In August 2022, The Security Institute entered into a partnership with BRE to become the administrators of the SABRE scheme.

At the time, Dr Shamir Ghumra stated, 'We look forward to seeing SABRE grow and strengthen to help more organisations showcase their commitment to security' and for the scheme to be poised for future growth. The then Chair of The Security Institute Peter Lavery, stated that the Institute aimed to bring SABRE to a wider audience and to 'transform the way in which security risk management is applied to the design, construction and operation of our built environment'.

Sadly, these aspirations have not materialised under this partnership. 

The number of licensed companies, the number of assessors and the number of projects being registered under the scheme have fallen during this period.  The dedicated support required by the scheme has not been provided, and as a result, interest in, and support for, the scheme has dwindled, both by clients and SABREproviders.

However, we wish to clarify the situation with regard to the SABRE scheme. While the Institute will not be administering the scheme from 31 August 2025, in contradiction to the issued statement, the BRE has not decided to discontinue the SABRE scheme; the scheme continues to be licensed by BRE and the BRE is supportive of finding a new organisation willing to accept responsibility for delivering the SABRE scheme.

There is currently a group of interested parties actively working with BRE to find a natural, future home for the SABRE scheme.  The aim is not only to assume contractual responsibility for the scheme but to also fulfil the original aspiration of BRE for the scheme to grow and flourish.  It is hoped that this will be led by a group of security professionals who work within the built environment and who have a deep understanding of both the built environment and the SABRE scheme, so that the scheme can be marketed effectively and where necessary, updated to become an efficient, cost effective and valuable tool for benchmarking security excellence.

We fully appreciate the concern from clients and projects who are already registered within the scheme. As noted in the previous statement, The Security Institute will be supporting ongoing applications up to the 31 August 2025. 

Our group of interested parties will also be looking to ensure a smooth transition from the Institute to the new organisation, so there should be no break in continuity for users of the scheme. A letter will soon be issued to all those past, present and future potential users of the scheme, to encourage your ongoing support and to garner feedback on how the scheme can be improved once established in its new home. 

We wish to reiterate that the SABRE scheme has not been discontinued; it is alive and well, we are looking for a new home for the scheme, and we look forward to issuing further news in the near future. 

Watch this space.