DGCOS

Name

DGCOS

Legal name

The Double Glazing & Conservatory Quality Assurance Ombudsman Scheme

Website

https://www.dgcos.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leyland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Installer Membership Fees: Installers pay for membership/accreditation to join DGCOS scheme, gaining access to consumer protection services, accreditation credentials, marketing support, and the Installer Hub platform. This is the primary revenue stream enabling DGCOS to provide free consumer services including dispute resolution and ombudsman access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DGCOS (Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme) accredits and vets window, door, conservatory, orangery, roofline, and related home improvement installers across the UK. It sells membership subscriptions to installer businesses, generating revenue that funds free consumer protection services including deposit protection insurance, insurance-backed guarantees, alternative dispute resolution, mediation, and ombudsman access for homeowners using accredited installers.

Product overview

DGCOS (Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme) is a consumer protection organization operating as a quality assurance ombudsman scheme for the glazing and home improvement industry. The scheme is not a product company but rather provides consumer protection services including: (1) an Installer Accreditation program that vets and accredits window, door, conservatory, orangery, roofline, garage door, garden room, and porch installers; (2) Deposit and Stage-Payment Protection Insurance covering up to 25% of contract value (max £5,000) for 120 days; (3) Insurance-Backed Guarantees ranging from 2-10 years; (4) Alternative Dispute Resolution and mediation services; and (5) free ombudsman access for unresolved complaints. The scheme protects consumers throughout the UK via a national network of accredited installers, with statistics showing protection for 455,000 customers, £369m in deposits, £2.3bn in contracts, and 1.7m products protected.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DGCOS Consumer Protection Scheme A subscription-based membership scheme for UK window, door, conservatory, orangery, roofline, garden room, garage door, and porch installers. Members receive accreditation credentials, deposit protection insurance, insurance-backed guarantees, dispute resolution support, and access to the Installer Hub platform, while their homeowner customers receive free consumer protection including mediation and ombudsman access.
• Installer Hub Platform An online platform exclusively for accredited DGCOS installer members that combines a marketing material ordering system with a job registration portal. Installers use it to register installations covered by DGCOS protection and order branded marketing materials to promote their DGCOS accreditation to consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• £2.3 billion contracts protected
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• West Yorkshire Trading StandardscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2021Primary Authority partnership enabling DGCOS members to benefit from legally backed advice across areas including compliance, model contracts, and consumer protection regulations.
• Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading StandardscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Primary Authority partnership providing DGCOS members with access to legally backed regulatory advice, guidance documents, templates, and tools designed to ensure compliance with trading standards regulations.
• Propensio FinanceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2019Affiliate partner specializing in fast, flexible non-prime lending for the home improvement market. DGCOS members can offer financing options to customers through this partnership.
• George ClarkecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2019Renowned TV presenter and architect George Clarke serves as DGCOS Brand Ambassador, providing high-profile endorsement and advocacy for consumer protection. George has been associated with DGCOS for over 5 years, actively promoting the scheme to homeowners.
• National Home Improvement Council (NHIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2018DGCOS joined the NHIC board; NHIC is the umbrella organization for UK refurbishment, maintenance and home improvement sector, established 1974. DGCOS CEO Faisal Hussain serves as NHIC Non-Executive Director. Organizations collaborate on mental health initiatives and industry advocacy.
• QA Scheme Support Services (QASSS)coreOthersQASSS operates DGCOS along with HIES (Home Insulation & Energy Systems) and HICS (Home Insulation & Conservatory Scheme) consumer protection schemes. Provides centralized support services for all three schemes.
• People in Glazing Society (PIGS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry networking organization for glazing professionals. DGCOS sponsors PIGS events and regularly attends networking gatherings in Manchester, London, and Glasgow to engage with industry leaders.
• Glazing SummitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor industry conference organized by Insight Data and Purplex Marketing. DGCOS attends to network with key industry leaders, trade bodies, and government departments.
• Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTSI approved QASSS (DGCOS's operating company) as an official consumer ADR body on August 1, 2018, enabling DGCOS to provide formal alternative dispute resolution services.
• HIES (Home Insulation & Energy Systems)coreOthersRelated consumer protection scheme under QASSS operating company. Shares Installer Hub platform and services with DGCOS; collaborative mental health initiatives.
• Ideal Window SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding DGCOS member and regular podcast collaborator. Specializes in window and door installation; launched closed-loop recycling service for sustainability.
• Radcliffe Glass & WindowsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding DGCOS member serving Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and Cheshire since 1979. Won 2025 GGP Installer Awards; active industry advocate.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HIES (Home Insulation & Energy Systems Quality Assured Contractors Scheme): Sister consumer-protection scheme operated under the same parent (QASSS) as DGCOS. Provides nearly identical installer accreditation, deposit protection, IBG, and ADR services but for the home insulation sector — making it the closest possible comparable in business model, scale, and operational design.
• FENSA: UK government-authorised Competent Person Scheme specifically for window and door installations. Closest functional peer to DGCOS, operating in the same glazing sector with overlapping installer accreditation, though FENSA is more compliance/self-certification-focused and less consumer-protection-focused than DGCOS.
• Certass: UK Competent Person Scheme covering window, door, and conservatory installations. Directly comparable to DGCOS in target installer base and regulatory remit, with overlapping membership across UK glazing trades; differs in that Certass is more compliance-oriented and less consumer-facing.
• TrustMark: UK Government-endorsed quality scheme for tradespeople across multiple home-improvement categories. Highly comparable to DGCOS as a consumer-facing trust mark with a vetted installer/trader network, although TrustMark operates as a broader umbrella scheme rather than glazing-specific.
• Which? Trusted Traders: Consumer-facing vetting scheme operated by the consumer brand Which?, endorsing UK tradespeople (including glaziers) against published standards. Comparable consumer-protection positioning to DGCOS, although based on assessment + reviews rather than the deposit/IBG insurance model DGCOS operates.
• Checkatrade: UK's leading consumer-facing directory of vetted tradespeople, including window, door and conservatory installers. Highly comparable in serving consumers searching for trusted installers; differs in that Checkatrade's mechanism is review-based rather than accreditation + insurance-backed guarantees.

Others

• National Home Improvement Council (NHIC): UK umbrella body for the home improvement sector, established 1974. DGCOS sits on the NHIC board and the DGCOS CEO is an NHIC Non-Executive Director — making it a governance peer rather than a commercial competitor, useful for benchmarking sector positioning and policy influence.

Broad incumbents

• NHBC (National House Building Council): UK's leading warranty and standards body for new-build housing. Adjacent to DGCOS in providing consumer protection and insurance-backed guarantees, but focused on new-build construction rather than retrofit glazing/home improvement; useful as a comparable scale benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DGCOS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dgcos--double-glazing-and-conservatory-ombudsman-scheme
• Instagraminstagram.com/thedgcos
• Xx.com/dgcos

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 DGCOS