Gérard Senior discusses the evolution of Qualibat, whose qualifications cover nearly 80% of construction activity, and the new approach aimed at considering companies as real clients.
On March 18, 2026, we met Gérard Senior, president of Qualibatto take stock of the evolution of the association and its activities. According to him, 80% of the building’s turnover is affected by qualifications managed by Qualibat where all professions are represented, exceptelectrical installation, managed by Qualifélec. He introduced a new dynamic by considering the companies qualified by Qualibat as real clients of the association.
Gérard Senior is an architect, member of the UNSFA, elected president of Qualibat in 2021 to succeed Alain Maugard, then again in June 2025. © Qualibat
Qualibat has three types of customers
According to Gérard Senior, the Qualibat association has three types of clients. The first are naturally the qualified companies. By the way, he tells us that for a company, a Qualibat qualification costs €1,200 for four years, audits included. For its corporate clients, Qualibat has, for several years, trained customer service managers and made its regional delegates aware of the need to maintain, or even increase, the satisfaction of its 48,000 corporate clients. On average, each company holds 1.5 Qualibat qualifications, or 72,000 qualifications to manage.
The audits are outsourced to architects, design offices, project managers, etc. each competent in a particular field. The administrative aspect of the qualification audit (URSAFF, insurance certificate, etc.) is managed directly by Qulibat. The auditor checks in particular the competence and training of the staff, then examines the company’s reference sites in his field (quote, invoice, certificate from the project owner and photos at various phases of the site). © Qualibat
Gérard Senior estimates that of these 48,000 companies, 40,000 are RGE (Recognized Guarantor of the Environment). Maximize the satisfaction of Qualibat customersaccording to Gérard Senior, consists of rewarding their efforts by providing them with work. This is why Qualibat is turning to its two other types of customers.
The second type brings together ordering organizations or which brings together ordering parties. Qualibat has signed 47 agreements with Action Logement, Procivis, UNSFA and others. These agreements, which give these various organizations access to the entire Qualibat database by opening its APIs (application programming interface), are intended in particular to help them integrate precise information into calls for tender on the qualification of the companies sought. The third type of customer is the individual looking for a business. For them, Qualibat has developed a smartphone application (Android and iOS).
The Qualibat application for individuals allows you to search for a specific profession, in a given geographical area. © Qualibat
The application generates a list of companies with the qualification corresponding to the search, then locates them on a map. © Qualibat
Obtain one of the qualifications managed by Qualibat
For obtain one of the Qualibat qualificationsthe candidate company presents a file before one of the 130 national or departmental commissions, depending on the field. These commissions have 2,500 volunteer members, designated for this by their professional organizations: CAPEB, FFB, UNSFA, etc. The commission awards or not the desired qualification.
There the most requested qualification relates to the installation of windows. The disappearance of public aid in this area has not affected demand. The qualification is awarded to the company. But for large groups, it is allocated per establishment or per subsidiary. The number of qualifications awarded is very stable in companies with more than 10 people. It fluctuates in companies of 5 people or less and in those of 6 to 10 people which, according to Gérard Senior, come and go depending on the evolution of their needs.
New qualifications under study
When the RGE mention arrived, the State turned to Qualibat, QualitENR, Qualifélec and OPQIBI to manage it. Today, around 70,000 companies are RGE, including 40,000 through Qualibat.
The association develops new qualifications. For example, the “Selective Deconstruction” qualification required 2.5 years of development and was launched two years ago. It already brings together 670 companies. Those who already have the qualification for asbestos removal work are particularly interested. By extension, a “Circular Economy” mention is being developed for each qualification.
The “Digital Model” qualification was launched during the Batimat 2024 exhibition, with two different skills:
– know how to read and work with a BIM model;
– Model projects in BIM.
Other qualifications are being developed: GTB integrators, local building culture to promote craftsmen who have a good command of the construction systems and materials of a specific region, 3D concrete printing, modular and off-site construction. New mentions are also in development: Cybersecurity, Mountain requested by ski lift companies and by project owners who build in the mountains.
Qualibat participates in the Stop Fraude association which published its 2026-2027 program at the end of January. Finally, the association, as part of the fight against fraud, will experiment with the platform created by Guillaume Loiseau, formerly of RX France, intended to identify companies holding a qualification, and as a result, potential fraudsters.
