What BB7 Fire does

BB7 Fire is a UK-headquartered fire safety and façade engineering consultancy founded in 2009 by Ben Bradford. It delivers multidisciplinary services spanning fire engineering, façade engineering, structural fire engineering, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling, fire safety assurance, fire risk management, insurance services (LDI/IBG oversight), assigned certifier services under Ireland's BCAR regime, health and safety design, and a recently launched façade access consultancy. Technical capabilities rest on advanced computational methods — including CFD simulation of fire, heat and smoke behaviour, SAFIR finite element thermo-mechanical modelling, and ASET/RSET analysis per PD 7974-6 — supported by an Innovation Lab partnering with the Universities of Leeds, Edinburgh, Ulster, Trinity College Dublin, Johns Hopkins, and Polytechnic University of Valencia.

The firm serves developers, architects, contractors, building owners, housing associations, and public sector clients across twelve documented verticals, with primary focus on commercial property and residential (high-rise, social housing, EWS1/recladding). Distribution runs through nine offices (London, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Belfast, Chatham, Dublin, Donegal, Larnaca) and indirect channels such as the Fusion21 and Procurement for Housing Frameworks. BB7 operates as a project-based professional services firm — engagements are quoted on scope, complexity and duration with no public pricing disclosure.

BB7 grew from a single UK office to nine offices and 100+ employees through a combination of acquisitions (Impact Fire 2012, Beacon 2014, Rushbrook 2018, Omega 2019, Goldsmith 2020), office openings (Manchester 2015, Glasgow 2016, Dublin 2017, Belfast 2019, Cyprus 2023) and capital events (BGF investment 2019, CERTANIA partnership 2025). It is the largest independent fire consulting firm in the Republic of Ireland, co-authored the PAS 7:2013 and BS 9997:2019 risk management standards, and attained B Corp Certification in February 2025.

Name

BB7 Fire

Legal name

BB7 Holdings Limited

Website

https://bbseven.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BB7 Fire is a UK-headquartered multidisciplinary consultancy providing fire safety, façade engineering, fire risk management, and assurance services across the building lifecycle. It serves developers, architects, contractors, and property owners across the UK, Ireland, and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Engineering Consulting

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire Door, Firestop & Passive Fire Protection Inspection/Installation (IMAIAJAJ)

Keywords

• Fire engineering consulting
• Facade engineering services
• Fire risk management
• Building safety compliance
• Structural fire engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Kent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fire Engineering Consulting: Core fire engineering services including performance-based fire strategies, fire risk assessments, computational fluid dynamics modelling, and fire safety design throughout all RIBA stages.
2. Facade Engineering Services: Holistic facade engineering encompassing facade design from RIBA Stages 2-4, technical performance specification, compliance reviews, and site monitoring during construction.
3. Fire Safety Assurance: Construction stage monitoring, EWS1 assessments, intrusive surveys, remedial consulting, defect identification, and quality assurance services bridging design and end-use.
4. Fire Risk Management: Fire risk assessments, fire policy and strategy development, implementation of fire risk management systems, and strategic risk management for multi-site portfolios.
5. Insurance Services: Latent Defects Insurance (LDI) and Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs) supporting developers, contractors, and housing associations with over £1.5 billion in covered projects.
6. Structural Fire Engineering: Specialist structural fire engineering services for steel, concrete, mass timber and composite structures with advanced fire modelling capabilities.
7. Assigned Certifier Services: Building Control Amendment Regulations (BCAR) compliance services in Ireland, coordinating with clients, designers, and building authorities through the Building Control Management System.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BB7 is a multidisciplinary fire safety and facade engineering consultancy providing performance-based fire strategies, fire risk assessments, CFD and structural fire modelling, facade engineering design, construction-stage fire safety assurance, EWS1 and external wall assessments, building control assigned certifier services, and Latent Defects Insurance/Insurance Backed Guarantee services. Engagements span all RIBA stages from concept through construction and occupation for developers, architects, contractors, property owners, and public sector clients across the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, and selected international markets.

Product overview

BB7 is a fire safety and façade engineering consultancy offering an integrated multidisciplinary service across the building lifecycle. The core portfolio includes Fire Engineering, Façade Engineering, Fire Safety Assurance, Fire Risk Management, Structural Fire Engineering, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modelling, Assigned Certifier, Façade Access Consultancy, Health and Safety Design, and Insurance Services. BB7 operates under a 'Safer Building Service' framework that integrates these disciplines into a unified offering, with specialist capabilities supported by an Innovation Lab for research and development. The company also maintains Cycle 7, a dedicated ESG programme aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. BB7 joined CERTANIA in 2025 as part of their Buildings & Infrastructure platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cycle 7: BB7's dedicated ESG program driving measurable impact, ambitious goals, and positive change aligned with UN 2030 Agenda and SDGs
• Innovation Lab

