BUILD UK Updates - Painting and Decorating Association

Build UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK construction industry. By bringing together Clients, Main Contractors, Trade Associations representing over 11,500 Specialist Contractors and other organisations committed to industry collaboration, Build UK represents in excess of 40% of UK construction.

Their regular updates contain important information for our industry.

Last Updated: 23/04/2026

A National Construction Apprenticeship Network

Thanks to all those members who attended our Forum meeting earlier this week where Paul Ruddick, Chair and Founder of Reds10 and Flexi‐Job Apprenticeship Agency K10, presented the K10 apprenticeship model, which was launched in 2009 to maximise apprentice numbers on large construction projects in London and the South East.

With employers across the industry struggling to identify suitable apprentices and young people often lacking the guidance and support to thrive in construction roles, Paul outlined how the K10 model filters potential candidates, ensures they start on the appropriate apprenticeship standard for the sub‐contractor’s requirements, and provides ongoing pastoral support through to full‐time employment. K10’s ‘Conditions of Success’ are focused on careful selection of the candidate and holding all parties to account to fulfil their role and provide the required support to the apprentice. To reduce the financial burden on the supply chain, the project client funds the wages of the apprentices, who are directly employed by K10.

Based on K10’s success, Build UK is looking at how this model could be scaled up across the country as part of an integrated Construction Apprenticeship Network, which would match young people with suitable employers, support them throughout the apprenticeship journey, and track progress via CSCS and its digital skills passport. With apprenticeships in construction averaging a 58% achievement rate, compared to 90% for the K10 model, a national Construction Apprenticeship Network has the potential to improve opportunities for young people entering the industry and strengthen the construction workforce.

Cost of Doing Business

A combination of new legislation, increases in taxes and levies, and war in the Middle East is leading to significant increases in the cost of delivering construction and infrastructure projects, and Build UK is working with the CBI to demonstrate to Government the impact of the increased cost of doing business across all sectors of the economy.

To support this work, we are asking members across the supply chain to take five minutes to complete this short survey by Friday 8 May. The data will be used ahead of the Autumn Budget to highlight the effects of rising costs on employment opportunities, investment and growth across construction, as well as the impact on the wider economy including the potential to reduce the funding available to deliver the public sector pipeline.

The CLC has also written to the Minister for Industry, Chris McDonald MP, calling for a delay in the introduction of new limits on tariff‐free steel imports. Although the new policy is designed to encourage the use of UK steel, it will result in price inflation – in some cases up to 40% – due to many steel products not being manufactured, or only available in limited quantities, in the UK.

With inflation impacting projects of all sizes, Build UK’s guidance on Managing Price Inflation, produced with Wedlake Bell LLP, sets out practical ways to manage the risks of cost escalation over the life of a project. Most forms of contract have standard provisions for sharing the risks associated with price volatility, which should be used appropriately and fairly and in a spirit of collaboration.

Changes Proposed to RIDDOR

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published a consultation on amending the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), which will increase the amount of information that must be reported to the HSE. The proposed changes are designed to help tackle work‐related ill health and include:

Expanding the list of Dangerous Occurrences to include those related to the excavation, boring or maintenance of any tunnel over 1.2 metres in diameter; the unintentional fall or dropping of any object from a building or structure under demolition or construction; and the overturning of construction plant.
Increasing the number of occupational diseases from six to 19, including noise‐induced hearing loss, asbestosis, and pneumoconiosis (including silicosis), and permitting their diagnosis by other types of registered health practitioners, not just doctors.
Clarifying definitions, such as ‘work‐related’, ‘injury’ and ‘routine work’, which have previously been identified as unclear or ambiguous.

The consultation also covers improvements to the online reporting system to tackle both under and over reporting, and the deadline to submit a response is Tuesday 30 June.

Business Energy Support

The Government has confirmed the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) will be available from April 2027, exempting eligible manufacturers, including cement and steel producers, from three electricity schemes in order to reduce their bills. A one‐off additional payment will also cover the support firms would have received if BICS had been in place from April 2026.

Skills Passport Response

Build UK has submitted a response to the Skills England consultation on skills passports, outlining how a national framework must work for individuals by providing them with a portable competence record, as well as employers by giving them a tool to instantly validate an individual’s credentials. We also recommended that CSCS is the model that should be adopted for construction.

CLC Deputy Co‐Chair

The CLC is recruiting for a Deputy Co‐Chair to work alongside Co‐Chairs Mark Reynolds CBE and Chris McDonald MP. The role will lead engagement with Government and oversee the delivery of strategic priorities on Net Zero, digitisation of planning and building control, and business model reform. Applications should be submitted to Stuart Young by Monday 18 May.

ISO 14001 Updated

A revised version of ISO 14001, the recognised standard for Environmental Management Systems, has been published to reflect new global priorities, including climate resilience, biodiversity, and sustainable resource use, whilst strengthening existing requirements such as change management procedures and evaluating environmental management system effectiveness.

Building Safety Update

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is consulting on the introduction of more stringent building control requirements for new homes and work to existing dwellings below 18 metres where the Fire Safety Order applies, in order to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations. The changes, which would align plan approval requirements for local authorities and Registered Building Control Approvers, include requiring applications to be submitted with full plans and introducing a new ground for the rejection of a final certificate if a plans certificate has not been given. The deadline to submit a response is Thursday 11 June.

The High Court has issued the second Building Liability Order (BLO) as part of its ruling in Crest Nicholson v Ardmore. A BLO, which was introduced under the Building Safety Act, allows the court to extend legal responsibility for building safety defects beyond the original developer to associated companies, where the original developer has dissolved or possesses insufficient assets. As part of the verdict, the High Court confirmed the key principles for determining when it is ‘just and equitable’ to issue a BLO and that adjudicators can issue BLOs as part of their decisions.

The Scottish Government has passed legislation introducing a Building Safety Levy in Scotland from 1 April 2028 to fund its remediation programme. The new Levy will apply to newly built properties, including build to rent homes and student accommodation, with exemptions for social and affordable housing and homes built on islands. To support SME developers, the first 29 new builds a year will also be exempted, and the Levy rates will be confirmed in June.

Last Updated: 16/04/2026

Build UK Continues to Grow

We are delighted to kickstart this quarter by welcoming another two new members to #TeamBuildUK, strengthening our collective voice even further at a critical time for the industry.

Bovis Construction (Europe) Limited, a privately‐owned main contractor and consultancy business founded in 1885, is our latest Contractor member, delivering complex, high‐quality projects across the UK for both public and private sector clients.
Clarion Housing Group, which joins as a Client member, comprises the UK’s largest housing association managing over 125,000 homes, a development arm and a charitable foundation, providing social and affordable housing at subsidised rents to those in need.

We demonstrated again in the first quarter of 2026 what Build UK can achieve with the whole supply chain around the table, including further reforms to payment legislation, changes at the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), and improvements to the Infrastructure Pipeline. With our work gathering pace, if you know of any other organisations that would benefit from Build UK membership, please do encourage them to join us.

Building Safety Update

The latest data on Gateway Two applications issued by the BSR for the period 5 January to 29 March 2026 shows that 284 decisions were made across all application types – new build, refurbishment and remediation – with an approval rate of 67%. This compared to 326 applications that were deemed invalid or withdrawn in the same period.

However, the BSR has changed the way it presents the data again, making it difficult to track progress. ‘Complex cases’ are now being recorded separately to other applications, invalid and withdrawn applications have been grouped together, and applications are no longer classified as with an account manager. The Innovation Unit, which processes new build applications, recorded 14 invalid and withdrawn applications, 31 decisions with an approval rate of 61%, and 18 ‘complex cases’ in this period.

The median approval time for remediation applications has increased from 31 to 36 weeks, and the BSR has now published its external remediation improvement plan to speed up these applications. Measures include establishing a new external remediation multi‐disciplinary team (MDT) and using ‘Approval with Requirements’ so that projects can start while technical issues are resolved. The plan also identifies common gaps in remediation applications, including insufficient evidence of fire‐resistance properties in replacement cladding and a lack of structural loading calculations.

The BSR has published a one‐year strategic plan, setting out five priorities that will guide its work over the next 12 months, together with an updated charging scheme for 2026/27. Each application for Building Control Approval submitted at Gateway Two will now cost £195, up from £189, with the hourly charge to review it increasing from £151 to £156 per person.

The Building (Higher‐Risk Building Procedures) (Wales) Regulations will come into force on 1 July 2026, and the Welsh Government is hosting webinars on Tuesday 21 April and Tuesday 28 April to outline the changes. Members who wish to attend should email the Welsh Government and confirm their language preference (English or Welsh).

New Employment Rights

The latest measures under the Employment Rights Act came into force on 6 April 2026, introducing new ‘day one’ rights for employees and placing greater obligations on employers regarding fairness, equality and wellbeing. Described by the Government as the ‘biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation’, the recent changes include:

Employees are now entitled to Statutory Sick Pay from the first day of illness, instead of the fourth day, and the lower earnings limit has been removed.
Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave has also become a ‘day one’ right, and the restriction on taking paternity leave after shared parental leave has been removed. There is also a new statutory right to take bereaved partner’s paternity leave.
Sexual harassment is now a protected disclosure under whistleblowing law, meaning that employees making a sexual harassment disclosure are protected from unfair dismissal.
The maximum ‘protective award’ for failure to meet collective redundancy consultation obligations has doubled from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ pay.
Large employers are being encouraged to publish Equality Action Plans to address their Gender Pay Gap and support employees affected by the menopause. These will become mandatory from spring 2027.

To assist employers to comply with the changes, the Government has created a dedicated webpage with guidance and practical tools, which will be updated as more measures are introduced under the Act throughout 2026 and 2027. The Government has also launched the Fair Work Agency, combining the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and HMRC’s National Minimum Wage enforcement team, to enforce workers’ rights, with penalties for businesses that don’t comply.

CIS Changes

Amendments to the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) from 6 April 2026 have strengthened HMRC’s powers where businesses ‘knew or should have known’ that fraud was taking place in their supply chain, and HMRC can now remove Gross Payment Status with immediate effect, levy a penalty of up to 30% of the lost tax, and pursue directors personally.

