HERO-OSS has welcomed its first five pilot contractors, who will spend the next phase testing the full HERO partner retrofit journey.
Selected against rigorous criteria for capacity and SEAI alignment, these contractors will help shape the materials and processes used in the soft launch. Their work will inform the wider rollout to ten further contractors in 2026.
The five pilot contractors are drawn from across Ireland to ensure strong regional reach, spanning Co. Limerick, Co. Louth, Co. Offaly, Co. Kerry, and Co. Waterford.
Each firm brings established experience in energy upgrades and a strong track record of professional delivery, making them well-positioned to take on the additional complexity of OSS-level B2 retrofits.
Over the months ahead, they will progress through HERO-OSS’s seven structured training modules, covering IT systems, home energy assessments, project management, financing, grant administration, quality assurance, and marketing, supported throughout by a dedicated expert mentor.
Each pilot contractor will deliver at least two supervised B2-level retrofits, with pre- and post-project interviews capturing what works, what needs refining, and how the service can be improved before the soft launch in 2026. Their feedback will directly shape the materials, workflows, and mentorship model rolled out to the next cohort of ten contractors.
A warm welcome to our five pilot contractors – your work over the coming months will help unlock deep retrofit capacity for communities right across Ireland.