ROOT to Market, a new national procurement Dynamic Marketplace, has launched to accelerate mainstream adoption of regenerative and low-carbon materials across the built environment, creating significant growth opportunities for businesses specialising in sustainable products and services. ROOT to Market is live and is actively seeking projects to procure through the marketplace.
The UK construction sector represents a market worth over £140billion annually, yet regenerative materials – those that minimise environmental impact while contributing to the restoration of natural systems, often including bio-based, renewable or reclaimed materials with low embodied carbon – currently account for only a small share. ROOT to Market has been developed to unlock this opportunity by aggregating demand, making quality materials supply visible, and providing support and training for both suppliers and clients.
ROOT to Market has been created by Woodknowledge Wales and procurement specialist Value Match with support from a consortium of organisations including Morgan Sindall Construction, Reconomy Connect, HLM Architects, Lignum Risk Partners, Cundall, Planit and Elliott Wood.
Gary Newman, Managing Director, Woodknowledge Wales, said: “ROOT to Market supports the UK’s climate and social value policy direction, including its net zero targets and national forestry and timber strategies, which identify the growth of a domestic bio-based economy as critical to national resilience.”
The Dynamic Marketplace allows clients to access a pre-approved, curated supply chain at each stage of a project, without the need for traditional open-market tendering, while maintaining competition and compliance with the Procurement Act 2023. Participation is underpinned by a shared Code of Practice, setting a clear direction of travel without creating unnecessary barriers. This includes prioritising regenerative and circular materials, minimising embodied carbon, supporting ethical and transparent supply chains, and adopting climate and nature-positive practices.
David Shields, from Value Match added: “The marketplace is designed to build supply chain capacity rather than restrict it, assessing suppliers based on their maturity while actively supporting them to improve over time. This approach opens the door to a far broader range of organisations, including SMEs and regional producers, enabling more diverse and scalable participation across the industry.”
ROOT to Market also embeds social value directly into its commercial model: as a not-for-profit organisation operating on a 1% rebate, it invests the surplus made from a project being procured into a dedicated fund supporting local communities, skills development and supply chain capacity, ensuring that value generated through the marketplace contributes to wider economic and social outcomes.
More info: https://roottomarket.org
