Innovation in construction doesn’t just come from ideas. It comes from the people and businesses willing to take risks to bring those ideas to life.

For startups and small manufacturers, developing a new product can mean navigating significant uncertainty. There’s the financial risk of investment, the technical challenge of proving performance, and the commercial reality of gaining trust in a highly regulated, risk-averse industry.

At the same time, those specifying and using new products face their own risks. Placing confidence in solutions that must perform safely, reliably, and sustainably over the long term.

Recognising these shared challenges, the British Board of Agrément (BBA), has launched the inaugural BBA Sustainable Innovator Award, an initiative designed not just to recognise innovative products, but to actively support the innovators behind them.

Backing the People Driving Sustainable Change

The award reflects a simple but important truth: behind every innovative product is a business taking a risk to do things differently.

For startups and smaller manufacturers in particular, breaking into the market can be difficult, even with strong, sustainability-led solutions. Without independent validation, gaining specification and building credibility can be a major barrier to growth.

The Sustainable Innovator Award has been created to help address this challenge, by giving innovators access to trusted, independent assessment and a clear pathway towards certification.

As Hardy Giesler, CEO of the BBA, explains:

“This award has been launched to support manufacturers who are addressing sustainability challenges in a practical, evidence-led way. Innovation is fundamental to why the BBA was founded, and that continues to come through in the products we assess today.”

Reducing Risk, Enabling Progress

At its core, the award is about reducing risk, both for innovators and for the wider industry.

For manufacturers, it helps de-risk the process of bringing a new product to market by supporting them in demonstrating performance, reliability, and compliance.

For specifiers, contractors, and clients, it provides confidence that new solutions have been rigorously assessed, making it easier to adopt innovative products without uncertainty.

From Innovation to Industry Confidence

Unlike many awards that focus on early-stage concepts, the Sustainable Innovator Award is open to products already in production, where real-world application, performance, and adoption are key.

The winning entry will receive access to a full BBA Agrément Certificate assessment, or HAPAS certification for civil engineering products. This includes scoping, Certification, and the first three-year cycle of Certificate maintenance, with a total value of approximately £50,000.

More than a prize, this represents a significant step forward for the winning business, helping them move from innovation into trusted, specified solutions within the built environment.

A Platform for Growth-Ready Innovators

Importantly, the award is specifically designed for growth-ready manufacturers, with a focus on:

• Startups
• Small and emerging businesses

Entrants must be the original developers of their products and supply solutions for use in the built environment.

This focus reflects the BBA’s wider role in the industry, not just as an assessor of products, but as a partner in supporting innovation, helping new entrants overcome barriers and bring credible solutions to market.

As Hardy Giesler adds:

“Independent assessment has always been central to the BBA’s role, helping to resolve uncertainty before products enter the market. Through this award, we are looking to engage with manufacturers at an earlier stage, supporting innovators as they grow and accelerating the adoption of well-evidenced, sustainable solutions.”

Key Dates

• Entries open: 18 May 2026
• Entries close: 28 August 2026
• Winner announced: November 2026