The British Board of Agrément (BBA) has announced the six finalists for the first BBA Sustainable Innovator Award, which recognises construction products with the potential to advance sustainability. The shortlist, chosen by a panel of industry experts, spans technologies from a low-impact modular highway drainage system to hemp-based blocks. The winner will be announced live on Wednesday 25 November at London Build. For an independent certification body that has worked with organisations from over 72 countries since 1966, the award puts market-ready innovation in the spotlight. The prize is a full BBA Agrément assessment worth approximately £50,000.

A Panel With Broad Industry Experience

Entries were evaluated on their ability to deliver substantial improvements in quality, safety and sustainability, with the potential to make a lasting impact on the construction products sector. To assess them, the BBA assembled judges with extensive experience across architecture, construction, technical innovation and the wider industry.

The panel includes Sunand Prasad OBE, former president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), and Quentin Farrow, Managing Director of HybridMMC. Chris Hall, Technical Innovation Manager at NHBC (the National House Building Council), sits alongside Andrew Gaved, Editor-at-Large at London Build, and Julie Bregulla, Chief Operating Officer at the BBA.

The quality of the submissions made the judging a demanding exercise, and the six finalists were picked for combining environmental ambition with products that are ready for the market.

Julie Bregulla, Chief Operating Officer at the BBA, said:

“We created this award to celebrate the real-world innovations already making a difference across the construction sector, and it is fantastic to see the level of quality and ambition demonstrated across the submissions. This made the judging process extremely difficult, but our six shortlisted entries stood out for their forward-thinking approach to tackling the sector’s environmental footprint while delivering market-ready solutions. I look forward to celebrating their achievements and announcing the winner at London Build in November.”

Ventilation and Bio-Based Boards

The Active Weep Vent is a wind-driven cavity ventilator that replaces the standard weep vent in the outer leaf of a masonry cavity wall. It uses no electricity, fan or moving parts, and one unit performs supply and extraction together, giving cross-ventilation of the cavity from a single elevation. That makes it as straightforward to retrofit into an existing wall as to specify in new build. The judges praised its “functional innovation” and its potential to reduce moisture in residential settings, particularly in windy or rainy conditions.

AgriCycle Innovation’s ReHarvest™ Gypsum-Free Circular Construction Board is a bio-based building panel made from agricultural residues and renewable plant fibres that would otherwise be treated as waste. It can be used in wall systems, ceilings, interior fit-outs, furniture, acoustic panels and modular construction. The judges welcomed its reuse of waste materials and its potential as an alternative to cement-based materials.

Drainage and Hemp Walling

Civil Water Management’s Modular Drainage Systems (MDS) is a factory-manufactured highway drainage system that intercepts, distributes and conveys surface and subsurface water. It is designed for new-build, maintenance and retrofit works, and introduces or restores drainage where conventional systems are absent, poorly connected or difficult to access. Judges praised its recycled tyre material, along with testing and data showing “real-world usage at scale.”

HempBLOCK® is a bio-based system for building load-bearing walls in residential and commercial buildings. Factory-manufactured hemp-lime blocks are dry-stacked without mortar, with fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) posts and beams integrated within the wall. The 300mm wall delivers structure, thermal, acoustic, fire and moisture performance in a simplified three-layer build. It can reduce wall construction time by up to 70% compared with conventional walling systems, with a calculated net embodied carbon of −56kg CO₂e/m² of wall. The judges said the simplified build process addresses skills issues, and highlighted its lifecycle sustainability credentials and benefits for occupant wellbeing.

Roofing Solutions for Solar and Slate

RABLE Group B.V’s RABLE4Roofs is a flat roof mounting system for photovoltaic modules. Its “roof on roof” structure transfers the additional loads of the mounting structure and PV modules directly to the main roof structure. Compared with existing alternatives, it eliminates reinforcement costs, is fast to install, weather-independent and reversible, and requires up to 95% fewer roof penetrations. The judges also highlighted its potential to reduce damage to waterproof roof coverings.

Mayan Roofing Systems’ Armoured Roof System is a low-pitch, fire-rated (BROOF(t4)) natural slate and stone roofing solution. Its single-lap design reduces the concealed, unutilised material found in traditional double-lap roofs, which lowers overall roof weight and the number of slates needed per square metre, and significantly increases installation speed. A larger batten gauge further reduces material usage and installation costs. Judges noted its “strong market traction” and its lightweight design.

Winner to Be Revealed at London Build

The first recipient of the BBA Sustainable Innovator Award will be announced on the Sustainability Stage at London Build 2026 on Wednesday 25 November at Excel London. The ceremony begins at 16:50 and will also feature a short panel discussion and Q&A with the judges. The session will explore how innovators can successfully bring sustainable products to market and secure specification.

Entry to London Build is free to register. Further details on the award are available on the BBA website. With six finalists covering ventilation, bio-based materials, drainage, structural walling, solar mounting and roofing, the shortlist shows how broad the push for lower-impact construction products has become.