Planning Appeals

As of 1 April 2026, most planning applications to local planning authorities will follow a new process if they are appealed and decided via written representations. The majority of written representation appeals will now accept only the evidence put before the local planning authority during the application to help speed up decision making.

Major Projects Reform

NISTA has reformed the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) to focus support on around 80 of the most nationally significant projects and programmes. The aim is to improve delivery and value for money by enabling NISTA to target advice and assurance where it is most needed, with departments and delivery bodies continuing to lead projects.

Build UK at UKREiiF

Build UK Chief Executive Suzannah Nichol OBE will be actively involved in UKREiiF this year, including chairing a panel for CSCS on Tuesday 19 May focussed on ensuring a competent and skilled workforce and joining a Skanska roundtable on Wednesday 20 May to look at how circularity can be embedded into all construction projects to make them truly sustainable.

Building Safety Consultations

Ahead of the pre‐election period of sensitivity, a raft of consultation documents on the building safety regime were published with deadlines for responses over the coming weeks and months.

Principles for Informed Clients – Tuesday 5 May

The Industry Competence Committee has set out a draft framework for clients to support and drive competence across the sector.

Construction Products Reform White Paper – Wednesday 20 May

MHCLG has outlined system‐wide reforms to the regulatory framework for construction products to enhance safety and ensure accountability across the supply chain.

General Safety Requirement for Construction Products – Wednesday 20 May

For construction products not covered by designated standards, MHCLG is looking to place specific obligations on businesses to ensure that these products are safe.

‘Category A’ and ‘Category B’ Building Work – Thursday 28 May

MHCLG has proposed amendments to the building control process for work on existing Higher‐Risk Buildings (HRBs) to ensure the process is proportionate.

Conditions of Authorisation – Friday 5 June

The BSR is consulting on the criteria that underpin Government‐authorised self‐certification scheme operators, such as Competent Person Schemes, to ensure they remain fit for purpose.

Plan Approval Requirements – Thursday 11 June

MHCLG aims to introduce more stringent building control requirements for new homes and work to existing dwellings below 18 metres where the Fire Safety Order applies.

Fire Risk Assessors – Thursday 18 June

MHCLG is seeking views on regulating the fire risk assessor profession, including defining the role and establishing mandatory competence requirements.

Approved Document B – Wednesday 1 July

The BSR has proposed a number of changes to the guidance, including for external walls systems and balconies, and the provision of evacuation lifts in residential buildings above 18 metres.

Build UK will be preparing responses to the consultations relevant to the majority of our members, and if you would like to contribute or provide feedback, please email us.

Last Updated: 02/04/2026

Improving Payment Performance

The Government has published its response to the Late Payments Consultation, setting out the measures that will be taken forward to tackle late payment and ensure small businesses are paid on time. Described as the ‘largest set of reforms in over a generation’, the changes include a proposal to prohibit the deduction and withholding of retention payments under construction contracts.

This is another significant step forward and the result of years of hard work by Build UK members across the whole supply chain. Back in 2018 when we began benchmarking members on their payment performance, the average time taken by our tier one Contractor members to pay invoices was 45 days and not one of them paid within 30 days, leading Construction News to state that “ensuring payment practices actually improve should be the benchmark by which Build UK is now judged”. Fast forward to today and the average is 30 days, with two thirds paying in 30 days or less.

Build UK is still the only trade organisation benchmarking payment performance, and we have proved the value of measurement and transparency in changing behaviours across a sector with significant results. The latest reforms build on all the progress that has been made to date and will enable us to move forward, particularly on the issue of retentions. It is a huge opportunity and Build UK will be working closely with the Department for Business and Trade to demonstrate that our members and the wider industry have both the appetite and the ability to continuously improve the way we operate.

The changes will require both primary and secondary legislation, which we understand will be introduced in the next Parliamentary session starting in May. There will also be further engagement with industry on how the measures will interact with the Construction Act which we called for in our response. Based on concerns raised during the consultation, including by Build UK, there will be no change to the frequency of reporting for large companies, and they will continue to be required to report twice a year.

New Reforms to Payment Legislation

Board‐level scrutiny – The board or audit committee of large companies who have made a ‘significant proportion’ of payments late will be required to publish commentary on GOV.UK explaining how they intend to improve payment performance.

Maximum payment terms – From ‘no earlier than 2027’, payment terms will be capped at a maximum of 60 days, with the following exemptions: where both parties are large companies, the purchaser is the smaller party, or the goods or services are either being imported or exported. The Government has confirmed that this measure will be aligned with the Construction Act.

Deadline for disputing invoices – There will be a statutory time limit for disputing an invoice, with businesses required to pay compensation to their supplier if they do not raise a dispute within the time limit.

Mandatory statutory interest – Compulsory interest of 8% above the Bank of England base rate will apply to all late payments under commercial contracts.

Additional Reporting on Statutory Interest – Large companies will be required to report on interest payments, including the value they are liable to pay and the value that has actually been paid.

Financial Penalties for Persistent Late Payers – The Small Business Commissioner will have the power to fine businesses based on their payment reports, with the level of fine based on their unpaid statutory interest liability.

Expanded powers for the Small Business Commissioner – The Small Business Commissioner will also be given new powers to investigate businesses suspected of poor payment practices, which will include compelling them to disclose information and undertaking compliance checks on payment reports. The new power for the Small Business Commissioner to adjudicate payment disputes will not apply to construction disputes.

Retention payments under construction contracts – The Government proposes to take forward a legislative measure to prohibit the deduction and withholding of retention payments under construction contracts and will consult further with interested parties on its implementation.

Building Safety Update

A combination of the Government’s ambition to implement the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) responding to industry’s feedback on the building safety regime has led to a raft of consultation documents and other information being published ahead of the pre‐election period of sensitivity.

In its response to the Inquiry, the Government confirmed that the BSR would keep Approved Document B (Fire Safety) under continuous review, and a consultation has now been published on proposed changes to Volume 1: Dwellings and Volume 2: Buildings other than Dwellings. The proposals include introducing a threshold whereby the guidance within Approved Document B should not be applied when combustible elements of structure are used; revising guidance on external wall systems and balconies and reviewing the scope of the ban on combustible materials in and on external walls; and recommending the provision of evacuation lifts in residential buildings above 18 metres. The deadline to submit a response is Wednesday 17 June.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has also published two more consultations. The first sets out proposals to change the legal definitions of ‘Category A’ and ‘Category B’ building work so that documentation requirements better reflect the scale and complexity of the work, with a deadline for responses of Thursday 28 May. Following agreement by Government that fire risk assessors will become a formally regulated profession, MHCLG is also seeking views on how competence and standards of professional behaviour would be demonstrated and enforced, and the deadline to submit a response is Thursday 18 June.

More building safety news can be found in our latest Building Safety update.

Delivering New Homes

The Government has now passed legislation to implement the new Future Homes and Buildings Standards, which are designed to ensure that new homes and non‐domestic buildings are built with high levels of energy efficiency. This should mean they will not require retrofitting to become zero carbon in use, as the electricity grid is decarbonised.

Under the new standards, new homes and buildings will be required to have low‐carbon heating systems, improved airtightness and higher standards of insulation, as well as solar panels equivalent to 40% of the ground‐floor area of each dwelling with exemptions for buildings over 18 metres in height. The standards will come into force from 24 March 2027 for most dwellings, and from 24 September 2027 for Higher‐Risk Buildings, with a 12‐month transitional period from these dates to allow the industry to comply with the new standards. To assist the industry, the Government has published revised versions of Approved Document L (Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions) and Approved Document F (Ventilation).

The Government has launched the National Housing Bank with £16 billion of financial capacity to support the delivery of over 500,000 new homes. The Bank will offer a range of products, including direct lending to SMEs and guarantees to leverage over £53 billion of private investment into complex development projects over the next 10 years. It will also work closely with mayors and local authorities to issue loans and investments at lower interest rates.

MHCLG is consulting on the New Towns Programme, including the seven proposed locations for the new towns, which are each capable of delivering at least 10,000 homes. The consultation seeks views on how the new towns could be delivered and planned, and the proposed approach to design and planning policy. The deadline to submit a response is Tuesday 19 May.

There is also a consultation on changes to planning application fees designed to ensure that local planning authorities have the resources to deliver planning decisions. The proposals include a new national default fee schedule based on 90% of estimated costs, restructuring fee categories to reduce complexity for users, and local fee setting including the potential to introduce a cap. The deadline to submit a response is Monday 18 May.

Open Doors Success

A huge thank you to everyone who hosted events as part of #OpenDoors26 last week. Highlights included the Minister for Employment joining local jobseekers at Derby Flood Relief Project, BBC Look North going behind the scenes at Durham Academy, and Buckingham Palace opening its doors to local students. Please follow up with everyone that attended your events with information on getting into construction.

Streamlining NSIPs

The Government has published its implementation plan for the Planning and Infrastructure Act, which is designed to speed up the construction of homes and infrastructure with the focus on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). Secondary legislation introducing changes to the NSIP regime, including the Development Consent Order planning process, will be laid between spring and summer 2026.

CLC Biennial Report

The CLC has published a biennial report, setting out its achievements in key areas in 2025 and a refreshed set of priorities for 2026. These include building safety; net zero, resilience and circular economy; people and skills; digitalising planning and building control; business model reform; and health, safety and wellbeing.

Stress Awareness Month

April is Stress Awareness Month and the theme this year is #BeTheChange. The HSE is calling on employers to help prevent work‐related stress through its Working Minds campaign. It has also published a range of guidance to support good mental health, including a construction talking toolkit and stress risk assessment template.

