A longstanding partnership driving fire door compliance and innovation.

From the moment we first opened our doors, we knew that manufacturing high-performance timber fire doors would require strong technical partnerships with organisations that shared the same commitment to fire safety and rigorous certification. That’s why our relationship with Kiwa IFC Certification has been so important to our journey.

Over the years, our collaboration has helped shape how we test, certify and continually improve our fire door ranges. More than that, it has played a key role in supporting the wider industry as fire door standards, testing requirements and certification frameworks continue to evolve.

A partnership that began at our inception 

Our relationship with Kiwa IFC Certification began before we officially launched. Our founding team had worked with IFC and IFCC for many years previously, meaning the trust and technical understanding were already in place.

This early collaboration was critical as we prepared to enter the market. Before we could begin trading, we needed to demonstrate full compliance through active Field of Application (FoA) documentation, fire testing evidence and clear guidance on how our doors should be installed in real-world projects.

Working closely with IFC’s fire engineers and IFCC’s Certification experts, we developed the technical documentation and certification framework that would allow us to bring our products to market with confidence.

As we grew, so did the depth of our collaboration with Kiwa IFC, our then Technical Manager, Jim White, began working closely with IFC’s fire engineers to expand our testing programmes and strengthen our certification evidence. Together, they helped drive improvements to fire door certification scopes through rigorous testing, technical collaboration and continuous product development.

Growing together through technical collaboration

Over the years, our partnership with what has now become Kiwa Fire Safety Compliance and Kiwa IFC Certification has helped us deliver several important technical milestones. One major achievement was becoming one of the first manufacturers to introduce fully tested electronic access control systems within fire door Fields of Application, supported by primary evidence directly sponsored by the door manufacturer.

This allowed us to provide customers with greater flexibility when specifying fire doors with integrated access control systems, while still maintaining the highest safety standards.

Another significant milestone came when we successfully revalidated our entire family of FoAs, introducing improvements that expanded the scope and usability of our certified fire door ranges and vastly increased the use of primary evidence. These advancements have enabled architects, contractors and specifiers to confidently incorporate Forza fire doors into increasingly complex building environments.

Navigating industry changes together

The fire door industry has experienced significant regulatory and technical changes in recent years. One of the biggest has been the shift from BS testing frameworks to European EN standards. Adapting to this evolving landscape has required manufacturers and certification bodies to work even more closely together. At Forza, our collaboration with Kiwa has helped us navigate these changes while maintaining the integrity of our certification and testing processes.

While the move toward European certification frameworks has inevitably changed the day-to-day dynamics of certification partnerships, it has also opened new opportunities for collaboration. One area we are particularly excited about is the ability to support project-specific fire engineering assessments, helping architects and designers develop safe, compliant solutions for complex buildings.

We believe that strong technical partnerships are essential for advancing fire safety. Our long-standing relationship with Kiwa Fire Safety Compliance and Kiwa IFC Certification has helped us grow from a from a young manufacturer into the UK’s leading manufacturer of bespoke timber fire doors and joinery, while maintaining a relentless focus on compliance, testing and innovation.

As the industry continues to evolve, we look forward to continuing that journey together supporting architects, contractors and building owners with fire door solutions they can trust.