The two schemes are approved by the Scottish Buildings Standards Agency, and qualify individuals and organisations to certify building designs as having met the requirements of the Building Regulations (Section 6 Energy) and the Mandatory Functional Standards.

The Approved Certification of Design Schemes (ACD), were announced in August 2007 by the Scottish Executive Minister Stewart Stevenson. It is intended to create a fast track mechanism (in the form of a single certificate) for providing information to the Verifier (Local Authority Building Standards Department).

BRE Global Limited (the certification and testing arm of the BRE Group) is providing the training, assessment of competence, and certification necessary for construction professionals to become Approved Certifiers.

Both schemes require attendance on a four day training course which covers the ten mandatory building standards that form Section 6 of the Building Regulations. Courses will be held regularly throughout Scotland from early December 2007 onwards.