Giving Construction Leaders Skills to Drive Digital Transformation

Construction companies need to become 'digital organisations'.

The people who will change the face of construction need to be able to recognise the opportunity and unlock the potential that digital transformation brings. This commission is the first of three to help the industry embrace digital change.

CITB invites bids for funds to develop initiatives to help construction leaders implement digital transformation.

Digital technologies will improve efficiency and productivity but the construction industry has lagged behind others who are reaping the benefits of this transformation. Small and medium sized employers in particular find it hard to introduce digital solutions.

The Challenge Facing the Industry:

Getting technical skills is not the issue. The main challenges are:

  • A lack of understanding of the business opportunities digital transformation brings
  • The leadership required to spell out why the investment is needed, identify and adapt digital technology for their business, and to make it happen.

Without this digital leadership, construction companies are likely to struggle to keep up with technological advances and to compete with their rivals.

Who Can Lead a Project?

If you have digital business change expertise you can make a bid for CITB funds to leade a project using the Apply for funds section below. If you want to partner, but not lead a project, go to the Who can participate in a project section below.

We welcome bids especially from:

  • software development companies
  • management consultancies with digital business change expertise
  • leadership think tanks with digital business change expertise
  • federations
  • higher education institutions with expertise in working with companies to develop digital leadership skills
  • local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) with have an innovation lead or innovation programme
  • non-profit organisations with digital innovation programmes.

Each application must include at least three organisations: a project lead and two (or more) partners.

The partners of a bidding group should include at least two of the following:

  • CITB-registered employers
  • CITB-approved training groups
  • construction federations and trade associations.

You may already have found suitable partners for your application bid. However, if you would like help in finding partners for your bid, we can help.

Who Can Participate in a Project?

Any organisation can apply to take part in a project, such as:

  • construction employers (micro to large)
  • digital enterprises
  • educational institutions
  • federations or trade associations
  • local government and/or local enterprise partnerships (LEPs)
  • management consultancies.

We will aim to partner you with a suitable project.

What Brings This to Industry?

Senior leaders will be able to demonstrate and implement the business case for digital change in their company.

They will also be equipped with the skills and knowledge to implement digital technologies, processes and competencies in their business.

Apply For Funds:

This is a two-stage application process:

  1. Register your interest in the commission by completing the expression of interest form. Please answer all the questions. This form will close at 5pm on Tuesday 18 June 2019. The funding team will review your expression of interest and contact you.
  2. If your idea matches most if not all the criteria for this commission, we will guide you through the application process. 

Submit an expression of interest for this digital commission.

Apply to Participate in a Project:

If you are interested in taking part in a project, complete the Participant’s expression of interest form.

Apply to participate in a project from this digital commission.

Preparing Your Application:

Your application for funds should include proposals on how you will introduce the necessary skills for leaders, directors and senior managers to implement digital transformation. Good applications might include ways to:

  • Identify existing transformation programmes and best practice from early adopters within the construction industry and/ or other sectors who have already transformed into a digitally-enabled business
  • Demonstrate the business case for incorporating digital change and get industry agreement for the approach
  • Build on existing knowledge and competencies of construction leaders to enhance their skills so that they can implement digital transformation

Make your solution sustainable and scalable and one that can be widely adopted within the industry.

Application Deadlines:

  • 23 April 2019 – window opens for expressions of interest
  • 18 June 2019 – window for expressions of interest closes
  • 2 July 2019 – deadline to submit applications

Further Information

Read the research reports

To hear from the CITB funding team about the commission and what we want it to achieve, join us at one of the webinars below:

Tuesday 30 April 10:30:

Tuesday 30 April 14:30

Thursday 02 May 10:30

Thursday 02 May 14:30