A strategic partnership to provide members with increased energy efficiency and Net Zero expertise.
SFHA has formed a strategic partnership with Changeworks and Warmworks to provide its members with increased expertise and support on improving energy efficiency, moving towards Net Zero and tackling fuel poverty.
The partnership will involve joint working and lobbying on areas of shared interest as well as opportunities and support for SFHA members, including a quarterly forum that focuses on energy-related issues.
Changeworks is Scotland’s leading environmental charity delivering solutions for low-carbon living, a trusted expert with over 35 years of experience.
Changeworks works with partners to develop and deliver high-impact solutions to accelerate the decarbonisation of Scotland’s homes. Changeworks works with housing associations, local authorities and others to improve energy efficiency of homes, reduce fuel poverty, and inspire low-carbon behaviours.
Changeworks has the expertise to provide practical solutions to help meet Net Zero targets and ensure tenants are affordably warm. Changeworks offers end-to-end support across all key stages: analysis of housing stock data, help to access available funding, comprehensive project management of installs, monitoring and evaluation expertise, and delivery of energy advice, led by the latest behaviour change science, to support tenants to tackle fuel poverty.
Changeworks is Scotland’s leading environmental charity delivering solutions for low-carbon living, a trusted expert with over 35 years of experience.
A strategic partnership to provide members with increased energy efficiency expertise
SFHA has formed a strategic partnership with Changeworks and Warmworks to provide its members with increased expertise and support on improving energy efficiency and tackling fuel poverty.
The partnership will involve joint working and lobbying on areas of shared interest as well as new opportunities for SFHA members, including a quarterly forum that focuses on energy-related issues.
Warmworks, formed in 2015, is a joint venture partnership between Energy Saving Trust, Changeworks and Everwarm.
Warmworks is committed to promoting affordable warmth, increasing the energy efficiency of the homes and communities in which it works and consistently delivering a first-class service to the households and families that it supports.
Warmworks has already helped more than 27,000 homes across Scotland to become warmer, healthier and more energy-efficient. Its focus now is to play its part in the long-term drive to reduce carbon emissions and increase the availability of accessible, sustainable energy in a fair and responsible way.
Through its joint partnership with SFHA, recently renewed for a further three years, Warmworks intends to build upon a positive first year of engagement with members. They also aim to do this by continuing to offer ad-hoc support and attending SFHA’s quarterly Energy and Net Zero Forum, listening to members’ concerns and offering its technical expertise and learning from on-the-ground programme delivery.
Warmworks’ role in the partnership is led by Laura Fordyce, Business Development Manager, who has over seven years’ experience of working across the housing sector, most recently at the Chartered Institute of Housing. Laura’s role is focussed on working with housing associations to develop energy efficiency projects and is well-positioned to support SFHA Members with preparing winning funding applications, identifying routes to decarbonising their housing stock and addressing fuel poverty.
The video below profiles Hazel Farquhar, who lives in the Kirkbank Estate in Auchmitie in Angus, who has received heating and energy efficiency support through Warmworks' renewable heat project with Angus Housing Association. In the video, she speaks about the positive impact of the work on her and her home.
Full details about the project itself are available on Warmworks' website: Renewable heat project with Angus Housing Association • Warmworks • Bringing warmth to homes and communities.
Warmworks is committed to promoting affordable warmth, increasing the energy efficiency of the homes and communities in which it works and consistently delivering a first-class service to the households and families that it supports.
Formed in 2016, we have established ourselves as the leading procurement solutions provider in Scotland for the construction, maintenance and refurbishment of social housing and public buildings. Underpinned by over 55 years of technical procurement experience, through our parent organisation, LHC Group, one of the UK's most respected public sector procurement organisations.
Supporting our partners is at the forefront of the unique service we offer. Our aim is to simplify the procurement process by offering a quick and easy, compliant route to market. Our partners benefit from free professional guidance, support, and training. Unlike other providers there are no hidden charges, we don’t charge for the added value services we offer. We provide bespoke, localised support at every step of your procurement and project journey.
The level of support we offer varies case by case and is tailored to meet the needs of each individual partner and their project-specific requirements. Our team is formed of experienced procurement specialists led by our CIPS fellow Lesley Anderson. Our technical support team can offer you guidance at every step of your project journey, offering feedback on specifications, and price validations as well as attending pre-start and progress meetings. This support is further strengthened by our Client Support Managers who are there to support our partners with any questions about the products or services we offer ensuring they receive the highest level of service throughout the process.
Additionally, we offer a Call Off Service, designed to help our Partners procure smaller projects, freeing up some of their time and giving them an opportunity to focus on other key areas. Launched in December 2021, we’ve already helped our partners procure over £3.3 million in projects. The Call Off service has proven extremely popular and is available on selected frameworks.
Our Partners have full access to the Partnership Hub at our Livingston office, a dedicated space for holding meetings, workshops, training and events. The hub is bright, spacious and includes state of the art equipment and facilities with comfort and convenience being central to what the hub offers. Split into 4 main sections, at the heart is our largest meeting room, Jura, which can be configured to your requirements, it also has state-of-the-art presentation equipment and can comfortably accommodate up to 40 delegates. The room is flooded with natural daylight making it a very welcoming, comfortable, and inviting space.
When appointing suppliers to our frameworks we have specific selection criteria around the quality of work, competitive pricing, financial stability, supply chain, social value, community benefit and sustainability of each supplier. It’s imperative that all our suppliers bidding for our frameworks meet these conditions and continue to meet these factors throughout the lifecycle of our frameworks and individually in each of our projects. The rigorous selection process demonstrates our commitment to providing our partners with best-in-class suppliers and instils a greater level of confidence from the offset.
Becoming a partner of SPA is free, it’s quick and simple to register all you need to do is complete the form on our website. Our team will review the application and if all requirements are met membership will be granted. Being a partner of SPA has unrivalled privileges including access to a range of industry-leading frameworks, as a non-speculative framework provider, you will be able to have your say on the development of our frameworks, receive social value advisory support to identify opportunities in the infrastructure, take advantage of our Call Off & Added Value services, and gain access to our Partnership Hub. Utilising intelligent procurement solutions can offer more than just competitive pricing. SPA works with its partners and supply chain to promote the delivery of tangible benefits through all projects procured through SPA frameworks. This ensures that benefit is not only enjoyed by those directly involved but a positive impact is made on the wider community. The promotion of a positive social legacy is fundamental to everything we do at SPA.
Our Executive Board comprises a mixture of housing associations, local authorities and housing co-operatives all based in Scotland. Through our partnership with Lintel Trust, SPA and its Executive Committee members have overseen the delivery of over £1 million of community projects since 2016, directly benefitting Scottish housing communities.
We have worked closely with SFHA for several years and strengthened that relationship in 2018 by way of a strategic partnership. This has seen both organisations work together on a variety of projects including sponsoring organised events, facilitating workshops and best practice procurement. Collectively, this partnership has resulted in improved public value through a better understanding and implementation of Scottish procurement regulations. We’re exceptionally proud of how far our strategic partnership has grown with SFHA.
Lynsay Logan, Client Support Manager
lynsay@scottishprocurement.scot
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SPA bring buyers and suppliers together to build, refurbish and maintain social housing and public property more efficiently and cost effectively, and to benefit the local community.
We welcome all organisations that are interested in the Scottish Housing Sector. If you would like to meet and discuss in more detail, please contact our Business Development Manager, Craig McMillan by calling 07887 888 336 or emailing him directly.