Products and services

• Fire Engineering Bespoke fire engineering solutions embedded throughout the building lifecycle, from concept through design, construction, and occupation. Provides creative fire safety engineering solutions, fire safety support, pre- and post-occupation fire risk assessments, and training for developers, architects, contractors and building owners.
• Facade Engineering Building facade engineering systems providing early RIBA Stage support through bespoke Facade Technical Performance Specification to RIBA Stage 5 compliance and quality control reviews, site monitoring and installation conformity for developers, architects and contractors.
• Fire Safety Assurance Construction-stage monitoring, remedial consultancy, defect identification, detailed design reviews, and Health & Safety services between RIBA stages 4-6. Includes EWS1 services, external wall surveys, and construction site inspections for residential, commercial and public sector clients.
• Fire Risk Management Strategic fire risk management services including fire risk assessments, fire policy and strategy development, retrospective fire strategies, and fire risk assessment programmes for multi-site portfolios for housing associations, energy providers, and large portfolio operators.
• Structural Fire Engineering Resilient and practical fire solutions for structures covering steel, concrete, mass timber, and composite structures. Includes fire modelling, thermomechanical analysis, and passive fire protection for architects, structural engineers and developers.
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modelling Advanced simulation of fire, heat and smoke behaviour within buildings to test and evidence fire strategy decisions. Supports smoke modelling, mechanical smoke ventilation systems, and ASET/RSET analysis for performance-based fire strategies.
• Assigned Certifier Design and Assigned Certifier services for construction projects under Building Control Amendment Regulations (BCAR) 2014 in Ireland. Coordinates with the Building Control Management System and ensures regulatory compliance.
• Facade Access Consultancy Safe, compliant and practical access solutions for building facades from concept to completion. Includes Facade Access Strategy Design, performance-based specifications, tender support, and site monitoring across RIBA Stage 2-4 through to operational maintenance and refurbishments.
• Health and Safety Design Health & Safety Design Coordinators acting as Project Supervisor Design Process (PSDP) for construction projects, developing safety culture from design through construction and maintenance.
• Insurance Services Latent Defects Insurance (LDI) and Insurance Backed Guarantees (IBGs) providing long-term protection and covering repair costs for defects in residential, social housing and commercial developments for developers, contractors, and housing associations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800 suitable and sufficient fire risk assessments per month on national multi-site portfolios
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Academic research collaboration on thermal-induced stresses in isolated beams subjected to fire, contributing to international fire engineering knowledge base.
• University of EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025BB7 maintains connection to the Rushbrook Fire Laboratory at University of Edinburgh, established by Frank Rushbrook, a pioneer in fire engineering profession. Academic collaboration for research and development.
• University of UlstercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with Ulster University for MSc Fire Safety Engineering course delivery, with BB7 team members lecturing and assisting with course delivery. Kyle Adams lectures on the course.
• Trinity College DublincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024BB7 Director William Ward is a visiting lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, contributing to fire engineering education while maintaining industry practice.
• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022BB7 established Knowledge Transfer Partnership with University of Leeds for academic research into fire safety engineering, including evacuation strategies in high-rise buildings. BB7 secured Innovate UK funding and EPSRC co-funding for PhD projects.
• EcologiminorOthersBB7 partners with Ecologi for climate action, planting trees monthly in their company forest and financing carbon reduction projects globally. Supports BB7's climate positive workforce commitment.
• Fusion21 FrameworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBB7 fire risk assessment and risk management services available through Fusion21 Framework for public sector procurement.
• Procurement for Housing FrameworkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBB7 services available through Procurement for Housing Framework for housing association and social housing sector engagements.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hydrock (now Stantec): Hydrock was a UK-based engineering consultancy with a fire safety and building services practice, recently acquired by Stantec. It competes with BB7 on fire engineering mandates for UK developers, contractors, and building owners as part of a wider built environment engineering portfolio.
• Arup: Arup is a global multidisciplinary engineering consultancy with a large fire engineering practice operating across buildings, infrastructure, and energy. It competes with BB7 on fire engineering mandates but as part of a wider engineering portfolio rather than as a fire specialist; William Ward (BB7 Dublin lead) previously worked at Arup for over 10 years, indicating talent crossover.
• WSP: WSP is a global professional services firm with substantial fire engineering and building services capability across property and infrastructure. It competes with BB7 on fire and façade mandates as part of a broader engineering offering, and BB7 recently hired Przemek Federowski from WSP, evidencing direct talent and competitive overlap.
• Buro Happold: Buro Happold is a global engineering consultancy with a strong fire engineering and building performance practice, competing with BB7 on complex UK and international projects. David Quinn (BB7 Quality Director) previously led fire engineering at Buro Happold in London, illustrating direct talent and capability overlap.
• Element Materials Testing: Element is a global Testing, Inspection and Certification firm (a direct competitor to CERTANIA in TIC services) with fire testing and certification capabilities supporting building product and system compliance. As BB7's parent CERTANIA is a TIC peer, Element represents a strategic competitive context for the Buildings & Infrastructure platform BB7 anchors.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global Testing, Inspection and Certification firm (a peer to BB7's new parent CERTANIA) with a fire engineering practice covering fire risk assessments, design review, and assurance. Eoin Troy (BB7 Operations Director) previously led fire engineering at Bureau Veritas/Fusion Fire Engineering, evidencing direct talent and capability overlap in the fire consultancy space.

Direct peers

• Trigon Fire: Trigon Fire is a UK specialist fire safety and fire engineering consultancy providing fire strategies, risk assessments, and façade services. It is a direct competitor to BB7 in the same niche, serving similar clients (developers, architects, social housing providers) and operating under the same Building Safety Act framework.
• Jensen Hughes: Jensen Hughes is a global leader in fire protection engineering, forensic engineering, and security consulting with deep UK presence. It is the most direct competitor to BB7 in performance-based fire engineering, CFD modelling, structural fire engineering, and EWS1/building safety services, serving the same developers, architects, and infrastructure clients across the same regulatory environment.
• OFR Consultants: OFR Consultants is a UK-based fire engineering consultancy offering performance-based fire strategies, fire risk assessments, and facade engineering across the built environment. Like BB7, it competes directly for developer, contractor, and architect mandates on UK residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects and is similarly exposed to Building Safety Act compliance demand.

Others

• BRE Group (Building Research Establishment): BRE is the UK's building science research and standards body, providing research, testing, and certification underpinning building regulations and standards such as those BB7 helps interpret. As an ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor, BRE influences the regulatory framework in which BB7 operates and partners with on training and standards development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bb7firesecurity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bb7-consulting
• Facebookfacebook.com/bb7fire

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles34 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BB7 Fire