BBA names six finalists for first Sustainable Innovator Award

The British Board of Agrément (BBA) has shortlisted six products for its first Sustainable Innovator Award, with the winner to be named at London Build Expo on 25 November and offered a route into certification it values at about £50,000.

The certification body published the shortlist on 5 November. The finalists are Civil Water Management's Modular Drainage System, Agricycle Innovation's ReHarvest, RABLE Group B.V.'s RABLE4ROOFS, the Active Weep Vent, HEMPBLOCK International's HempBLOCK and Mayan Roofing System's Armoured Roof System.

Julie Bregulla, chief operating officer at the BBA and one of the judges, said: "We were impressed by the number and quality of entries, which goes to show how there is a thriving ecosystem of start-ups and small businesses committed to innovating and advancing sustainability across the built environment."

She added: "This award demonstrates our organisation's determination to support this nascent industry by enabling innovators to achieve market recognition through certification."

The finalists

According to the BBA, Civil Water Management's product is a highway drainage system made with recycled tyre rubber and designed to minimise excavation and reconstruction. Connected Places Catapult, which has supported the company through a TRIG project, said the work uses end-of-life tyres in drainage rather than incinerating them, and that Civil Water Management worked with stakeholders including the Department for Transport and National Highways.

ReHarvest is a bio-based building panel made from agricultural residues and renewable plant fibres that would otherwise go to waste, the BBA said. HempBLOCK is described as a hemp-based construction system for load-bearing walls in residential and commercial buildings.

RABLE4ROOFS is a flat-roof mounting system for solar PV modules which, the BBA said, removes reinforcement costs and needs up to 95% fewer roof penetrations. The Active Weep Vent is a wind-driven cavity ventilator with no electricity, fan or moving parts.

The Armoured Roof System is a low-pitch, fire-rated natural slate and stone roofing system that the BBA said reduces the amount of concealed, unused material.

How entries were judged

Entries opened on 18 May 2026 and closed on 28 August, according to the BBA's launch announcement. The judges, selected by the BBA, assessed all submissions against five categories: innovation, sustainability, feasibility and market readiness, quality assurance, and safety impact.

The panel includes architect Sunand Prasad OBE, who the BBA describes as a leading voice on low-carbon design. Before entries closed, the BBA told entrants the judges wanted innovation that could be evidenced, relied upon and adopted at scale, with sustainability judged across embodied carbon, energy in use, material efficiency, durability or end of life.

The BBA said the award is intended to recognise and support start-ups and small businesses in construction products. Hardy Giesler, the BBA's chief executive, said at launch that innovation was fundamental to why the organisation was founded and continued to come through in the products it assesses.

The prize

The winner receives a route into independent certification worth about £50,000, the BBA said, comprising a full BBA Agrément assessment or, for civil engineering products, a HAPAS assessment. The launch announcement said this includes scoping, certification and the first three-year cycle of certificate maintenance.

The BBA's award page, however, states that certification is not guaranteed and that the winner must still meet all technical and procedural requirements.

The BBA has operated as an independent certification body in construction and civil engineering since 1966. Its about page currently states: "The BBA's accreditations are currently suspended." The organisation says it is working closely with UKAS on the matter as a matter of urgency and will advise once it has been resolved.

What happens next

London Build said the winner will be revealed at 16:50 on Wednesday 25 November, closing a session on the future of sustainable construction on the show's Sustainability Stage. The BBA said the session is due to start at 16:30.

The show's organiser says the event draws more than 35,000 attendees, 700 speakers and 450 exhibitors over two days.