About the NHBC Foundation

 

Nick Raynsford MP Chairman of NHBC

The NHBC Foundation was established in 2006 by NHBC in partnership with the BRE Trust. Its purpose is to deliver high-quality research and practical guidance to help the industry meet its considerable challenges.

Since its inception, the NHBC Foundation’s work has focused primarily onExperts from government, innovation, social housing, house-building and academia meet on a quarterly basis to discuss how best to focus the NHBC Foundation’s resources to support the industry and policy makers on housing issues. Further details on the Advisory Board can be found here. the sustainability agenda and the challenges of the government’s 2016 zero carbon homes target. Research has included a review of microgeneration and renewable energy techniques and the groundbreaking research on zero carbon and what it means to homeowners and housebuilders.

The NHBC Foundation is involved in a programme of positive engagement with government, development agencies, academics and key stakeholders, focusing on current and pressing issues relevant to the industry.

To view more on the NHBC Foundation's work and achievements, please click here.

The Rt. Hon. Nick Raynsford MP, former housing minister, is Chairman of the NHBC Foundation. Nick brings a wealth of experience in industry and politics to the role and can facilitate discussion at all levels between the industry and Westminster. Nick is also Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Sustainable Housing, which provides a platform in Parliament for MPs to discuss, debate and make policy proposals regarding the zero carbon agenda.

How research projects are selected

The Advisory Board meets quarterly to guide the activity of the Foundation and decide which research projects should receive support. Although proposals on any topic can be considered, the Advisory Board has agreed the following research priorities that will form the mainstay of our work:

  • Zero carbon – research to help the house-building industry in its transition towards the 2016 zero carbon new homes target.
  • The consumer - research targeted towards protecting the consumer interest (owner, landlord and tenant) – at the heart of NHBC’s purpose.
  • Risk management – research that helps minimise risks arising from changes to housing construction, technology and practice.

Many of the new proposals come from our colleagues at BRE, but we also work with other partners, including academia and government agencies. The Advisory Board is keen to encourage research proposals from a wide variety of sources.

How projects are funded

A combination of funding supports the work of the NHBC Foundation:

  • NHBC - NHBC is a non-profit distributing organisation and any surpluses are invested in raising standards. Although the actual budget changes from year to year, we invest approximately £0.5 million into the work of the NHBC Foundation.
  • BRE Trust - For the many research projects undertaken by BRE, the Foundation receives an additional 15% contribution from the BRE Trust towards the cost of individual projects.
  • External support - Many projects benefit from financial or in-kind contributions from public or private sector organisations. Not only does this bring the advantage of spreading the Foundation’s budget further, but it also improves the quality of the research and helps achieve a common understanding of key topics.

 
     
 
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