In Case You Missed It in March…

Open Doors 2026 was a huge success welcoming over 6,000 visitors to sites and workplaces across the UK as the industry came together to showcase careers in construction.
Build UK responded to the consultation on the Single Construction Regulator Prospectus, whilst the Building Professions Team from MHCLG joined our latest Building Safety call to present its strategy for the regulation of built environment professions.
We hosted a series of meetings with CITB Chief Executive Tim Balcon to understand the future for CITB in light of ongoing funding changes and the proposal for a merger with ECITB.
Build UK was delighted to welcome another new Contractor member to #TeamBuildUK, CLM Fireproofing.
In response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, we updated our guidance on Managing Price Inflation, setting out ways to manage the risks of cost escalation over the life of a project.

The Build UK update will be taking a break for Easter next week returning on Thursday 16 April with all the latest industry news. A very happy Easter from #TeamBuildUK and we hope you all enjoy a well‐earned break!

Last Updated: 01/04/2026

Improving the Building Safety Regime

A combination of the Government’s ambition to implement the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) responding to industry’s feedback on the building safety regime has led to a raft of consultation documents being published ahead of the pre‐election period of sensitivity.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has also published the following two consultations:

Fire risk assessors – Following agreement by Government that fire risk assessors will become a formally regulated profession, MHCLG is seeking views on how competence and standards of professional behaviour would be demonstrated and enforced, as well as the arrangements for professional registration. The deadline for responses is Thursday 18 June.

Category A and Category B work – Proposals include changing the legal definitions of ‘Category A’ and ‘Category B’ building work, so that documentation requirements better reflect the scale of the work, in order to reduce the administrative burden for applicants whilst helping the BSR to focus on more complex cases. The deadline for responses is Thursday 28 May.
Fire risk assessors – Following agreement by Government that fire risk assessors will become a formally regulated profession, MHCLG is seeking views on how competence and standards of professional behaviour would be demonstrated and enforced, as well as the arrangements for professional registration. The deadline for responses is Thursday 18 June.

Build UK recently submitted a high‐level response to the consultation on the Single Construction Regulator Prospectus, highlighting that lessons must be learnt from the introduction of the BSR when transitioning to a single regulator for the construction industry. We also responded to the consultation on streamlining the building control requirements for fibre optic cabling and mobile communications mast work on Higher‐Risk Buildings (HRBs), confirming that we would not support the removal of any requirements that could reduce the oversight of work undertaken or weaken the safety assurance of a building.

Construction Products Reform

The Construction Products Reform White Paper sets out system‐wide reforms to strengthen the regulatory framework for construction products. These include a new licensing regime for testing and certification bodies, new requirements for product information, and greater enforcement powers for the national construction products regulator.

For construction products not covered by designated standards, there is also a consultation on the introduction of a General Safety Requirement for Construction Products that will place specific obligations on businesses to ensure that these products are safe. We will be discussing our response to the White Paper at our next Building Safety call on Tuesday 28 April, and your nominated Building Safety representative should have received the details directly. MHCLG is also hosting two webinars to outline the reforms in the White Paper on Tuesday 14 April and Tuesday 5 May. The deadline for responding to the White Paper is Wednesday 20 May.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has published details of the enforcement actions it has taken under the Construction Product Regulations 2013 in the last six months. The OPSS releases a summary of enforcement actions twice a year, along with product safety alerts, reports and recalls as required, and members are advised to check the information on a regular basis to ensure that the products they are using or specifying have not been subject to any enforcement action.

Building Safety Regulator Update

The BSR has published its strategic plan setting out the five priorities that will guide its work over the next 12 months, including improving operations, supporting remediation of unsafe cladding, ensuring safe construction and smooth Gateway Three approvals, keeping building standards under review, and improving professional standards.

The guidance published by the BSR on Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) has been revised to use the term ‘safety occurrence’, rather than ‘mandatory occurrence’, and Build UK has updated its MOR guidance accordingly. The MOR system that will be implemented during the construction phase must be included in the application for Building Control Approval submitted at Gateway Two, and the template MOR system contained within the Build UK guide has not changed.

The BSR has confirmed to Build UK that it is currently reviewing how HRBs are selected to apply for a Building Assessment Certificate after a number of concerns were raised about the process. We are awaiting an update and will provide further information as soon as we have it.

A ‘Culture Change Framework’ has been published by the BSR to support individuals and organisations across the sector to drive positive and lasting culture change. It contains practical guidance on improving culture, based around five ‘drivers’ of good culture, and members will need to register on the Built Environment Competence Hub to access it.

Finally, Dr Barbara Lane has been appointed as Chair of the Building Advisory Committee, which advises the BSR on all matters other than competence. She will be supported by Dr Hywel Davies OBE who has taken on the role of Vice Chair.

Professional Shortages

The Government has announced £70 million of funding to address shortages in the building control and fire engineering workforces. It will cover recruiting up to 700 new Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs), upskilling existing RBIs to Class 3H so that they can inspect HRBs, and developing higher education provision for fire engineers.

BS 8214 Updated

The BSI has published a revised version of BS 8214, which provides recommendations for fire‐resisting and smoke control doors. The changes include expanding coverage to fire door assemblies of all materials, clarifying installation requirements, and updating smoke control recommendations to align with the most recent version of BS 9991.

CPS Criteria Review

The BSR is consulting on the Conditions of Authorisation, which are the criteria that underpin the operation of Government‐authorised self‐certification scheme operators such as Competent Person Schemes (CPS), to ensure they remain fit for purpose and schemes continue to support safe, compliant building practices. The deadline to submit a response is Friday 5 June.

Construction Adviser

The Government’s annual report on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry confirmed that a new Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser would be appointed to provide a single source of independent advice and challenge to Ministers on construction, science and engineering issues. MHCLG is now recruiting for the role, and the deadline for applications is Monday 13 April.

Competence Update

At our last Building Safety call, the Building Professions Team from MHCLG presented its overarching strategy for the regulation of built environment professions. It was recognised that the current regulatory framework is complex and fragmented, and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry made detailed recommendations for reforming a number of professions, including architects, building control, fire engineers, principal contractors, and principal designers.

MHCLG is committed to working with industry to improve what is already in place, rather than recreating the system from scratch, and it will be publishing a call for evidence this spring, seeking views on potential reforms, including whether more professions should be subject to mandatory registration and licensing requirements. Build UK is liaising closely with MHCLG on how a licensing scheme for contractors might operate, with the Common Assessment Standard already being used by organisations across the public and private sectors to demonstrate companies have the organisational capability to fulfil their roles under the Building Safety Act.

The Industry Competence Committee (ICC) is consulting on draft Principles for Informed Clients, which set out a framework for how clients can support and drive competence across the built environment. The framework can be applied across different project types, procurement routes and organisational contexts, and the deadline to submit a response is Tuesday 5 May.

Last Updated: 26/03/2026

Inspiring the Next Generation Through Open Doors

Open Doors 2026 has been a fantastic success so far, with events taking place up and down the country this week to showcase the wide range of careers available in construction. Sites, offices, manufacturing facilities and training centres are opening their doors to thousands of potential new entrants and giving them an exclusive insight into what it is like to work in the industry.

Build UK Chair Paul Brown and his team at John Sisk & Son hosted Deputy Chief Executive Jo Fautley and her 9‐year‐old son at Edgbaston Cricket Ground alongside a group of first‐year apprentices from Warwickshire College, whilst Project Manager Tamsin Parkes flew to Northern Ireland to go behind the scenes at Dundonald International Ice Bowl with students from a local grammar school and college. It has been inspiring to see so many young people experiencing our sector for the first time this week, and a huge thank you to all our members and partners who have made it happen.

We would encourage each and every one of you to get involved between now and Saturday, whether that is getting out to support events or sharing posts on social media using the hashtag #OpenDoors26. Together we can – and will – inspire the next generation on their journey from education to employment in our industry.

Industry Training Board Reform

In line with the recommendation in the ITB Review undertaken by Mark Farmer, the Government has now published a consultation on merging CITB and ECITB to create a single, unified Industry Training Board (ITB) to support the skills needs of employers in the construction and engineering sectors across England, Scotland and Wales.

Due to the similarities between the operating models of CITB and ECITB, the Government has put forward the case for a more ‘efficient use of resources to meet their shared challenges’. Its proposal to close one of the current ITBs and expand the scope of the remaining ITB is designed to reduce duplication and free up resources, which could be refocused on a unified skills strategy to meet industry‐wide and sector specific needs, whilst maximising the return on employers’ combined Levy contributions of £263 million. If the decision is taken to proceed with a single ITB, it is expected to be established in the first quarter of 2028.

The consultation is also seeking views on expanding the employer activities in scope of CITB and ECITB, as well as extending the maximum Levy period beyond three years. Build UK has previously set out in its ‘Levy In Skills Out’ proposal how the Levy should be used as part of a skills system which would benefit the whole industry, and we will be working with members across the supply chain to submit a comprehensive response to the consultation by the deadline of 14 June 2026.

Building Safety Consultations

Build UK has submitted a high‐level response to the consultation on the Single Construction Regulator Prospectus, supporting the Government’s ambition to integrate the regulatory system for the construction sector, in order to strengthen oversight of buildings, products and professions and support cultural change across the industry.

We highlighted that lessons must be learnt from the introduction of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), and that the transition to a Single Construction Regulator must include sufficient resources for it to operate effectively, with minimal disruption to ongoing regulatory processes and project delivery. The success of the proposed reforms will also depend on continued collaboration between Government and industry, a proportionate and risk‐based approach to regulation, and careful implementation through a phased transition.

Build UK has also submitted a response to the consultation on proposals to streamline the building control requirements for fibre optic cabling and mobile communications mast work on Higher‐Risk Buildings (HRBs). We confirmed that we would not support the removal of any procedural requirements that could reduce the oversight that building owners and Principal Accountable Persons have of work undertaken or that could weaken the safety assurance of a building.

The BSR has launched a call for evidence on the Conditions of Authorisation, which are the criteria that underpin the operation of Government‐authorised self‐certification scheme operators, such as Competent Person Schemes. The aim is to ensure the Conditions of Authorisation remain fit for purpose and schemes continue to support safe, compliant building practices. The deadline to submit a response is Friday 5 June.

