1. Stage 1: before anything else
Four checks all precede the design, and the second has the most direct effect. It concerns the energy performance certificate.
| Check | Content |
|---|---|
| Building register data | floor area, year of taking into use, intended use |
| A valid certificate and the energy performance value as a number | the ranking is set on the basis of energy use |
| Technical condition | above all moisture and load-bearing structures |
| Works already done | including windows replaced apartment by apartment |
The energy performance certificate calculations in the register determine one's place in the ranking, which makes the second check more than a formality. Errors have to be corrected before the round.
2. Stage 2: checking the conditions
Four questions must be answered before the design is commissioned. The answers determine the content of the design.
Does the building meet the definition of an eligible recipient. Is the required class or class gain achievable. What is the applicable support rate. And is a round open and which budget allocation does the building fall under.
All four must be taken from the regulation in force and from the conditions of the open round rather than from an overview, including this one. Overviews date quickly.
3. Stage 3: decision and financing
Four steps last longer than expected, and the second must be completed before the application is submitted. It concerns the general meeting's decision.
A discussion meeting before the deciding meeting. A general meeting decision on the works, on applying for support and, where needed, on borrowing, as separate agenda items. Checking the qualified majority and proper minutes. And arranging the financing, including covering the own contribution.
The content of the second step must be checked in the conditions of the round, since the required scope of the decision has differed between rounds. The requirement differs from round to round.
4. Stage 4: design and procurement
Four things affect the whole of the rest of the process, and the fourth matters more in renovation than in new construction. It concerns keeping residents informed.
| What to arrange | Note |
|---|---|
| Designer, owner's supervision and, where needed, a technical consultant | the roles must not be merged |
| A common structure and quantities | for comparing tenders, see the budgeting guide |
| The organisation of temporary works and access | must be in the tender documents |
| Unit prices for works that may be added | unforeseen circumstances are the rule |
5. Stage 5: construction and completion
Four things to track, and the third must be planned into the programme. It concerns the final measurements.
The obligation rather than the amount paid. The effect of every variation on both cost and programme. The required final measurements, including the ventilation air flow rate and building services noise protocols. And the balancing of the systems, which is separate work.
The final measurements are not a formality but a measurable check on the result. The support depends on that very result.
6. Five critical moments
At these moments a mistake becomes expensive, and the first is the hardest to put right. It concerns when the works begin.
| Moment | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Starting works before the funding decision | the cost may not be reimbursable |
| Commissioning the design before checking the conditions | the design has to be redone |
| A decision by the wrong majority or under "any other business" | it is open to challenge |
| Not checking the register data before the round | there is no time to correct them |
| Leaving temporary works and access out of the tender documents | the price and the arrangements are agreed without competition |
Work already done cannot be undone.
7. What not to do
Three things, all concerning timing and presentation. They decide whether the process succeeds.
Do not carry out individual energy measures where a full reconstruction is planned. Do not present payback as a single figure without its assumptions. And do not assume that the present support rate will apply in the next round.
8. One sentence that sums up the guide
Support funds not the works carried out but the measured result. The result is measured against the initial situation.
Everything else follows from it: the baseline must be known first, earlier work changes the calculation, and beginning from a list of works is the wrong end. And the building's needs do not disappear when there is no support.
Summary and four practical rules
The process divides into five stages, the first of which is checking the register data and the energy performance certificate, since energy use determines the place in the ranking. The conditions must be taken from the regulation in force and from the conditions of the open round, the decision needs a qualified majority with separate agenda items, and the tender documents must contain the organisation of temporary works and access together with unit prices for works that may be added. Of the five critical moments the hardest to put right is starting works before the funding decision, since work already done cannot be undone.
Four rules: check the register data and the certificate before anything else. Take the conditions from the regulation, not from an overview. Decide on access and temporary works before the procurement. Plan the final measurements and the balancing into the programme.
This article offers professional orientation as at the date of verification. It does not replace the support regulation.