The network is designed for
companies that do the work properly
Large-volume comparison platforms are built around large-volume installers. Intelligent Buyers is built around the smaller, regionally focused, quality-first businesses that represent the best of the UK solar sector — and who are currently at a structural disadvantage in the existing lead market.
The Problem
The current lead market systematically disadvantages good smaller installers
Comparison sites reward speed over quality. First to call converts at the highest rate. Larger companies with dedicated phone teams reach the same leads that smaller, quality-focused businesses — with engineers answering their own phones — cannot reach in time. It is not a market that filters for installation quality. It filters for call velocity.
"Comparison sites filter for speed. Intelligent Buyers filters for quality."
Intelligent Buyers works differently. The homeowner completes their assessment, receives their solar plan, and chooses by name which companies to hear from. They send it. You respond. No race. No cold call. The qualification work is already done — and a smaller, attentive company is not penalised for not having a dedicated phone team.
Active MCS installation teams in the UK — most of them small, regional businesses
MCS Certified Data, 2025
Companies receive each plan — giving smaller installers equal footing on every matched lead
Intelligent Buyers model
Difference in fee between a small regional installer and a national operator in the network
Fixed fee model
Network Support
What the network provides beyond lead delivery
Joining the Intelligent Buyers network is not purely transactional. The platform is designed to give qualifying smaller businesses tools and context they could not economically produce themselves.
Live UK solar market data
MCS installation data, regional pricing benchmarks, system size trends, and export grid capacity updates give you an accurate picture of what homeowners in your area are buying and at what price — information that would take significant resource to compile independently.
Pre-completed property profiles
Every plan includes the homeowner's property type, electricity consumption, battery appetite, and export strategy. Your site survey focuses on confirmation rather than discovery — less time per lead and a more productive first conversation.
Postcode-matched pipeline
Plans are matched to your confirmed operational area. You receive enquiries from homeowners in postcodes you have told us you can serve, not national leads that fall outside your efficient working radius. Coverage updates when your situation changes.
Informed, research-ready homeowners
Every homeowner has received the IB Solar Intelligence Report 2026 and the Five Questions guide before contacting any installer. They arrive knowing what MCS certification means and what a reasonable specification looks like — shorter education cycle, more focused discussion.
Independent quality recognition
The IB network badge is evidence-based, revocable, and not commercially influenced. For a smaller company competing against larger, better-marketed businesses, independent certification that can actually be lost carries weight with the buyers who are looking for it.
A level commercial structure
The fixed fee is identical for every company in the network. There is no mechanism to pay for better placement or preferential matching. A three-person regional installer competes on exactly the same commercial terms as a company with ten times the turnover.
Common Questions
Things smaller installers typically ask
These are the questions that come up most often during the introductory call. We would rather address them here first.
We are a small operation — are we expected to handle high volumes?
No. Plan matching is capacity-aware. Before you go live, we confirm the number of active installation teams you have available and the postcodes you serve. Plans are matched to what you have told us you can deliver. If your capacity changes, you update us and the matching adjusts. There is no minimum volume requirement in the network.
We do not have a dedicated sales team. Does that matter?
Not in the way it matters on comparison sites. The homeowner has already chosen to hear from you and sent the plan. You are not interrupting them — you are responding to a request they made. Companies that respond thoughtfully, even if not within 60 seconds, often perform better than companies that call immediately but have nothing useful to say about the specific property in front of them.
We operate in a specific county — can the matching reflect that?
Yes. Coverage area is set by you at onboarding and can be updated. Plans are matched to postcode. You receive plans from homeowners in the areas you have confirmed you can serve. There is no pressure to expand coverage to receive more plans.
What if we are assessed and do not yet meet all the criteria?
The assessment outcome may be a conditional pass — meaning there are specific, documented things we would need to see before certifying. In that case, we tell you what they are. Some companies come back six months later having addressed them. The criteria do not change between your first application and your second.
Is there ongoing monitoring after we join?
Yes. Certification is not a one-time event. Certified companies are subject to continuous monitoring of their MCS status, review profile, and any regulatory actions. Annual renewal requires fresh evidence submission. The bar does not lower because you have been in the network for two years.
Join the Network
If this sounds like the network you have been looking for
The assessment process is straightforward and the criteria are published. Start an application and we will confirm eligibility within two working days.