Retrofit Accelerator – supporting innovative SMEs in large-scale retrofit

Selected SMEs will: 

• Co-develop trial proposals with the Catapult and industry partners, paving the way for commercial pilots or scale-up investment. 

• Receive tailored business and technical support, including business model design, investor-readiness, and market validation. 

• Access specialist expertise in areas such as procurement, risk reduction, and project management using tools like our SHERPA service, which supports SMEs with regulatory hurdles. 

• Gain visibility and credibility through association with the Catapult’s Net Zero innovation ecosystem. 

• Have access to market customers and investors including support with tailoring propositions to target audiences 

• Potential testing and demonstration of your solutions with partners or through Energy Systems Catapult data platforms including:  

• • Living Lab: a national test environment that provides real-world data and customer insights. 

• • InSite: a national non-domestic data platform that combines real-world data with advanced modelling to support customer insights and proposition testing. 

We’re looking for SMEs that: 

• Have innovations at TRL 6+ that are mature enough to test and trial in a live environment 

• Able to respond to one of the partner challenges with a high-level proposal at application stage 

• You must have some indication of market traction e.g.  some revenue generating activity and/or investment (exceptions may be made for late stage MVPs with strong traction/pipeline) 

• You must be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) headquartered or with a registered presence in the UK or Europe.   

This support will have a value of £24,415, which will count as Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) and is part of your total £315,000 subsidy allowance for a three-year period.

Briefing webinar: 20 November 2025 at 10am – an opportunity to find out more about the programme offering, challenges, application process, scoring criteria, and the assessment process.   

Applications close: 5 December 2025 11:59pm. 

Interviews: 12th January 2026 Shortlisted applicants must be available to attend the online selection interview the week commencing.

Phase 1: January – February 2026

Applicants will receive support from Catapult experts in developing their trial proposals as specified by partners, to be reviewed and submitted to partner organisations by the end of February 2026. Please note that there is no guarantee that a trial will be funded. The trials will be funded at the discretion of the challenge owner partners.

Phase 2: February – June 2026 – Trial development and bespoke business support 

Each cohort member will co-design and receive a bespoke business support package, consisting of technical and commercial / market expertise e.g. investment readiness, investor introductions, customer introductions, business model, support from data teams, systems engineering, etc. This will be defined with each SME. 

SMEs will also be actively developing or progressing trial activities during this period, which may continue beyond programme end. We will endeavour to support these activities with technical input and impact and capture measurement, where possible/appropriate. 

The programme will culminate with a cohort and partner showcase event in late June 2026. 

The lack of available and reliable data makes it difficult to accurately measure and model retrofit interventions and build trust in the reported outcomes.

Retrofit outcomes are often based on modelled assumptions rather than accurate measurement, limiting the ability effectively plan, assess, finance and evaluate interventions.

This creates a credibility gap for lenders, insurers and policymakers, who need robust, real-world data to assess risk, value and impact.  In addition, the lack of performance-linked finance mechanisms slows down market growth and undermines trust.

Challenge statement

How can existing and new data sources be utilised to improve the delivery of retrofit interventions and support more effective planning, decision-making, measurement and evaluation?

We are looking for solutions that address areas such as:

• Using data to improve the design, planning and quality measurement of retrofit interventions
• Creating an overarching, scalable framework linking retrofit performance monitoring and outcomes to financial models, risk assessments and impact metrics
• Supporting lenders and insurers with financial decision-making, through the application of data-driven insights that more accurately and effectively model Return on Investment and risk profiling
• Evidencing improved social outcomes, for example, healthcare, social care, wellbeing and fuel poverty alleviation
• Evidencing improved environmental outcomes, for example, carbon reduction and energy savings
• Improved monitoring of the home environment, for example, temperature, humidity, energy cost, occupant behaviour, energy use and carbon monitoring
• Increased accuracy in the measurement of building performance to create validated baselines upon which the outcomes from retrofit interventions can be measured and assessed
• Creating data-driven insights to support the development of government policy towards accelerating the growth of the UK’s retrofit market

We are open to receiving applications outside of the areas listed above – please consider how closely your proposed solution aligns with the scope of the data-led retrofit challenge.

