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Have a news story for Floorscape? Get in touch with us to submit editor@floorscape.org.uk
The Contract Flooring Association (CFA) enters the 2026–2027 membership year in a position of strength, with stable finances, an engaged membership base and a clear strategic direction. Operating within an industry that is largely guided by ‘soft regulation’ rather than direct legislation, the CFA plays a crucial role in providing leadership, promoting best practice, and ensuring that contractor members can demonstrate quality, competence and professionalism in their work.
At its core, the CFA focuses on installation standards and business support. Through a vetting process and the development of practical guidance, training opportunities and industry campaigns, the Association enables contractor members to differentiate themselves from competitors and build efficient, profitable businesses that deliver high-quality flooring installations safely and consistently.
The coming year will see the CFA continue to strengthen its role as the leading voice for the contract flooring sector, focusing on several key strategic priorities.
Addressing skills shortages and supporting workforce development remains a central focus. Building on the work undertaken during 2025–2026, the CFA will continue to promote its Future Fitters campaign, which highlights opportunities within the flooring sector and provides guidance for employers and new entrants.
A particular emphasis will remain on widening access to the industry, including showcasing opportunities for women in flooring and encouraging more diverse participation in installation roles.
The CFA will also revisit plans to support individuals leaving the UK Armed Forces as they transition into civilian employment, once changes to relevant vocational qualifications are confirmed. The Association’s annual Training Guide will continue to provide members and the wider industry with clear information about career pathways, training opportunities and professional development.
One of the most visible campaigns in recent years has been the CFA’s work to improve site conditions and programme management on construction projects, under the leadership of CFA President Alan McEwan (F. Ball and Co. Ltd), and Council members including Louise Walters (Designer Contracts), David Brady (RJM Flooring) and Carl Harper (Westcotes Flooring). This initiative has focused on the practical challenges faced by flooring contractors on-site. Campaigns such as ‘the responsible no’ and ‘the responsible yes, but…’ have encouraged contractors to challenge unrealistic working conditions or compressed programmes that risk compromising quality.
These initiatives sit alongside the CFA’s long-standing Winter Warning and Clear Our Workspace campaigns, which highlight the importance of proper site preparation and planning. Progress in influencing wider industry behaviour has been gradual, but the CFA has begun to build stronger engagement with organisations such as Build UK and other trade bodies to encourage better programme management and more realistic working environments for specialist contractors.
During the latter part of 2025 the concerning issue of the impact on mental health was added to the agenda. CFA carried out a survey that confirmed the worrying extent of this problem, and this is now also part of the focus for our campaign.
Following the introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022, competency across the construction supply chain has become an increasing focus for Government and regulators. The CFA will continue working with the relevant industry partners including the Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG), the Super Sectors working group, Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) to develop a practical installer competency framework for the flooring sector.
The aim is to demonstrate that the industry takes competency seriously while ensuring that requirements remain proportionate. Flooring contractors must be able to demonstrate knowledge and professionalism, but the CFA is also determined to avoid unnecessary administrative burdens or accreditation systems that would place excessive costs on individual installers or small businesses.
The CFA recently launched Competency in the Flooring Sector guidance, which provides an important starting point for members navigating these changes. See the Members’ Area of the CFA website.
Strengthening the CFA’s communications and marketing activity is another major priority. The successful launch of the digital platform Floorscape in 2024 has created a new channel for sharing industry news, insights and technical content while also offering potential commercial opportunities through advertising and sponsored content.
Floorscape complements existing communications such as the member-only ‘Contract Contact’ newsletter and the CFA’s wider digital and social media activity. A member-led marketing group has been established to provide strategic input and help ensure that the Association’s messaging continues to evolve. Future developments ideas include a refreshed CFA Handbook and evolution of the way it presents documents such as the Guide to Contract Flooring.
While membership levels have remained relatively stable, the CFA recognises the importance of reversing a gradual downward trend in numbers. Recruitment efforts will therefore continue, alongside a review of the Association’s value proposition to ensure it continues to meet the needs of modern contractor businesses.
Renewal rates remain strong at around 93%, reflecting the value members place on the CFA’s technical support, business resources, helplines and industry guidance. Networking events also play a key role in delivering member value. During 2026 the CFA will continue to host a range of events including golf days, social gatherings and industry networking opportunities across the UK, building on the success of recent initiatives such as the Scottish horse racing event at Hamilton racecourse that runs in June.
This year’s AGM will precede the England-based Day at the Races event being held at Leicester Racecourse on the 14th July. Tickets for all events are exclusive to CFA members and can be accessed via the CFA admin team. Details can also be found on the CFA website and events page.
Financially, the CFA remains in a robust position. As a not-for-profit organisation in recent years, we have on occasion produced a small surplus. Strong reserves have enabled the Association to navigate situations such as the pandemic and more recently take a significant step by purchasing its own office premises in early 2026. This investment provides long-term stability while creating a valuable asset for the organisation. The CFA continually invests in membership benefits as described in this overview and at the same time maintains the balance of delivering services and initiatives while maintaining financial resilience.
The Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA), the CFA’s training organisation co-backed with the National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers (NICF), remains central to delivering practical skills training and establishing best practice across the sector. Rather than pursuing rapid expansion, the strategy for the coming year is to consolidate recent progress while strengthening its position as the industry’s centre of excellence and gold standard.
A major development has been the completion of FITA’s digital transformation. The FITA Digital app, launched in 2026, provides online access to course materials, short training videos and mobile-friendly resources. These materials complement face-to-face training and allows learners to access guidance wherever they are working. Over the next year, further courses and features will be added to the platform, extending the digital learning offer.
Apprenticeships will also remain an important area of focus with upwards of seventy apprentices now on programmes that FITA directly supports. Work undertaken to refine the timber flooring pathway has improved funding arrangements and will enable the recruitment of additional apprentices in this sector. Meanwhile, instructor development will continue to ensure the high standards expected of FITA training. The CFA will also review activity at the Kirkcaldy training site to improve engagement from businesses in Scotland and ensure that training facilities are used effectively across the UK.
Alongside its operational priorities, the CFA is also planning for the long term. A structured succession plan has been agreed that started with the appointment of a Shaun Wadworth to the position of Deputy CEO from April 2026 and the recruitment of his successor as Training Manager, thus marking the first step in this process.
More broadly, the Association will continue exploring how a modern trade body can best serve the flooring industry in the future ensuring that the CFA remains relevant, influential and capable of supporting contractor businesses for many years to come. This includes a supporting interest in the work of the UK Sustainable Flooring Alliance (UKSFA), where I hold a non-executive Board position and where work on EPR or a Stewardship scheme (and all the component parts) to support a future where our full sector becomes circular are considered and developed.
Through its work on skills, site conditions, competency, marketing and member support, the CFA’s priorities for 2026–2027 remain clear: to strengthen the professionalism of members and the wider contract flooring sector and ensure its members are equipped to succeed in an increasingly complex construction and sector environment.
The CFA is a leading trade association representing the flooring Industry. If you would like an application pack or further information on the benefits of membership, please contact the CFA offices on 0115 941 1126, email info@cfa.org.uk or apply online at www.cfa.org.uk.
Floorscape aims to serve as a valuable resource for both
the contract flooring
industry and
associated parties including architects, designers, main
contractors, shopfitters, builders
and
clients and is fully supported by the Contract Flooring Association.