‘New Deal’ for Young People

With apprenticeship starts amongst young people down 40% in the last decade and nearly one million not in employment, education or training (NEET), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced a £1 billion employment drive, as part of the Government’s ‘Youth Guarantee’, designed to help create 200,000 jobs for young people.

New Youth Jobs Grant – From June 2026, all businesses will receive £3,000 for each young person that they hire aged 18 to 24 who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for at least six months.
New Apprenticeship Incentive – From October 2026, SMEs will receive £2,000 for each new apprentice aged 16 to 24 that they take on, and this incentive will be able to be combined with the Youth Jobs Grant.
Expansion of the Jobs Guarantee – The existing Jobs Guarantee scheme, offering a fully subsidised six‐month paid job, will now be available to all 18 to 24 year olds who are on Universal Credit and have been looking for work for at least 18 months

The DWP has also confirmed that the Growth and Skills Levy will be amended to prioritise the country’s skills needs and young apprentices. Seven new apprenticeship units will be made available to employed learners aged 19 and over whose employer has identified a need to upskill them to meet business needs; however, funding for 16 apprenticeship standards, including facilities management supervisor and operations manager, will be withdrawn.

Managing Price Inflation

With the ongoing conflict in the Middle East causing disruption across supply chains and creating further inflationary pressures, Build UK has updated its guidance on Managing Price Inflation, produced with Wedlake Bell LLP, which sets out practical ways to manage the risks of cost escalation over the life of a project, including the use of fluctuations provisions.

Gender Pay Gap

Companies with more than 250 employees have until 4 April 2026 to report their latest Gender Pay Gap (GPG) figures. From 7 April 2026, companies can also publish a voluntary action plan alongside their figures, outlining the steps they are taking to reduce their GPG and support employees affected by the menopause. This will become mandatory from spring 2027.

UK Steel Strategy

The Government has announced a new Steel Strategy, which includes a target for UK steel to meet 50% of domestic demand. From 1 July 2026, steel import quotas will be reduced by 60%, with a 50% tariff on products above these limits. Whilst the strategy has been welcomed by UK Steel, details are still to be finalised and Build UK member BCSA has warned of higher costs across construction.

Construction Adviser

The Government’s annual report on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry confirmed that a new Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser would be appointed to provide a single source of independent challenge to Ministers on construction, science and engineering issues. MHCLG has now commenced the recruitment process for the role, and the deadline for applications is Monday 13 April.

Pre‐Election Period of Sensitivity

Elections will be taking place across England, Scotland and Wales on Thursday 7 May, and the pre‐election period of sensitivity (previously referred to as purdah) will run from the following dates in each nation:

Scotland – Thursday 26 March to Thursday 7 May for Scottish Parliament elections
England – Wednesday 8 April to Thursday 7 May for local elections
Wales – Wednesday 8 April to Thursday 7 May for Senedd Cymru elections.

During this period, Government activity is restricted, and new consultations, announcements or advertising campaigns that could be seen to have an influence on election outcomes will generally be paused or postponed. As a result, we are currently seeing a flurry of activity, including publication of the Government’s response to the Late Payments Consultation earlier this week. It confirms the measures that will be taken forward to tackle late payment, which include prohibiting the deduction and withholding of retentions in construction contracts, subject to further consultation on the impact.

Last Updated: 23/03/2026

Welcome to Open Doors 2026!

Over 6,000 Visitors 👷 240 Events 🏗️ 1 Open Doors Week 🎉

The wait is over – Open Doors Week is here! Between now and Saturday, we are looking forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to sites and workplaces across the UK as the industry comes together to showcase careers in construction. High-profile projects, from airports and stations to offices and galleries, will be giving young people and those seeking a change of career an exclusive look at what it is like to work in the sector.

With a report from Open Doors partner CIOB revealing that two thirds of young people have a positive view of careers in construction, Open Doors is a unique opportunity for them to see first-hand what our industry has to offer whatever their skills, experience or interests. Build UK member Kier has highlighted in Building Magazine how skills built through everyday interests such as gaming, including spatial awareness and problem solving, are easily transferable to construction, which uses BIM, project planning and 3D modelling.

We would encourage each and every one of you to get involved in promoting our industry this week, whether that is getting out to support events or sharing posts on social media.

Open Doors Week doesn’t happen without a tremendous amount of hard work, and we are very grateful to everyone who is opening their doors this week, as well as our network of partners. With your support, we can – and will – inspire the next generation on their journey from education to employment in our industry.

Let’s Recruit the Next Generation

Make sure you are following us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn and share our posts or tag us in yours using the hashtag #OpenDoors26 – let’s get it trending!
Get out and support your events and make sure you and your teams take the opportunity to speak to visitors and show off the wide range of opportunities available in construction.
Help to inspire not only those attending events but many more through your online reach by taking plenty of photos and videos showcasing the highlights of your tours.
Share the experiences of employees who the next generation can relate to such as apprentices and those in graduate roles.
Advertise your new entrant opportunities on Go Construct Careers and follow up with visitors about getting into construction.

Last Updated: 19/03/2026

Final Countdown to Open Doors

Open Doors 2026 kicks off next Monday 23 March, and we are looking forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to events across the UK during the week. Everyone can play their part in making this year’s Open Doors another fantastic success by getting out and supporting events or promoting them on social media!

There will be 240 sites and workplaces opening their doors to showcase the range of opportunities available in construction, including the reservicing of Buckingham Palace, Birmingham Airport, the Tate Liverpool, the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil and Dundonald International Ice Bowl. With a report from Open Doors partner CIOB revealing that two thirds of young people have a positive view of careers in construction, Open Doors is a unique opportunity for them to see what our industry has to offer whatever their skills, experience or interests. Build UK member Kier has highlighted in Building Magazine how skills built through everyday interests such as gaming, including spatial awareness and problem solving, are easily transferable to construction, which uses BIM, project planning and 3D modelling.

Please encourage your comms teams to get involved next week using the hashtag #OpenDoors26 and help us get Open Doors trending across social media, including Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.

For those of you hosting events in London, the Tube strikes planned for next week have been called off, and please ensure your site teams have updated visitors with the latest event arrangements.

Regulating Building Professions

Thanks to all those members who joined our latest Building Safety call last week where the Building Professions Team from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) presented its overarching strategy for the regulation of built environment professions, as part of the Government’s vision for a new building system.

It was recognised that the current regulatory framework is complex and fragmented, having evolved over time with piecemeal reforms, and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry made detailed recommendations for reforming a number of professions, including architects, building control, fire engineers, principal contractors, and principal designers.
The Government has confirmed that it will go further, and the long‐term strategy for regulatory and non‐regulatory reform will take a holistic view of competence, culture and accountability across the sector. The aim is to deliver a system where buildings are safe and high‐performing, companies and individuals are enabled to thrive, and the system is trusted.
The strategy will be delivered by the Single Construction Regulator, which will also have a new central oversight function to strengthen regulatory enforcement.
MHCLG is committed to working with industry to improve what is already in place, rather than recreating the system from scratch, and it will be publishing a call for evidence this spring, seeking views on potential reforms, including whether more professions should be subject to mandatory registration and licensing requirements.

Our next Building Safety call will be held on Tuesday 28 April and your nominated Building Safety representative should have received the details directly.

Common Assessment Standard

With over 22,500 suppliers now certified to the Common Assessment Standard, developed by Build UK, there is a growing number of organisations across the public and private sectors using it to demonstrate that members of their supply chains have the organisational capability to fulfil their duties under the Building Safety Act.

The Common Assessment Standard has two levels of certification – desktop and site‐based – and companies should apply for the appropriate level depending on their trade, size and the requirements of their clients. Once certified by a Recognised Assessment Body, a company does not need to obtain certification again from any others. Instead, they can agree to share their data at no cost with the other Recognised Assessment Bodies so it is visible to more Contractors and Clients. All the organisations listed on the Build UK website accept the Common Assessment Standard from any Recognised Assessment Body even if they have a preferred one for managing their supply chain information.

So don’t duplicate: giving permission to share your data is quick and simple and will help to save time, reduce costs and win work.

Carbon Reduction in Construction

The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard has been published following a successful pilot on projects last year. It provides a consistent way of assessing whether buildings are ‘net zero carbon’ with the requirements to be met including upfront carbon, operational energy use, district heating and/or cooling networks, and avoidance of fossil fuels.

The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) has published new guidance on managing carbon reduction on public sector projects. Whole Life Carbon Management details overarching principles, key guidelines and the use of industry standards to reduce emissions, whilst the PFI Decarbonisation Toolkit includes practical tools to help public sector contract managers develop decarbonisation plans for PFI estates projects.

The Government has announced that the grant available to businesses for installing electric vehicle charge points at their premises will be increased by over 40% from 1 April 2026. Businesses will be able to claim up to £500 per socket, up to a maximum of 40 sockets across all their sites, until 31 March 2027.

HS&E Test Price

CITB has confirmed that the cost of the Health, Safety & Environment (HS&E) Test will increase to £23.50 from 1 April 2026. There are three types of HS&E Test – Operatives, Specialists, and Managers & Professionals – and completing the appropriate version is required to obtain a CSCS card. More skills and training news can be found in our latest Recruit, Train & Retain update.

The Built List

Congratulations to Build UK Chief Executive Suzannah Nichol OBE on being included in The Built List 2026, which highlights 100 individuals who are helping to transform the built environment. Suzannah is recognised in the area of skills, recruitment and retention, alongside Build UK member Mark Farmer (Cast), with Helen Hewitt (BWF) recognised in the area of fire and building safety.

Construction Playbook

The Cabinet Office has begun the process of updating the Construction Playbook which was last published in 2022. The new version due for publication this summer will reflect the latest legislation, including the Procurement Act and the Building Safety Act. It will also provide updated guidance in areas such as prompt payment, AI and information management, and consultancy.

OPSS Regulatory Report

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued its first Sector Regulatory Report following a programme of inspections of manufacturers in the UK heat soaked thermally toughened glass sector. To halt the supply of non‐compliant products and raise standards in documentation, nine Prohibition Notices were issued, eight of which were lifted after remedial action.

