How to engage with the CMA's civil engineering market study

TheIn CMAJune has2025, the CMA launched a study into the design, planning and delivery of railway and public road infrastructure by the civil engineering sector.

We willare looklooking at:

• how the market works
• how well it performs for businesses and the public
• how it could work better

We proposeare tofocusing focus on how the public sector and industry can work together to best deliver large and complex infrastructure projects in the future.

We are looking at this market because the infrastructure it delivers is important to the UK economy. If working well, it could boost economic growth.

HowMarket the market study will worktimeline

Image description: The main stages of our civil engineering market study, as described in the paragraphs below.

Below we outline whatall youthe cansteps expectwe towill happentake atin eachthis stage of the market study, and how you can engage with us. We have included all of the steps we expect to take in this market study.

The dates are included as a guide and may be updated.

We will update this page throughout the market study, and you can subscribe to get emails when we update it (select the button at the top of the page).

Launch: June 2025

On 19 June 2025 we launched the market study, which we expect to last for 10 months.

We published a statement of scope, which:

• sets out the purpose and proposed scope of the market study
• provides an overview of the sector and the themes we propose to explore
• outlines our intended approach to evidence-gathering

We invited views on the purpose and proposed scope of the market study, through questions in the statement of scope document. The deadline for responses was 17 July 2025.

We have also published a market study notice, which sets out the legal scope of the study.

Webinar: Introduction to our civil engineering market study

We also held a webinar to give stakeholders an overview of the study’s purpose and proposed scope, and an opportunity to ask any questions. We’ll continue to engage with stakeholders throughout the market study.

Introduction to our civil engineering market study

• Introduction to our civil engineering market study: webinar slides (PDF, 251 KB, 9 pages)

Other ways to engage

If you have specific questions about the market study, email civilengineering@cma.gov.uk. We will aim either to reply by email, set up a call or update the civil engineering market study case page with more information.

Evidence gathering and analysis: June to November 2025

The CMA hasgathered been gathering evidence and conductingcarried out analysis to identify any issues in the market and areas for potential improvement.

In line with the approach set out in the statement of scope, we have focused on understanding how public procurement approaches, barriers in the market and supply-side features affect the market’s functioning.

We are:have:

• hostinghosted roundtables and meetings with civil engineering businesses, local authorities, trade associations, procuring bodies, regulators and other stakeholders
• collectingcollected information from the main civil engineering businesses and public authorities including by using formal requests
• selectingselected case studies from across the nations and regions of the UK reflecting different outcomes
• analysinganalysed available market data through desk-based research
• sendingsent informal questionnaires, such as brief online surveys to key market participants
• workingworked with the UK government and devolved governments, to understand applicable legal and policy frameworks

We have also:

• received and published responses to our our invitation to comment
• commissioned qualitative research from Jigsaw Research, who will engage directly with civil engineering businesses

Sector panel

As part of our evidence gathering, we have appointed a civil engineering sector panel. This panel brings together both sides of the market (supply and demand) to encourage debate and gather opinions. The panel will explore the CMA’s emerging thinking on:

• challenges the sector might face

• any possible recommendations the CMA could make to the UK government or industry, in light of the potential findings of its market study

This sector panel is made up of individuals who work for the following organisations: 

• ADEPT
• AE Yates
• Arup
• AtkinsRealis
• Balfour Beatty
• Cabinet Office
• Costain
• Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland)
• D Morgan
• Ice
• Jacobs
• Kier
• Murphy
• Network Rail
• National Highways
• National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority
• Office of Road and Rail
• Scottish Government
• Skanska

Internal state of play meeting

In late September,September 2025, the CMA held an internal state of play (ISOP) meeting to assess the themes being explored in the market study against the evidence gathered to date and to determine, applying the CMA’s prioritisation principles, whether to continue, amend or remove any areas of analysis.

The conclusion of the ISOP meeting was to continue focusing on the themes outlined in the statement of scope:

• public procurement
• barriers in the market
• supply-side features

We will continue to look across rail and road markets across the UK.

We decided to deprioritise further work on the intrinsic financial and economic costs of entering the civil engineering market and late payment, noting that the UK government is currently consulting on proposals to tackle poor payment practices. Our ongoing work on barriers in the market will focus on procurement, planning and regulatory processes.

Consultation on emerging thinking and remediesremedies: (if any): December 2025 to February 2026

Interim report

InOn December,17 weDecember will2025, publishthe anCMA published its interim report which:

• sets out our work to outlinedate on the market study

• outlines our emergingconcerns findingsabout andthe identifymarket, and areas wherefor therepotential couldimprovement

• proposes besome opportunitiespossible options for improving market outcomes.outcomes

IfWe needed,invite thisviews willfrom includecivil anyengineering areasbusinesses forof potentialall recommendationsizes, topublic governmentauthorities, policy makers and publicother authorities.

Weinterested willstakeholders consulton the issues set out in the interim report, along with businesses,any publicsupporting authorities,evidence. UKThe government,deadline andfor devolvedresponses governmentsis that28 mayJanuary be2026.

Webinar: affected.interim report

We wouldwill behold interesteda inwebinar testingon our8 emergingJanuary findings2026 andto workinggive withstakeholders thesean organisationsoverview of the interim report, and how to helprespond developto anyit. proposalsThere forwill potentialalso recommendations.be an opportunity to ask questions.

Register your place.

Finishing our evidence gathering

AfterNow we have published our interim report, we will think about what moreadditional evidence we need to finalisefully develop our findings and any potential recommendations.

We might send more requests for information, or meet with more civil engineering businesses, local authorities, procuring bodies and regulators.

Final report: March to April 2026

We will publish our final report that sets out our conclusions about the market, and any remedies such as recommendations to government and public authorities.