In June 2024, the British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) teamed up with Blum UK to launch Funding the Future of Installation, an initiative aimed at increasing the number of professional, compliant KBB installers in the industry.
Blum UK, the first KBB brand to support the scheme, has pledged to fund BiKBBI registration for 50 installers. This reflects the brand’s commitment to education, development, and the crucial role of the installation sector. Since its launch at InstallerSHOW this summer, the initiative has already delivered results. Over half of the initial target of 50 installers have been registered, with the rest progressing through the application process.
BiKBBI CEO Damian Walters commented “Since its inception back in 2006, BiKBBI’s purpose has been to drive positive change in the KBB installation sector through improving standards, compliance and education amongst the UK installation community. The Funding the Future of Installation initiative is an effective vehicle for KBB businesses to play a tangible role in a solution to the challenges facing the installation sector – from raising standards to skills shortages. We were thrilled to launch this initiative with Blum UK earlier this year and are delighted to report the positive results their support is having. Fifty installers may seem like a drop in the ocean but in real terms, Blum UK’s contribution means that an additional c2,000 installations will be undertaken by accredited, compliant installation professionals over the next 12 months.
Funding the Future of Installation is a ground-breaking approach to growing and strengthening a compliant KBB installation workforce –never before has there been a scheme that enables those businesses reliant on the installation sector to directly impact the number of registered, professional and compliant installers operating in the KBB industry in this way, and our partnership with Blum is proof that it works. It is our intention to open the scheme up to other businesses within the sector over the next couple of months and we are hopeful that the industry follows Blum in actively driving positive change.”
Matthew Glanfield, managing director of Blum UK, said, “We are fully supportive of the work that the institute does in both striving to improve the installation sector and being the conduit between installers and the manufacturers, distributors and retailers that are reliant on them. Education is key to our industry’s future, so we are thrilled with the early success of Funding the Future of Installation and are excited to hear about the benefits experienced by those new to BiKBBI over the coming year. Blum UK is pleased to have been the early adopters of the initiative to help provide solutions for fitters and installers.”