Making Tax Digital is Coming

There are just over two weeks to go until the new Making Tax Digital for Income Tax service comes into force from 6 April 2026, which will mean a major change to the way that self‐employed individuals manage their tax. It is part of HMRC’s efforts to modernise the tax system and reduce errors, and it will be phased in over the next three years, starting with individuals with a turnover over £50,000.

Individuals will need to pay a single tax bill each year and use recognised software to keep records of their income and expenses. There are both free and paid for software options available, and individuals will have to send quarterly updates to HMRC using their chosen software, which will enable HMRC to produce an estimate of an individual’s tax bill. The payment deadline for the annual tax bill will remain 31 January. Individuals will need to check their eligibility for the new service and sign‐up in time; they will not automatically be signed up by HMRC. Further information is available in a series of FAQs.

Last Updated: 17/03/2026

CITB Funding Latest

CITB has announced how in‐scope employers can access funding for training from 1 April 2026, which will be dependent on the size of organisation. Micro to medium sized employers will be able to book training through Employer Networks at 50% match funding or a fixed contribution for health and safety courses. The funding available will be capped based on employer size: micro – £1,500, small – £2,000, and medium – £4,500.

Large employers will no longer be able to access funding through Employer Networks and will instead be eligible for a new Large Employer Fund. For the financial year 2026/27, this will provide £18,000 to spend on any in‐scope training, paid on receipt of a training plan or evidence of training. All employers, regardless of size, will also still be able to access apprenticeship grants, Travel to Train, qualification grants, short course grants for certain specialist courses, and the Industry Impact Fund.

CITB Chief Executive Tim Balcon attended a meeting with Build UK members last week to explain why the funding changes are necessary, highlighting that there will be no reduction in the total amount of funding available to industry next year. Tim will also be meeting separately with our large Contractor members on Thursday 26 March, and your nominated Skills representative should have received the details directly.

In line with the recommendation in the ITB Review undertaken by Mark Farmer, the Government has confirmed that it will shortly be consulting with industry on merging CITB and ECITB to create a single body to support the skills needs of the construction and engineering sectors, and we will provide further information to members as soon as we have it.

Final Countdown to #OpenDoors26

There is now less than a week until Open Doors 2026 gets underway next Monday 23 March, and we are looking forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to events across the UK. Everyone can play their part in making this year’s Open Doors another fantastic success by getting out and supporting events or promoting them on social media!

There will be 240 sites and workplaces opening their doors to showcase the range of opportunities available in construction, including the reservicing of Buckingham Palace, Birmingham Airport, the Tate Liverpool, the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil and Dundonald International Ice Bowl. With a report from Build UK member CIOB revealing that two thirds of young people have a positive view of careers in construction, Open Doors is a unique opportunity to show what our industry has to offer, and 88% of visitors in 2025 confirmed they were more likely to consider a construction career after their visit.

Please encourage your comms teams to get involved using the hashtag #OpenDoors26 and help us get Open Doors trending across social media, including Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.

CSCS Update

CSCS is consulting on a proposal to allow a one‐off renewal of the six‐month Provisional card, used for individuals on probation while employers assess their suitability. With concerns about securing sustained employment before the card expires, the aim is to avoid creating a barrier to re‐entry. Members can share their views until Friday 17 April.

Completing the appropriate CITB Health, Safety & Environment (HS&E) Test is a requirement to obtain a CSCS card, and CITB has confirmed that the cost will increase to £23.50 from 1 April 2026. The Construction Industry Council (CIC) Health & Safety Certification, recognised by CSCS as an equivalent to the CITB HS&E Test, has also been updated to reflect the requirements of the Building Safety Act. The H&S Certification can be used to apply for the CSCS Academically Qualified Person card and Professionally Qualified Person card, as well as the Trainee card for those registered for an academic qualification.

Members should be using CSCS Smart Check across their projects and supply chains to digitally verify all 2.3 million cards carrying the CSCS logo, and our How to be a Smart Site guide sets out how to check cards to make sure individuals hold the right card for the job they are undertaking on site.

CIJC Pay Rates

New CIJC pay rates will come into effect from 1 April 2026 to reflect the increases in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) from this date. The CIJC has increased the rates for General Operative and Year 1 Apprentices, with apprentices aged 19 and 20 required to be paid the NMW and those over 21 required to be paid the NLW

Gender Pay Gap

As part of our work on Recruiting, Training and Retaining Talent in construction, Build UK collates information each year on the Gender Pay Gap (GPG) of its Contractor members to provide an overview of performance which can be used to measure progress. Private companies with more than 250 employees have until 4 April 2026 to report their latest GPG figures.

Plant Sector Webinar

The Plant Sector Representative Organisation is hosting a webinar on Tuesday 24 March from 2:00pm to 3:00pm to provide an update on the competence frameworks being developed setting out the skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours required for construction plant occupations. Members interested in finding out more can register for the webinar.

Competence Standards

The BSI is reviewing the frameworks used by Principal Designers and Principal Contractors to demonstrate competence under the Building Safety Act. The aim is to ensure that PAS 8671 and PAS 8672 remain fit for purpose based on the latest legislation, and members can submit feedback until Tuesday 31 March by registering on the Built Environment Competence Hub.

Reformed Qualification Pathways

Building on the Post‐16 Education and Skills White Paper published last year, the Department for Education (DfE) has announced reformed qualification pathways at Levels 2 and 3 designed to help meet skills shortages by ensuring all qualifications deliver good outcomes for students.

There will be two new pathways introduced at Level 2. The Further Study Pathway will be a one‐year qualification (Foundation Certificate) for students wishing to go onto A Levels, T Levels or V Levels, whilst the Occupational Pathway will be a two‐year qualification (Occupational Certificate) for students that wish to progress into employment or a Level 2 apprenticeship but need to develop their skills. Both the Foundation and Occupational Certificates in Construction and the Built Environment will be introduced for the academic year 2028/29.

At Level 3, V Levels will be introduced to offer a vocational pathway for students. They will sit alongside A Levels (academic pathway) and T Levels (technical pathway), replacing all other Level 3 qualifications. The first V Levels will be introduced for the academic year 2027/28, with the Construction and the Built Environment V Level scheduled for 2028/29.

Last Updated: 12/03/2026

Leading the Construction Industry

It has been an extremely busy start to the year, and whilst there is plenty to be positive about, we recognise the challenge of keeping up with the fast rate of change whilst facing ever increasing costs of doing business. The recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry are being implemented at pace by Government, which is significantly impacting the delivery of housing, and thanks to everyone who joined our Building Safety call earlier this week to hear more about the long‐term strategy for the regulation of built environment professionals.

With the updated Infrastructure Pipeline published this week, the spotlight is firmly on recruiting, training and retaining skills. We are counting down to Open Doors 2026 from Monday 23 – Saturday 28 March, and the Build UK Board is meeting with CITB Chief Executive Tim Balcon later this month to understand the future for CITB in light of the ongoing funding changes and the proposal for a merger with ECITB.

The war in Iran poses risks to businesses across the economy, and Build UK is working with the CLC to monitor the potential impact on the sector. Whilst direct risks to construction products and materials are expected to be low, there are concerns regarding price inflation triggered by a rise in energy costs. Members are advised to review their contracts and the provisions for managing cost escalation during a project. The Government is also advising businesses to ensure that all their employees in the region who are UK nationals are registered with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

As well as joining our calls, Build UK members can also register to attend the CLC’s regular sector updates on the work it is doing. The first call of 2026 will take place on Thursday 16 April, with calls also planned for Thursday 16 July and Thursday 15 October.

Infrastructure Pipeline Updated

The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) has published the first update of the Infrastructure Pipeline, which now details 734 projects covering £718 billion of public and private sector investment over the next decade. This is up from a total of £530 billion when the pipeline was first published last summer.

Designed to give businesses across the industry the confidence they need to invest in skills, capacity and productivity, the updated pipeline also includes an estimate of future workforce demand, broken down by region and sector. Overall, it is anticipated that delivering the pipeline will require an annual average workforce of between 629,000 and 706,000 over the next five years.

Projects included in the pipeline have a cost of £25 million or above for economic infrastructure and £15 million or above for social infrastructure. Based on feedback from Build UK and its members, there is now additional ‘more granular’ information included for projects, such as client details, type of work, and estimated start dates, as well as potential investment opportunities. NISTA is committed to updating the pipeline twice a year, and Build UK is calling on the Government to turn its infrastructure ambition into action and kickstart the delivery of projects across the UK.

CITB Funding Latest

CITB has announced how in‐scope employers can access funding for training from 1 April 2026, which will be dependent on the size of organisation. This follows CITB’s decision last month to stop taking new bookings through its Employers Networks for training to be delivered before 1 April as this year’s budget has already been fully committed

Micro to medium sized employers will be able to book training through Employer Networks at 50% match funding or a fixed contribution for health and safety courses. The funding available will be capped based on employer size: micro ‐ £1,500, small ‐ £2,000, and medium ‐ £4,500. Large employers will no longer be able to access funding through Employer Networks and will instead be eligible for a new Large Employer Fund. For the financial year 2026/27, this will provide £18,000 to spend on any in‐scope training, paid on a training plan or receipt of evidence of training.

All employers, regardless of size, will also still be able to access apprenticeship grants, Travel to Train, qualification grants, short course grants for certain specialist courses, and the Industry Impact Fund. Members of the CITB Executive Management Team are meeting with Build UK Trade Association members today and with Contractor members on Thursday 26 March to provide further information on how funding will be managed going forward, and your nominated Skills representative should have received the details directly.

Building Safety Remediation

The Building Safety Regular (BSR) has now introduced its ‘Remediation Improvement Plan’ to speed up the processing of Gateway Two applications for remediation projects. It has also set a deadline of 30 April 2026 to clear the majority of remaining remediation applications from 2024. The key measures set out in the plan include:

Creating a Remediation Multi‐Disciplinary Team (MDT) cohort, similar to the Innovation Unit for new build applications, with account managers to streamline communication
A recruitment drive to increase Regulatory Lead capacity and reduce individual caseloads
Using ‘Approval with Requirements’ where applications demonstrate substantive compliance with Building Regulations, with additional information to be provided at a later date
Publication of specific guidance for remediation applications. Build UK’s guidance on Gateway Two sets out all the information that must be included within applications for existing Higher‐Risk Buildings (HRBs).

