Last week’s Grown in Britain Week (#GiBWeek25) culminated in a landmark announcement at the National Forestry Conference that will transform opportunities for homegrown timber across the construction sector.
Category A recognition following rigorous assessment
Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh confirmed Grown in Britain (GiB) has been accepted as meeting Category A status under the Government’s Timber Procurement Policy—placing the UK certification scheme on equal footing with FSC and PEFC for the first time.
The decision followed a thorough and rigorous assessment process in which GiB, which is the only scheme to verify provenance, demonstrated Category A compliance, with no issues raised during the extensive review.
This removes longstanding barriers to the use of certified homegrown timber in government procurement and major construction projects, directly supporting the Government’s Timber in Construction Roadmap priorities including strengthening domestic supply chains, creating rural green jobs, and reducing carbon emissions.
“We’re delighted to hear from Minister Creagh the unequivocal acceptance of Grown in Britain for Category A,” said Dougal Driver, CEO of Grown in Britain. “Our robust certification now has official verification at the highest level. This will transform the fortunes of current and potential certificate holders.”
Industry welcomes decision
The announcement has been welcomed across the sector as a critical step in levelling the playing field for UK timber.
Justyna Wilkinson, Associate Architect at Stride Treglown, said: “This removes any barriers to using GiB certified timber in the construction industry and adds more support for the Government’s TIC Roadmap, meaning more confidence in using British timber materials across both sustainably focused and wider commercial projects.”
Guy Phillips, CEO at Heritage Highland Woodworks, said: “This recognition comes at a pivotal moment. It enables architects, material specifiers and others to request UK timber in their construction projects, which drives demand and ultimately leads to better outcomes for UK forestry and homegrown timber.
The Category A designation ensures GiB certificate holders now have full access to public sector projects while supporting sustainable forest management across the UK’s 1.3 million hectares of certified woodland.
