Who are Innovate UK

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is the UK’s innovation agency. They work to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. With an annual budget of over £1billion they provide businesses with the expertise, facilities and funding they need to test, demonstrate and evolve their ideas, driving UK productivity and economic growth.

Phase 1 Outcomes

The phase 1 project, which took a community focussed approach to identifying non-technical barriers and place-based solutions in three communities across both rural and urban settings. Involving both businesses and residents, similar non-technical barriers emerged:

a) Lack of awareness and support mechanisms

b) Lack of green skills

c) Supply chain issues

d) Ownership and permission (including planning restrictions)

e) Personal financial status

f) Lack of sustainable transport options (rural)

g) Cost and scheduling of sustainable transport options (rural areas)

Place based community co-created solutions were voted on and the two following solutions (revitalising homes and connection regional transport) were identified as the top solutions to explore within the Pathfinders funded project.

Revitalising Homes

Revitalising Homes will look at a whole systems approach to retrofit through engagement with local suppliers and installers, identifying green skills gaps, exploring and modifying a customer re-claim model for funding and creating a viable business model for a sustainable retrofit project. The theme will focus on the entire Perth & Kinross local authority area.

The majority of work focus on two schemes that will be available for homeowners, and private and social housing landlords to utilise. 1) creating a Knowledge Hub as a central source of trusted information on the retrofit process and home improvement measures 2) creating a viable business model for a one-stop-shop for retrofit advice and support.

Key Outputs

Theme 1 – Revitalising Homes

Through the Revitalising Homes part of the project, the concept is to take an innovative whole system approach aimed at catalysing a step change in the pace of decarbonisation of the housing stock across Perth and Kinross. The elements for development include:

• Develop a one-stop shop retrofit model with a five-year business plan, covering retrofit advice, planning support and a framework for local suppliers;
• Map current business capacity and identifying green skills training requirements and solutions;
• Investigate the potential of a circular economy equipment leasing and end of life disposal models;
• Change the grant reclaim model to pay suppliers/installers directly;

Engagement with Local Businesses and Communities

In early 2025, the project team explored a one stop shop model to support homeowners across Perth and Kinross with energy efficiency improvements. Five workshops with residents and local businesses were held to shape the model – designed to guide people through three key stages:

1. Identifying retrofit needs
2. Planning and preparation
3. Delivery and quality assurance

What the community told us:

• Keep it clear – The service must be distinct from existing support and easy to understand.

• Affordability – Transparency regarding fees and exploring flexible fee structures (e.g., percentage-based, tiered pricing) were emphasised.

• Flexibility – A pick-and-mix approach was preferred over a fixed package.
• Stay independent – A hybrid not-for-profit model integrated with local energy teams was favoured.

What businesses said:

• Challenges include funding uncertainty, labour and skills shortages, and rural delivery.
• Solutions include quality assurance and more collaborative working.
• Businesses prefer a flexible supplier list over rigid frameworks to allow for local contractor participation.

Early Engagement through Retrofit Industry Workshops

We’re working towards making homes more energy-efficient by providing homeowners and landlords with advice about retrofitting energy saving measures and connecting them with qualified contractors.

In late May 2024, the project team and Parity Projects hosted a workshop to discuss a one stop shop model. Together we engaged with local businesses and advocacy groups working in the retrofit space.

Next Steps – Outputs of Workshop

Listening to local businesses and advocacy groups at the workshops has informed the development of the following outputs, aimed at providing a community focussed approach to retrofit in Perth and Kinross.

1. Consolidate knowledge and evidence around the current barriers for retrofit and develop the requirements for a “one stop shop” to overcome these barriers
2. Identify options for different approaches for the one-stop-shop and complete an options appraisal
3. An overview of the options available for different approaches to the roll-out of the one stop shop, including governance arrangements, commercial options, scheme infrastructure and financial model.
4. A fully developed five-year business case, built upon the evidence and findings of the work outlined above.

Further engagement activities with local businesses, advocacy groups, and communities are planned for the start of 2025 to further our understanding of barriers and enablers to a “one stop shop” and explore how a “one stop shop” retrofit model could practically operate for Perth and Kinross.

Connecting Regional Travel

The Connecting Regional Travel theme will investigate the viability of two new services focusing on the rural town of Aberfeldy. One will look at an express bus route out of the town to Perth, and another will concentrate on a minibus service connecting surrounding villages with Aberfeldy. Work will also look at synchronising bus schedules with vital destinations like healthcare facilities or train stations, provision of express bus services and feasibility of peer-to-peer transport services. Additionally, it will investigate reduced-cost fare options to stimulate demand and encourage a shift in commuting patterns, ultimately striving to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

We will maximise knowledge transfer through extensive monitoring and evaluation, working in collaboration with external partners to ensure that our findings and associated learnings are disseminated across the UK, reaching local government, businesses and community groups.