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has issued its latest data release for all the remediation programmes for residential buildings 11 metres and over in England. By the end of January 2026, remediation work had been completed on 36% of the 4,191 buildings identified, with work underway on a further 16%. Almost half (46%) of the 2,355 buildings 18 metres and over have now had remediation work completed.

NHP Podcast

Emma Whigham (Alliance Director) and Richard Lennard (Chief Operating Officer) from the New Hospital Programme (NHP) appeared on The Infrastructure Podcast to discuss how the £37 billion Hospital 2.0 Alliance framework will transform the delivery of healthcare infrastructure, with the 12‐year pipeline giving the supply chain the confidence to invest in skills and modern methods of construction.

CSCS Provisional Card

CSCS is consulting on a proposal to allow a one‐off renewal of the six‐month Provisional card, used for individuals on probation while employers assess their suitability. Concerns have been raised about securing sustained employment before the card expires, and the change is designed to avoid creating a barrier to re‐entering the industry. Members can share their views until Friday 17 April.

JCT Contracts

The JCT 2016 Edition of contracts will be withdrawn from sale on 31 March 2026. Members should now be using JCT 2024 to ensure that their contracts are up to date, and all the forms are available via the JCT Construct subscription service, in On Demand digital form, and hardcopy. JCT has also published a guide on selecting the appropriate contract for a project.

Competence Standards

The BSI is reviewing the frameworks used by Principal Designers and Principal Contractors to demonstrate competence under the Building Safety Act. The aim is to ensure that PAS 8671 and PAS 8672 are fit for purpose based on the latest legislation, and members can submit feedback until Tuesday 31 March by registering on the Built Environment Competence Hub.

Celebrating Women in Construction

Build UK Chief Executive Suzannah Nichol OBE has been awarded the inaugural Female Industry Leader Award by Building Magazine as part of its Good Employer Guide 2026. She was recognised for her role in bringing the sector together and driving practical reform, with President & CEO of Skanska, Katy Dowding, saying: “She is respected by all, always finds the time to help others and is a role model for us all. She is the glue and champion that we all need in our industry”.

Suzannah was also included in the latest annual Women in Trade Associations Powerlist, alongside Build UK Project Manager Tamsin Parkes. Published by the Trade Association Forum, working with the CBI and the Federation of Small Businesses, it celebrates the 100 most influential women in the trade association sector, and congratulations to the following Build UK members who were also recognised: Rachel Davidson (BESA), Jane Dawson (ECA), Dr Sheila Kondaveeti (IRATA), Sarah Spink (LRWA), Tanya Cooper (NFRC), and Kay Porter (TTA).

Last Updated: 05/03/2026

Annual Report on Grenfell Tower Inquiry Published

The Government has published its first annual report following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which details the progress that has been made on implementing the 58 recommendations in the Inquiry’s final report and sets out milestones and plans for the year ahead. It confirms that 12 recommendations have been completed, including two from the Phase 1 report, with 70% expected to be closed by the end of 2026.

Alongside the annual report, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published a Construction Products Reform White Paper, setting out system‐wide reforms to strengthen the regulatory framework for construction products. These include a new licensing regime for testing and certification bodies, new requirements for product information and transparency, and greater enforcement powers for the national construction products regulator.

For construction products not covered by designated standards, which means they are currently unregulated, MHCLG is consulting on the introduction of a General Safety Requirement for Construction Products that will place specific obligations on businesses to ensure that these products are safe. The deadline for submitting a response to both the consultation and the White Paper is Wednesday 20 May.

In addition, the BSI has developed PAS 2000 ‐ Bringing Safe Products to Market, which sets out a framework for manufacturers to demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to ensure their products are safe for their intended uses. Members can book a place at the launch event in London next Tuesday 10 March from 9:30am ‐ 11:30am.

The Interim Chief Construction Adviser, Thouria Istephan, has published a statement outlining her work to date, including engagement with Build UK and the CLC, as well as the priorities for the remainder of her term until September 2026. These include supporting the development of the new Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser role, which will be appointed by the end of the year.

Gateway Two Update

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published new data on Gateway Two applications, which covers 3 December 2025 to 25 February 2026. A total of 366 decisions were made in this period, although the BSR has changed how it records decisions and there were another 273 applications deemed invalid, which no longer count as a decision.

Across all application types – new build, refurbishment and remediation work – 49% of applications were approved, with 17% rejected, 7% with an account manager, and 14% withdrawn. The Innovation Unit, which processes new build applications, deemed 21 applications invalid and made 27 decisions in this period, including 33% approved, 33% rejected, 30% with an account manager, and 4% withdrawn. Of the legacy cases submitted under the previous model, three applications are still awaiting a decision, whilst 18 have been transferred to a new ‘complex case category’, where the BSR intends to work with each applicant to try to reach a successful outcome.

The Government has published its response to the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee inquiry into the BSR, which highlighted ‘unacceptable delays’ in the BSR’s approval processes. The Government accepts the intent of the inquiry’s recommendations and acknowledges that “there is further work to be done with industry, particularly to speed up vital cladding remediation”. When publishing the latest Gateway Two data, the BSR confirmed that a ‘remediation improvement plan’ will be introduced over the coming weeks setting out “a targeted package of measures to improve the efficiency, quality and timeliness of applications for remediation projects”.

Response to CITB Funding Changes

CITB is not accepting any new bookings through its Employer Networks for training to be delivered between now and 1 April 2026. It has confirmed that this year’s budget for Employer Networks is fully committed due to a significant increase in uptake and that it expects to be “close to its reserves policy floor of £50 million” by 31 March.

This latest announcement follows the sweeping funding changes which took effect from 8 January, including most short course training being funded through Employer Networks rather than the Grants Scheme and the removal of funding for Level 7 qualifications and First Aid training. It has also been confirmed that funding for Training Groups will end after 31 March and there will be an interim fund for large employers from 1 April.

The ongoing changes are extremely challenging at a time when raising competence levels is key, and Build UK is working with CITB to ensure that members are able to access the required training. Members of the CITB Executive Management Team will be meeting with Build UK Trade Association members on Thursday 12 March and Contractor members on Thursday 26 March to set out how the Levy and Grants scheme will be managed effectively going forward, and your nominated Skills representative should have received the details directly.

In line with the recommendation in the ITB Review undertaken by Mark Farmer, the Government has confirmed that it will consult with industry on merging CITB and ECITB to create a single body to support the skills needs of the construction and engineering sectors. The consultation is expected to launch shortly, and we will provide further information to members as soon as we have it.

Employment Rights Act – Next Steps

The Employment Rights Act is introducing significant reforms to employment law over the next two years. The changes fall broadly into three categories – new rights and protections for workers; fair pay, terms and working conditions; and enforcement and trade unions – and the next measures will come into force from 6 April 2026, including:

Employees will be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay from the first day of illness, instead of the fourth day, and the lower earnings limit will be removed.
Paternity leave and unpaid parental leave will also become a ‘day one’ right, and the restriction on taking paternity leave after shared parental leave will be removed.
Sexual harassment will become a protected disclosure under whistleblowing law, meaning that employees making a sexual harassment disclosure will be protected from unfair dismissal.
The maximum ‘protective award’ for failure to meet collective redundancy consultation obligations will double from 90 days’ pay to 180 days’ pay.
Large employers will need to publish Equality Action Plans to address their gender pay gap and support employees affected by the menopause. These will be voluntary from 6 April 2026 and mandatory from spring 2027.

Further changes will take effect in October, and the Government has published a timeline detailing all the measures that will be introduced under the Act throughout 2026 and 2027.

New Member

Build UK is delighted to welcome another new Contractor member to #TeamBuildUK. CLM Fireproofing has over 36 years’ experience in design consultancy, installation, maintenance and remediation of passive fire protection. If you know of any other organisations that would benefit from all the work we are doing, then please encourage them to join us. 

CIJC Pay Rates

Plant Sector Webinar

Metador Fire Doorsets

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued a safety notice for Metador Defender fire doorsets, as their fire performance cannot be guaranteed when used externally. Customers and building owners who have used these products should seek advice from their building safety officer or relevant authority and review their fire strategy where necessary.

In Case You Missed It in February…

Build UK Contractor members maintained their payment performance, taking on average 30 days to pay invoices over the last six months.
We began the final countdown to Open Doors 2026 which will see more than 235 events take place across the UK from Monday 23 – Saturday 28 March to showcase careers in construction.
Build UK hosted a meeting with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to discuss concerns about proposed apprenticeship reforms, whilst members across the supply chain celebrated construction apprenticeships during National Apprenticeship Week.
Crown Commercial Service (CCS) confirmed that suppliers bidding for its new £120 billion framework will need to be certified to the Common Assessment Standard.
Build UK continued to work closely with the BSR to improve the quality of Gateway Two applications, with our updated guidance setting out all the information that must be included.

Last Updated: 26/02/2026

Countdown to #OpenDoors26

There is now less than a month to go until Open Doors 2026 when more than 225 construction sites and workplaces across the UK will open their doors from Monday 23 – Saturday 28 March to showcase the wide range of opportunities available in construction.

We know from feedback that Open Doors visits lead directly to people joining our industry, and everyone can help by promoting events in their local area and reaching out to schools, colleges and universities about the unique opportunity to see construction in action. With the construction sector needing to recruit 50,000 extra workers each year, what can you do to support events and inspire young people and those looking for a change of career to take their first step into the industry?

Further information on how you can get involved can be found in our latest Open Doors update, and your comms teams can help to promote events on social media using the hashtag #OpenDoors26.

