The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) has today called on the Chancellor to accelerate the delivery of projects already announced, promised or procured, as a part of her intentionally understated Spring Statement.

Alongside large-scale schemes already in development, government should prioritise investment that delivers broad-based economic, social and environmental outcomes. Priority areas include regional mass transit, bus franchising, housing‑enabling infrastructure, strategic rail upgrades, flood alleviation and major renewals.

Milda Manomaityte, CEO of ACE, said: “Targeted investment in smaller, regionally impactful schemes, alongside certainty on existing commitments, would unlock economic benefits and tackle regional inequality. Speed is now needed from government to secure investment and signal certainty to industry.

Our sector contributes more than £39 billion to the UK economy and will be a strategic partner to help government bring more well-designed and high-quality projects to the construction phase – raising prosperity and delivering Labour’s ‘decade of national renewal’.

ACE Key Asks:

1. Economy – recognising the role ACE members play as a high-growth, high-value exporting industry and a critical enabler of other priority sectors including clean energy, defence, digital technologies and advanced manufacturing.
2. Delivery – accelerating projects already promised, procured or partially designed and exploring how pension capital and private finance can be better mobilised to support infrastructure delivery.
3. Environment – ensuring nature regeneration is embedded in infrastructure delivery whilst not impeding speed of delivery.

The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) is the business association for the UK’s professional consultancy and engineering companies operating in the social and economic infrastructure sectors.

We represent around 400 member companies, large and small. As the leading voice for the sector, we foster collaboration to propel the industry to fulfil its ambitions.

The sector is highly skilled, productive, and forward-looking - employing over 470,000 people and contributing more than £39 billion to the UK economy. It competes on a global stage, exporting over £11 billion, providing solutions to the world’s pressing issues and holds the key to a brighter future.