The RGE technical referent: role, mandatory training and appointment

In a French company’s application for an RGE qualification (Reconnu Garant de l’Environnement, the quality mark for energy-renovation contractors), one criterion concentrates most of the questions: the technical referent (référent technique). It is a person, not a document — a director or employee whose energy-renovation skills have been formally validated, and without whom the qualification can neither be obtained nor kept. Here is what the role covers, how the training works and what it means for companies and training providers alike.

Who is the technical referent — and what for?

The technical referent corresponds to the site technical manager within the meaning of the French order of 1 December 2015 on qualification criteria, amended notably by the orders of 3 June 2020 and 17 March 2025. Their mission, in the spirit of the scheme: to carry energy-renovation competence within the company — sound technical choices, compliant execution, good practice passed on to site teams.

The role is the logical counterpart of a public subsidy mechanism: the RGE qualification conditions the company’s clients’ access to MaPrimeRénov’ (the national renovation grant), the CEE energy-saving certificates and the zero-interest eco-loan. The State subsidises works; in return it requires that at least one person in the company demonstrably masters the subject.

The company must have at least one technical referent with validated skills; the detailed requirements — number of referents by company size, fields covered — belong to the frameworks of the qualification bodies (Qualibat, Qualit’EnR, Qualifelec…). If in doubt about your specific case, your qualification body is the authority — not a forum or a sales brochure.

How are the referent’s skills validated?

The most common route is a course delivered within an approved framework and concluded by a knowledge test — in practice a multiple-choice questionnaire (QCM), with a usual pass mark of 24 correct answers out of 30.

The content and duration of these courses are not free: they follow the architecture set out in the annex to the French order of 19 December 2014, as amended. Since 1 October 2025, for the energy-efficiency strand, the reference pathway is FEEBAT RENOPERF: a one-day cross-cutting module, common to all trades and concluded by the RGE QCM, plus a module specific to the company’s category of works (insulation, joinery, ventilation…). For renewable energies (heat pumps, photovoltaics, solar thermal, wood energy), courses are approved by the qualification bodies themselves and include hands-on practice on a technical platform.

Beware of the classic trap: an “energy renovation” course taken outside the approved framework does not count towards the qualification. It is the same logic as for other regulated courses, where quality certification never replaces the scheme’s own accreditation: the value of the course comes from the framework around it, not just from its content.

Why this level of requirement is not administrative zeal

One could see the technical referent as yet another constraint. Research suggests the opposite: workforce competence is precisely the critical link in high-performance renovation. A study by Linda Clarke, Colin Gleeson and Christopher Winch published in 2017 in Construction Management and Economics (“What kind of expertise is needed for low energy construction?”) shows that low-energy construction requires genuine “energy literacy” across all site trades, broad occupational profiles and strong coordination between them — failing which the theoretical performance of buildings is not achieved (see the study).

In other words: a scheme that requires one trained person per company, with a real knowledge test, is aimed at the right problem. The technical referent is not a stamp on a file; it is the channel through which performance requirements reach the building site.

For companies: the three moments not to miss

At the qualification application. Plan the referent’s training early: approved sessions have their own calendars, and the QCM takes preparation. Failing the test delays the whole application.

At the annual review. The RGE qualification is granted for four years with a yearly review; the presence of a validated referent is part of it. If your referent has left, do not let the matter drift: appoint and train a replacement before the deadline — the detailed rules are covered in our article on validity and renewal on the referent side.

When extending activity. A new category of works means new skills to validate, through the corresponding specific module. The qualification does not extend by itself.

For the “company” side of the scheme — quality marks, classification, site audits — see the Qualibat page, the main qualification body for the French building sector.

For training providers: a structural market, a tight framework

For a building-sector training provider, the technical referent generates demand created by regulation itself: every qualification, every annual review, every referent departure and every activity extension calls for an approved course. But the market has its rules: programmes compliant with the regulatory frameworks, approval, control of training organisations, and — for courses to be fundable — Qualiopi certification on top of the approval. The whole scheme is detailed on our page on RGE-approved training.

Take action

Whether you are the company appointing its referent or the organisation training everyone else’s, the starting point is the same: understand the approval framework and its deadlines precisely. Our RGE-approved training page gathers the scheme, the steps and the frequent questions — and the free ebook gives you the full step-by-step guide.