New Apprenticeship Reforms

The Government’s Post‐16 Education and Skills White Paper aims for two‐thirds of young people to participate in higher‐level learning by the age of 25, including at least 10% pursuing higher technical education or apprenticeships. To help meet this target and prepare young people for work, further reforms to apprenticeships have been announced:

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its Education Estates Strategy, a 10‐year plan to improve school and college buildings in England, which will require construction firms working on projects to show that they are providing apprenticeship opportunities.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will pilot a university clearance‐style system for apprenticeships, in partnership with employers and the Mayoral Strategic Authorities, where ‘near miss’ applicants who do not secure their top choice apprenticeship will be re‐directed to similar opportunities in their area.

As part of reforming the Growth and Skills Levy, a faster process for updating apprenticeships will be introduced, reducing the time taken to approve updates to apprenticeship standards from 18 months to as little as three months through the use of occupational experts.

In response to the proposed reforms to apprenticeship assessments announced last year, Build UK hosted a roundtable with the DWP and Skills England for Trade Association members to share their concerns about the potential impact. Members highlighted the need for greater clarity and consistency on how the changes will be applied in practice, as well as the importance of early engagement with relevant trade bodies to ensure that any changes reflect industry views and do not have unintended consequences. Any Trade Association members who would like to be involved in the discussions should contact Helen Hewitt at the British Woodworking Federation (BWF).

Gateway Two Update

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has provided additional feedback on why over 50% of Gateway Two applications for new build Higher‐Risk Buildings (HRBs) that receive a decision are currently being deemed invalid. According to the BSR, invalid applications are missing ‘basic design information’ and the common failings identified include:

Competence Declaration – not produced by the Client in accordance with Regulation 11 of the Building Safety Act
Construction Control Plan – often health and safety rather than building safety focussed, with the schedule of Contractor and Designer appointments missing, and no procedures for reviewing and updating the plan
Change Control Plan – reference to financial implications of changes rather than the impact of design and construction changes on building safety, and no procedures for reviewing and updating the plan
Building Regulations Compliance Statement – no reference to how the design complies with relevant Building Regulations

Fire and Emergency File – reference only to fire and not structural risks, and a lack of clarity on how the design delivers a compliant fire strategy.

To help members navigate the new regime, Build UK’s guidance on Gateway Two sets out all the information that must be included within applications for both new and existing HRBs, as well as detailed guidance on the Golden Thread and Mandatory Occurrence Reporting.

The BSR has also confirmed that it will now be asking for a third‐party review of all submissions related to CFD modelling, the use of computational methods to analyse fluid flow and heat transfer in complex systems. Build UK understands that reviewing CFD submissions is one of the most time‐consuming elements at Gateway Two, and we have requested further information on what the BSR considers to be a third‐party review.

Infrastructure Pipeline

The Government is expected to publish the next iteration of the Infrastructure Pipeline in March, which will feature more projects and programmes including from Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Based on feedback provided by Build UK and its members, the updated version will also contain additional information on projects, including client details, type of work, and estimated start dates.

CLC Biennial Report

The CLC will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday 25 March from 10:30am – 11:30am to present its latest biennial report. Chaired by the Co‐Chairs of the CLC, Minister for Industry Chris McDonald and Executive Chairman of Mace Group Mark Reynolds, the webinar will outline the CLC’s key achievements during 2025 as well as the priorities for 2026, and members should register to attend.

New Fire Safety Standard

The BSI is consulting on a new Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 9970 for Fire Safety in Construction. PAS 9970‐1 provides guidance on managing organisational and site‐specific fire safety risks, whilst PAS 9970‐2 specifies the requirements for temporary fire detection and fire alarm systems. Members can download and submit comments on the drafts until Wednesday 18 March.

Employment Rights Act

The Government is consulting on a number of areas within the Employment Rights Act, including improving access to flexible working, which sets out a new process that must be followed before a flexible working request is rejected. There are also consultations on the regulatory framework for the temporary labour market and a revised code of practice for trade union recognition

Bridging the Digital Divide

Technology is reshaping the construction industry, and it is essential that employees have the tools, skills and confidence that they need to thrive. Digital inclusion is essential for success and Build UK Partner People’s Partnership is highlighting the vital role that businesses in construction can play in supporting their employees to participate effectively in the digital world

Businesses can also partner with initiatives such as the Good Things Foundation, which helps people to gain key digital skills, and People’s Partnership donates hundreds of old laptops to the National Device Bank, as part of its commitment to make pensions accessible to everyone so that they can easily manage their account and make informed decisions about their savings.
By investing in digital skills training for employees and the wider community, employers can foster a culture of mentorship to help others gain confidence and strengthen their environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy. Further information about People’s Partnership and all the ways it can support your employees can be found on the People’s Partnership website.

Last Updated: 12/02/2026

Members Hear from New Hospital Programme

More than 180 representatives from across the supply chain attended our webinar with the New Hospital Programme (NHP) to hear first‐hand about the significant opportunities that will be created by the ‘greatest single investment in NHS infrastructure in recent decades’. Led by Chief Operating Officer Rick Lennard, the NHP team set out its ambitions for the year ahead, which will see the £37 billion programme deliver a long‐term, nationally coordinated pipeline to transform hospital infrastructure. NHP, which is a Build UK member, will use a standardised approach to designing and building new hospitals – Hospital 2.0 – that will drive efficiency and improve certainty on time, cost and quality.

This will be supported by a new Hospital 2.0 Alliance model focussed on consistent ways of working, and the NHP is expecting to announce 10 contractor partners at the end of February, with mobilisation this spring. Members interested in finding out about upcoming opportunities should register on Contracts Finder, where NHP will be advertising contracts, and update their profile on CompeteFor, where sub‐contract opportunities will be listed. You can also sign up via a smart survey to receive NHP market updates and stay informed as the programme develops.

Use of Common Assessment Standard

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has confirmed that suppliers bidding for its new £120 billion Construction Works and Associated Services 3 including ProCure 24 (CWAS3) framework will need to be certified to the Common Assessment Standard in line with PPN 03/24. The eight‐year framework will run from January 2027 until January 2035.

The invitation to tender will open in March, with seven lots including general construction projects, civil engineering and infrastructure, and offsite solutions. The Q&A log published in advance of the invitation to tender states that suppliers can obtain certification to the Common Assessment Standard from any one of the Recognised Assessment Bodies. Suppliers that have not been certified by Achilles will need to share their data at no cost with Achilles as that is the platform that CCS will be using to manage supplier data for the CWAS3 framework.

As the Common Assessment Standard continues to grow, Build UK has updated the logo to include the registered trademark symbol. This demonstrates that the logo and the wording are trademarked and will help to protect against misuse. Companies certified to the Common Assessment Standard should use the appropriate desktop or site‐based logo and can contact their Recognised Assessment Body for the updated version

Accredited University Degree Courses

There are a wide range of construction‐related degrees available at universities across the UK and many of the courses are accredited by a professional body or other recognised industry organisation. This means the specific degree course offered by a university has been approved as meeting the required industry and professional standards.

Where available, it is strongly recommended that accredited degree courses are considered above non‐accredited courses, and Build UK has published information on Accredited University Degrees in Construction to help potential new entrants interested in joining the industry via this route. The Build UK overview covers the benefits of studying an accredited course and provides links to find accredited courses for 10 different construction occupations, including Building Services Engineer, Civil Engineer, Construction Manager, and Quantity Surveyor.

For all the latest skills and training news, please see our Recruit, Train and Retain update.

New BSR Sets Out Vision

To coincide with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) becoming a standalone arm’s length body under MHCLG, Chair Andy Roe and Chief Executive Charlie Pugsley hosted a webinar for industry leaders, including Build UK Chief Executive Suzannah Nichol OBE, to outline how the BSR will deliver culture change and robust enforcement in the sector.

Andy recognised the work that is being undertaken by Build UK members and the wider industry to improve the quality of Gateway Two applications, although there are ongoing issues with those related to remediation projects. The BSR is committed to ensuring that the regime for Higher‐Risk Buildings (HRBs) is proportionate and effective, and a consultation on the requirements for Category A and Category B work on existing HRBs will follow the current consultation on work related to fibre optic cabling and mobile communication masts. With the Gateway Three process fast approaching for a number of projects, the BSR is looking to work with any members that would be willing to trial the process of applying for a Completion Certificate, and Build UK’s guide to Gateway Three sets out the information that must be included within an application.

A new dedicated webpage for the BSR has been set up which includes all the guidance previously hosted on the HSE website. We have updated our Building Safety Guide with the relevant links to the new website, as well as the latest information that has been published by the BSR.

Cladding Remediation Update

The latest monthly data release from MHCLG covering all the building safety remediation programmes for residential buildings 11 metres and over in England shows that remediation works have been completed on 36% of the 4,126 buildings with unsafe cladding identified up to the end of December 2025, with work underway on a further 53%.

There has been a decrease in the number of buildings identified to have unsafe cladding due to a methodology change, but MHCLG expects many of them to be added back into the figures over time. The Remediation Bill will require landlords of buildings 18 metres and over to complete remediation by the end of 2029, and work has now been fully completed on 91% of the 513 buildings identified to have unsafe ACM cladding. The next data release will be published on 26 February.

MHCLG has published a plain English guide to the Code of Practice for the remediation of residential buildings to help make it easier to understand for residents. The Code sets out the responsibilities for those undertaking remediation works, who should follow it in full. For all the latest news on remediation, as well as updates on building safety legislation and guidance, members can sign up to receive the quarterly building safety newsletter published by MHCLG.

Employment Rights Act

From next Wednesday 18 February, new measures related to trade unions will come into force under the Employment Rights Act focused on simplifying industrial action procedures. These include reducing the notice period for industrial action from 14 days to 10 days and streamlining the information that must be included when giving employers notice of ballots.

Competition Law

As the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expands its investigation into suspected bid‐rigging in connection with the supply of roofing and other services to schools, Build UK has updated its guidance on preventing anti‐competitive behaviour in construction, with the support of Wedlake Bell LLP, to help businesses ensure they are complying with their legal obligations.

