considered not ‘grossly unfair’. This will effectively limit payment terms between UK businesses to 60 days. Subject to further consultation, this policy may subsequently reduce this limit from 60 days to 45 days after 5 years. |
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3. A deadline for disputing invoices |
The policy will amend The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, introducing a 30-day invoice verification period. Businesses who wish to raise a dispute will need to do so within 30 days of receiving an invoice, otherwise they will be liable to pay the invoice in full within the agreed payment terms, alongside any statutory interest or debt recovery costs if the invoice is paid late. |
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4. Mandatory statutory interest |
The policy will amend The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, making the statutory interest rate payable on late payments mandatory. This will remove the ability to negotiate compensation rates lower than the statutory rate. This will increase existing financial incentives to pay invoices on time. |
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5. Additional reporting on statutory interest |
The policy will amend The Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017 to include additional reporting requirements around statutory interest liabilities. This will further increase transparency around poor B2B payment behaviour and informs other policies that aim to improve the utilisation and payment of statutory interest. |
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6. Financial penalties for persistent late payers |
The policy will introduce new legislation, which gives the SBC powers to issue financial to businesses who persistently pay their suppliers late. The policy will use payment behaviour data submitted by businesses under The Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations (2017) to identify and issue financial penalties to persistently late-paying businesses, with penalties based on businesses’ unpaid statutory interest liability. |
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7. Additional powers for the SBC, including assurance of payment reporting data |
The policy will amend The Enterprise Act 2016 to give additional powers to the SBC. The additional powers would improve the SBC’s ability to conduct investigations into poor B2B payment behaviour (beyond its current complaints scheme), allow it to provide legally binding arbitration in disputes, and impose financial penalties or make arbitration awards after an investigation or arbitration process. The policy will also enable the SBC to investigate the accuracy of the payment reporting data that large businesses provide under The Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017. This will improve the quality of reporting data and support the reporting regulations original objectives of improving transparency around B2B payment behaviour. |
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8. Use of retention clauses in construction contracts |
The policy will amend Part 2 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act (1996), to either prohibit the use of retentions or to introduce requirements to protect retention funds deducted and withheld from insolvency and late or non-payment. |
This webinar is an opportunity to hear directly from representatives of the Department of Business and Trade on the proposed measures, how they will be introduced and raise any questions as part of their information gathering ahead of the consultation closing on the 23rd October.
This package of measures has significant potential to improve culture for SMEs in the construction supply chain. We encourage members to join this event, which will be Chaired by FIS CEO Iain McIlwee, get a clear picture and start to feed your views in to the consultation process.
The FIS Scottish Awards Lunch is the finishes and interiors sector’s annual event to recognise and celebrate the outstanding projects completed by FIS members in Scotland. The event will see the winners of the 2025 Scottish Awards announced and presented, the lunch also provides a great networking opportunity for like-minded individuals to come together.
Guest speaker: John Rowbotham
FIFA referee and Scottish International referee
Our guest speaker and awards host is referee John Rowbotham.
John was appointed to referee the 2005 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Dundee United. He said the feeling he had when appointed resulted in him speaking to spacemen for days!
He was a Class 1 referee for 12 years and international referee for 5 years. He has refereed 50 games internationally at different levels including 4 World Cup Qualifiers in Russia, Cyprus, Lichtenstein and Switzerland. He also covered Champions League and UEFA Cup games involving, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Inter Milan.
Occasionally mistaken for Pierreluigi Collina the famous Italian “but not as good a referee ” as the Scottish baldy. John is instantly recognisable for his 6’3” frame and also his shaved head. John was a favourite with both home and away fans.
We have event and award sponsorship opportunities available, placing your company name in front of more than 180 individuals from the sector.
FIS is holding our second drylining working group of 2025 at The Instutute of Structural Engineers. We are looking to update on quite a few actions from the meeting in March relating to health & safety, competency and the design development process before discussing a suite of legacy issues in light of recently collected survey data. Members will have a chance to raise any of your own concerns or propose activities that will support improvement and help members.
Agenda:
If you are a non-member and interested in attending, please email info@thefis.org – a limited number of non-member places will be available on request.
To hear from the FIS team and guest speakers who will be discussing sector-specific topics, including:
Health and Safety Consultant, Veritas Consulting
FIS Head of Skills
Deputy Mayor at West Midlands Combined Authority | Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy & Skills at Birmingham City Council
Hear from the FIS team and guest speakers who will be discussing sector-specific topics, including:
FIS member Betan will also be introducing its new innovation B-Test (stress testing for drywall)
Liam has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. He started his career in the sector on the tools as a Plasterer and has worked across the industry in all parts of the supply chain initially for a Contractor, then later a manufacturer and most recently Distributor where he was a Business Development Director. In summer 2024 Liam stepped away from the corporate world to work for himself. Cover3 Projects ltd provides technical sales support, testing support and plastering services.
He has a passion for mental health and its impact on those affected with a specific interest in mental health within the construction industry. He is involved with a number of charities in this sector sharing his lived experience to raise awareness.
Saible
FIS
FIS
FIS is holding its Steel Framed Systems working group in person on 23 April. The location, timings and agenda will be posted here shortly.
If you would like to receive notification via email once the details are confirmed, please email hermioneneale@thefis.org
500 Words
To support its members, FIS has produced a simple sub-contract built on the 500 words principle. This work very much aligns to our Responsible No Campaign and our wider work on improving contractual practice and procurement in the sector.
The sub-contract has been developed by Sarah Fox, a renowned, and self-proclaimed recovering lawyer through consultation with FIS members. At the heart of Sarah’s work is a simple idea – simplification works. When you streamline deals and clarify terms you’ll save time, improve relationships, and avoid conflict. And this contract is designed to support this idea. Members can download the contract for free, here.
This webinar will provide more information on the contract and how this can be used to help simplify the contractual process.
If you want a bit more background on the 500 Words Principles, Sarah’s website is here 500 Words and she did a cracking Podcast here.
You are invited to join us on 17 July for our first Fit-Out Futures networking event to socialise with like-minded people in the finishes and interiors sector.
This event is especially aimed at early-career professionals looking to grow their network, build confidence, and meet others at a similar stage in their journey. Whether you’re an apprentice, graduate, or just finding your feet in the industry, we’d love to meet you and your colleagues!
Alternatively, if you have a colleague or team member who would benefit from meeting peers and building connections, please spread the word and share this invitation with them.
We’ll be kicking off what we hope will be the first of many friendly, informal events to support personal and professional development, discuss STEM and youth activities, and share a drink and a laugh with new colleagues and friends.
Bring your business cards and your drink of choice. The dress code is business-casual, whatever you’re comfortable in.
If you have any questions or queries, please email FitOutFuturesGroup@thefis.org
Agenda
Cost:
FIS members: £120 + VAT per delegate
Non-members: £200 + VAT
Environmental Metrics and Training Manager at Recolight
FIS and Recolight have partnered to support their members in creating an environmental product declaration (EPD). In this webinar you will hear from two experts who will explain