The lack of optimised systems to support effective construction and building management places pressure on organisations to deliver against their contractual terms.

This lack of optimisation leads to lost working time, additional overhead to manage contracts, suppliers and logistics, and often results in the need to deliver work outside of the initial project budget and scope.

This creates a financial burden for construction and building management companies, placing a downward pressure on profit margins and the risk of reputational damage.

Please note, residential buildings are not included in the scope of this challenge.

Challenge statement

How can technology and data be utilised to improve and optimise existing construction and building management processes?

We are looking for solutions that address areas such as:

• Improving the identification of faults within buildings, providing additional/ new insights to support remedial decision-making, with a focus on moving towards automation of fixes
• Identifying improvements in the efficient use of resources within a building, for example, energy optimisation, lighting management and water usage
• Improving contract performance management and delivering more accurate data and insights to evidence effective contract delivery
• Increasing the speed and efficiency of mapping the external and internal characteristics of a building. This can also extend to identifying opportunities or solutions to optimise the running and management of the building
• Creating a more integrated approach to the management of, and interactions with, contractors and the supply chain involved in delivering a construction project
• Reducing the level of manual tasks undertaken by staff in the management and reporting of a construction project and site
• Improving the adoption, application and use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) by staff onsite during the construction process

We are open to receiving applications outside of the areas listed above – please consider how closely your proposed solution aligns with the scope of the technology-driven optimisation retrofit challenge.

The lack of available systems to support effective monitoring and management of buildings in the UK results in building owners and homeowners being unable to benefit from reduced energy bills, energy usage and carbon emissions.

In addition, there are insufficient tools available to help consumers understand the range of retrofit interventions and identify which solutions best meet their energy needs.

These create missed opportunities for building owners, homeowners and energy providers to meet government, organisational and individual net zero targets, whilst also delivering energy cost savings.

Challenge statement

How can new and existing systems be deployed within buildings to improve and optimise their management and energy use?

We are looking for solutions that address areas such as:

• Improving the ability to monitor and report on the energy use within a building, for example, energy source, energy cost and time of use
• Improving the integration of individual building management solutions (software and hardware) to create a more joined-up view of how a building is performing
• Increasing the adoption and use of flexible energy markets by streamlining customer experience/ adoption and improving integration across the supply chain
• Improving the automation of control systems to reduce manual intervention and increase energy efficiency
• Improving the integration, compatibility and deployment of renewable energy sources within the building environment
• Increasing consumer awareness around the benefits of adopting building management systems to accelerate market adoption
• Modelling and demonstrating the energy and cost savings that can be achieved across a range of retrofit interventions, to help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions

We are open to receiving applications outside of the areas listed above – please consider how closely your proposed solution aligns with the scope of the whole-building systems management retrofit challenge.

The lack of effective methods to inform consumers of their retrofit choices, coupled with low consumer trust in the products and services available, constrains the pace of retrofit delivery.

This lack of consumer knowledge and trust results in building owners being unable to benefit from lower energy cost and consumption.  It limits opportunities for commercial businesses and prevents public sector organisations achieving local and national net zero targets.

Challenge statement

How can technology or solutions be used to better inform customers of their retrofit choices and build trust and confidence in the products and services they purchase?

We are looking for solutions that address areas such as:

• Increasing the availability of advice, knowledge and guidance to help consumers make more informed retrofit choices
• Increasing consumer knowledge and trust in the range of retrofit products and services available on the market, including where their application is most appropriate
• Managing capacity and complexity across the retrofit supply chain to ensure that consumers receive a consistent, seamless and high-quality experience
• Increasing the availability, application and use of data within the design and commissioning processes to improve quality standards
• Improving the audit process to provide consumers with validated evidence as to how their retrofit intervention is performing

We are open to receiving applications outside of the areas listed above – please consider how closely your proposed solution aligns with the scope of the consumer-driven retrofit challenge.