#NAW2026 Success

This week is National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2026 and the theme for this year is ‘Skills for Life’ to show how apprenticeships provide the foundation for a successful career. It has been great to see so many members celebrating their apprentices and showcasing the opportunities available for young people in construction, including:
– AWE – Gave a unique insight into a ‘day in the life’ of one of its apprentices and the start of their career journey.
– Bouygues – Hosted a #SkillsForLife day for its apprentices to meet different teams and broaden their understanding of how the business operates.
– HS2 – Opened applications for 34 apprenticeships and 16 graduate roles as part of a new recruitment campaign.
– Kier – Appealed to the next generation by highlighting how gaming can provide the skills for a career in construction.
– NFRC – Launched a dedicated webpage to shine a light on apprentices in its sector and provide advice on how to get an apprenticeship.
– Wates – Hosted an event offering practical advice and tips for young people to ‘ace’ their application for an apprenticeship.
The daily themes for today are ‘Opportunity Thursday’ and ‘T Level Thursday’, and it’s not too late to get involved on social media using the hashtag #NAW2026.

The Build UK update will be taking a break for half term next week and we will be back in your inboxes on Thursday 26 February with all the latest industry news!

Last Updated: 09/02/2026

Celebrate Your Apprentices This #NAW2026

This week is National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2026 and Build UK is encouraging all members to get involved and help showcase the benefits of apprenticeships in construction over the next seven days. The theme is ‘Skills for Life’, and there are a number of simple things you can do to show how apprenticeships provide the foundation for a successful career, including:

Celebrate your apprentices – Put your apprentices front and centre of your business and on social media this week using the hashtag #NAW2026 and showcase the career journeys of employees who started as apprentices.
Promote your apprenticeship vacancies – List all your apprenticeship opportunities on Go Construct Careers and make it easier for young people to join our industry.
Get involved in Open Doors – Promote Open Doors events as a unique way for people to learn more about what it is like to work in construction and the opportunities available.

For more information on getting involved, you can download a range of free NAW 2026 toolkits. Any members in‐scope to CITB who would like support with finding, recruiting and retaining apprentices should contact CITB’s New Entrant Support Team.

Accredited University Degree Courses

Use of CSCS Cards

CSCS Smart Check, which is the only platform to verify all 2.3 million cards carrying the CSCS logo, has reached 60 million scans, reflecting its growing use to ensure individuals have the correct qualifications and training for their occupation. Build UK Contractor members Morgan Sindall, BAM and Galliford Try rank as the top three users by all‐time reads.

Members should be using CSCS Smart Check across their projects and supply chains as part of demonstrating competence under the Building Safety Act. Our How to be a Smart Site guide sets out how to check cards carrying the CSCS logo to make sure individuals hold the right card for the job they are undertaking on site. Cards are not issued for non‐construction occupations, those visiting sites or those undertaking informal work experience. However, such individuals may still be required to provide evidence that they can carry out their task safely, and a separate risk assessment and additional supervision may be required.

Build UK’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on CSCS respond to all the most common queries raised by members and the wider industry.

Competence Hub

The first iteration of the Built Environment Competence Hub has been launched to bring together the industry’s competence‐related resources in one central place. The hub has been developed by the BSI in collaboration with the Industry Competence Steering Group, and members will need to register to gain access to the resources including competence frameworks.

CITB Funding

Following the changes to CITB grants and funding from 8 January, any training booked before 8 December must take place by 31 March in order to be eligible for the previous grant rates. Large employers should also ensure that any training booked via Employer Networks is completed by 31 March before a new interim large employer fund is introduced from 1 April.

Open Doors 2026 – More Events Needed

With just six weeks to go until Open Doors 2026, we are seeing a fantastic response from visitors with over 60% of events already fully booked! Demand is currently outstripping availability in several key locations, and we need your help to maximise opportunities for those interested in seeing our industry action from Monday 23 ‐ Saturday 28 March.

We have more enquiries than we do events in major cities including Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, as well as Kent and Pembrokeshire. If you are already hosting events in these areas, we would be really grateful if you could consider adding extra sessions. Alternatively, if you have sites in these locations that are not yet registered, please look at whether you could host events during Open Doors Week.

We know from feedback that Open Doors visits lead directly to people joining our industry, and everyone can help to inspire the next generation to choose a career in construction by getting involved. Anyone not hosting an event can still help to promote Open Doors by sending details to your local school, college or community group, sharing them on social media, or speaking to any young people you know who are thinking about their next step.

Last Updated: 05/02/2026

Members Hold Steady on Payment Performance

The latest results published under the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations show that Build UK members have maintained their payment performance over the last six months despite the challenging market. Our tier one Contractor members are currently taking an average of 30 days to pay invoices, down from 45 days when Build UK first started publishing this information in 2018. On average, Contractor members now pay 97% of invoices within 60 days, measured by both number and value of invoices.

New reporting requirements on retentions will take effect for the majority of the industry in July, and Build UK recently brought reporting members together to confirm the information that must be submitted. Companies are required to report on their retentions policy, including the circumstances in which they are used, any standard terms and the process for their release, as well as the amount they withhold in retentions.

Build UK is still the only trade organisation benchmarking payment performance, and our table shows the results for more than 125 of the industry’s largest companies, providing a comprehensive picture of payment practices across the sector.

Open Doors – More Events Needed

We have more enquiries than we do events in major cities including Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, as well as Kent and Pembrokeshire. If you and your teams are already hosting events in these areas, we would be really grateful if you could consider adding extra sessions. Alternatively, if you have sites in these locations that are not yet registered, please look at whether you could host events during Open Doors Week. We know from feedback that Open Doors visits lead directly to people joining our industry, and everyone can help to inspire the next generation to choose a career in construction by getting involved.

Increasing Housebuilding

The Government has announced a ‘reset’ of the Section 106 (S106) market to unlock the delivery of new homes. As well as delivering social and affordable housing, S106 agreements account for a significant share of total new home delivery, and the package of reforms is designed to reduce disruption to the development pipeline as a whole.

With thousands of S106 units currently uncontracted and unsold, a new time‐limited emergency measure will allow local planning authorities (LPAs) to renegotiate existing S106 agreements when certain conditions are met to allow the tenure of these affordable homes to be varied in order to secure a buyer. In the longer term, the Government has set out a roadmap for wider reform of the S106 system to make it simpler and more resilient. Measures include publishing a template S106 agreement for use by LPAs, providing greater clarity on the standards that S106 homes must meet, and making low‐interest loans available to private registered providers of S106 homes.

The Government has also launched the second phase of the New Homes Accelerator, which aims to speed up the delivery of housing developments across England, with support now extended to smaller sites of under 500 homes. Operations will also be expanded in London via a new planning support service for boroughs.

New Single Construction Regulator

Over 125 members joined our latest Building Safety call where the Single Regulator Team from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) presented the Single Construction Regulator Prospectus, setting out its vision for a single regulatory system designed to ensure that buildings are safe and high‐performing

Establishing a Single Construction Regulator was the first recommendation in the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and it identified 12 functions for the new regulator spanning buildings, construction products and built environment professionals.
The Government has accepted 10 of those functions, including licensing contractors to work on Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs), monitoring operation of Building Regulations and the statutory guidance, and accrediting fire risk assessors. It did not accept that testing and certification of products should be undertaken by the new regulator as it would create a conflict of interest, and reforms to the construction products regime will be set out in a White Paper to be published this spring.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR), which is now a standalone arm’s length body under MHCLG, will ‘act as a foundation’ for the Single Construction Regulator, with existing regulatory bodies to be strengthened before their functions are incorporated in phases.
Legislation to establish the Single Construction Regulator is expected to be laid in Parliament in spring 2027, with implementation from 2028.

Members can share their views on the Single Construction Regulator Prospectus until Friday 20 March. For any members that missed our Building Safety call, MHCLG is running a webinar on the prospectus on Tuesday 10 March from 10:00am to 11:00am.

Navigating Gateway Two

The latest data on Gateway Two applications published by the BSR for the period 3 November 2025 to 24 January 2026 shows that only 32% of applications are currently being approved. There were 698 decisions across all application types in this period, including new build, refurbishment and remediation work, with 68% relating to cases in London.

The Innovation Unit is currently managing 111 live new build applications, and out of the 39 decisions made in this period, 56% were deemed invalid, 18% were rejected and 13% were approved. The BSR has confirmed that invalid applications are missing ‘basic design information’, and Build UK’s guidance on Gateway Two sets out all the information that must be included within applications for both new and existing HRBs. There are still 29 ‘legacy’ new build applications submitted under the previous model, and the BSR is now reviewing each one to determine whether it would be more appropriate to invite a new submission.

MHCLG has launched a consultation on removing the building control procedural requirements of the HRB regime for work related to the drilling of holes through internal fire‐resisting walls for fibre optic cabling and the installation and repair of mobile communications masts. The aim is to ensure that the regime remains proportionate and effective, and the deadline to submit a response is Tuesday 24 March.

Member Subscriptions

Thank you very much to all those members who have already paid their Build UK membership subscription for 2026. A fantastic two thirds of members paid by the end of January, and your prompt payment will enable us to continue focussing on delivering projects that transform the industry.

Transition to EV Fleets

Build UK member, Supply Chain Sustainability School, is hosting a free webinar with Natwest on Wednesday 25 March from 10:00am to 11:00am to help employers take a phased ‘data‐led’ approach to switching to electric vehicle (EV) fleets without increasing costs or disrupting operations.

In Case You Missed It in January…

Build UK was delighted to welcome its first new member of the year, McLaughlin & Harvey.
Booking for visitors opened for Open Doors 2026, which will see more than 180 events take place across the UK from Monday 23 – Saturday 28 March.
The Interim Chief Construction Advisor, Thouria Istephan, joined our Forum meeting for her first public engagement with the industry to set out her priorities.
Galliford Try joined the growing list of Build UK members specifying the Common Assessment Standard for their pre-qualification requirements.
Jonathan Stockton, Chief Executive Officer of NG Bailey Group, which is a member of the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA), joined the Build UK Board.

Click here to view the PDA’s archive of Build UK information.