The theme will focus on the Perth & Kinross local authority area, with a particular focus on the communities of Aberfeldy and Blairgowrie.

Key Outputs

Theme 2 – Connecting Regional Transport

Through the Connecting Regional Transport part, the concept is to explore whether a concentrated focus on multi-modal sustainable transport in a rural area is sufficient to generate a sufficient behavioural shift necessary to make these sustainable in the long-term. The elements for development include:

• Engage with householders to establish a baseline of community needs (survey) to match user demand to services and products
• Investigate with bus operators the possibility of developing local fare zones
• Explore the feasibility and develop a financial model for the EV community minibus
• Explore the feasibility and operability of working with the NHS on embedding active travel
• Explore options and appetite for liftshare and peer-to-peer car sharing

Evaluating Feedback

Community feedback gathered through community chats, community roundtable events, surveying by Tay Valley Connections, surveying from the Housing & Social Care Partnership as well as results from the Big Place Conversation were all evaluated to establish a picture of community need. Various themes emerged:

• Lack of knowledge of the extent of services offered through the community
• Long journey times
• Cutting back of services
• Missing out on events such as socialising or sports clubs due to lack of transport
• Safety concerns utilising rural roads for cycling
• Recognising youth voices in the shaping of community transport
• Heavy reliance on lifts to access healthcare appointments

What can Innovate UK provide within project scope?

In order to identify which of the above to focus on for feasibility studies, each point was assessed to establish if it would be in scope, or covered under the Council's Transport Transformation Project. It was decided that any feedback linking to the operation of public transport would be covered under the Transport Transformation Project (TTP) such as journey times or service changes. The TTP is a Perth and Kinross area-wide project headed by the Public Transport Unit which will shape the way future services are provided. You can have your say on this by completing the consultation form before 18 June 2025.

Issues/ideas/concerns raised that directly related to changes the healthcare sector have been forwarded on to NHS Tayside and P&K Housing & Social Care Partnership for information.

Feedback which will be taken forward will be:

• Improve the existing liftshare scheme and where possible communicate the breadth of services running in the Aberfeldy area
• Enabling more uptake of cycling working with groups who specialise in this area
• Youth voices in community transport

Next steps

Feasibility studies have started, with a plan to meet with specific groups in early June. It is hoped meetings will set out the specific requirements to achieve the above, and ensure measures adopted are useful and fit for purpose.

Community Chats in 2024

Throughout August, September and October, a series of community chats were hosted to further engage with residents to establish the challenges surrounding transport. A focus was placed on understanding issues for young people and families, and for those accessing healthcare. Drop-in events were hosted alongside two roundtable discussions centring on potential solutions and to better understand community transport needs.

The the feedback from engagement will contribute to a feasibility report which will look at short, medium and long term solutions to meet community needs. The report will be developed in late 2024 and will be communicated back to those who have contributed via the drop-in and roundtable events to discuss next viable actions.

There are currently no upcoming events

Potential Impact

• It will develop models for replicable and scalable solutions with real world testing that is, applicable to both rural and urban communities across the UK;
• Each house could reduce energy expenditure by 60% - over £1100 per household per year.
• It is likely to succeed -- founded on strong strands of community engagement, with trusted community delivery partners;
• Lead to health and wellbeing impacts and support the NHS on their net zero journey;
• Help accelerate the green transition and build community resilience;
• The expertise of the team -- pulling together the necessary public, private, academic and third sector;
• Establishing a trusted traders' network will encourage future improvements be contracted boosting the local economy - every retrofit house represents an investment of £12k-£20k
• Real world testing of transferability of models
• The transformational potential of the project provides additional value for money for PKC including:
  • Advance and accelerate on-going work and provide a step-change towards meeting net zero and statutory energy and emissions targets;
  • Revitalising homes will provide the next step for communities towards action, building on the free home-energy advice PKC already fund;
  • An opportunity to build stronger community relationships and partnerships that are aligned with the Perth and Kinross Offer to communities.

As part of the project, the Team are developing an online Knowledge Hub resource for householders. The Knowledge Hub will be a free to use tool for those who are interested in retrofit measures to improve the energy efficiency of their property.

We need your help in shaping the Knowledge Hub to meet what householders need and want from an online resource. If you live in Perth and Kinross, we are inviting you to complete a short online survey to have your say.