BESA secures third funding round for heat network training
UK – The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has secured a third round of government funding to expand heat network training, providing up to 150 fully funded places as the industry prepares for new mandatory technical standards from 2027.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) funding will support BESA’s Introduction to the Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) course and its forthcoming Installation and Maintenance training, as heat networks are expected to grow from supplying around 3% of UK heating demand today to as much as 20% over the next 25 years.
Funding supports industry competence
BESA has been working with DESNZ to establish a training pathway designed to prepare engineers, contractors, operators and clients for the introduction of HNTAS.
The latest Heat Training Grant funding means up to 150 places will be fully funded across the introductory HNTAS course and the planned Installation and Maintenance programme.
The Introduction to HNTAS course, approved by specialist qualifications and end point assessment body EAL, is available free of charge to eligible workers in England through the BESA Academy’s online learning platform.
More than 800 engineers and clients, including representatives from local authorities and housing associations, have already completed the programme. Places supported through the latest funding round must be completed by the end of September 2026.
Completion of the introductory programme is also a prerequisite for further HNTAS training, making it the first stage of BESA’s wider competence pathway.
HNTAS will be a crucial framework for compliance and better performance.
Jill Nicholls, Director of Competence and Compliance, BESA
Preparing for mandatory standards
The additional training capacity comes as the heat network sector prepares for a significant change in its regulatory framework.
A government consultation on the proposed technical standards closed earlier this year, with HNTAS currently planned to launch on a phased basis from 2027. The scheme is intended to replace reliance on voluntary guidance with mandatory minimum technical requirements covering areas including the design, installation and operation of heat networks.
BESA Director of Competence and Compliance Jill Nicholls described the third funding round as a “significant statement of intent” from government.
She said BESA’s role was to ensure the industry had a competent workforce in place as the new standards were introduced, while raising the quality and performance of future heat network projects.
The association said improving technical competence would also be important in addressing a historically inconsistent consumer experience of heat networks.
Heat network investment set to accelerate
The training announcement comes amid growing pressure to increase investment and delivery capacity across the heat network market.
A recent report from Energy UK and the Heat Networks Industry Council found that £1bn of near-term public investment could help unlock a further £4bn of investment in projects by the end of the decade.
The organisations estimate that UK heat network investment could reach £17bn by 2035 and £100bn by 2050 if the sector receives the policy and financial support needed to expand.
This growth would substantially increase demand for engineers and contractors with the technical knowledge to design, install, commission and maintain systems to consistent standards.
For the heat pump and wider building services sectors, the expansion is also significant as low-carbon heat networks increasingly combine centralised heat pump technology, distribution infrastructure, thermal storage and building-level heat interface systems.
Installation and maintenance training to follow
BESA said its forthcoming Heat Networks Installation and Maintenance course would further develop the practical skills required to support the government’s long-term heat decarbonisation programme.
The association is also leading work on new Heat Network National Occupational Standards, intended to provide further foundations for competence across the sector.
The introductory HNTAS programme covers the structure and main elements of heat networks, roles and responsibilities under the emerging regulations and the proposed process for assessing and certifying compliance.
For more information about the heat network training courses available visit the BESA Academy learning platform.
