The Week That Was - 6 November 2026

Welcome to the week that was, a round-up of key events in the construction sector over the last seven days.

Construction Firms in Financial Distress Rises Sharply in Q3 2026

The number of construction businesses in “significant” financial distress increased to 108,340 in Q3 2026, up 6.7% from Q2 (101,568), according to BTG’s quarterly Red Flag Report. The figure was also 4.6% higher than Q3 2025 (103,551). Construction had the second-highest number of significantly distressed firms among 22 sectors tracked, behind support services (118,695). Real estate and property services ranked third (99,908), rising 9.7% year on year. Across all industries, BTG recorded a new high of 738,144 businesses in significant distress in Q3, up 1.6% year on year, with increases in 20 sectors.

However, “critical” distress in construction fell 12.6% quarter on quarter, from 7,458 in Q2 to 6,522 in Q3. Separately, the Insolvency Service reported 3,873 construction insolvencies in England and Wales in the year to September, down 2%, though experts warn pressures persist down the supply chain.

For more information, please see here.

Mace Construct rebrands to Forco

After its separation from Mace Consult, Mace Construct has announced that it will, in January 2027, rebrand as Forco. The business will continue trading at Mace Construct until January, when the new identity will appear on construction sites, staff clothing, company documents and digital channels. 

The name and logo were revealed at an event at the Odeon Leicester Square, where colleagues, clients and suppliers gathered. Mace Construct executive chair Mark Reynolds said: “Although our name and brand are changing, the qualities that have made Mace Construct one of the UK’s most respected contractors have not: our culture, our values and the people who have underpinned our success”.

More information can be found here.

Chancellor unveils so-called Data Centre Covenant

The government has said it is ushering in a so-called Data Centre Covenant which “will unlock the infrastructure Britain needs to lead on AI while ensuring communities share in the benefits”.

Under the covenant, data centre firms will have to "pay for their fair share of energy – covering any energy costs they create – so households, communities and other businesses do not pick up the bill". It added: “Communities that host nationally important infrastructure should share directly in the rewards". 

The government further noted it will “set out further details in due course on the definition of strategic data centres and the additional criteria such projects will be expected to meet”, while adding it is “moving forward with wider reforms to support viable data centre projects to build faster and with more certainty”.

More information can be found here. 

Tier One Firms Named on Anglian Water’s £301m ME Framework

Anglian Water has selected 20 firms for a £301m mechanical and electrical (ME) services framework supporting planned and reactive maintenance and smaller capital projects across its East of England and East Midlands region. Tier one contractors Galliford Try and M Group are among those appointed, alongside Amentum, Quartzelec and Ross-shire Engineering, with these five named across all four lots: project work, mechanical maintenance, electrical maintenance and safety compliance. The largest lot, mechanical maintenance, is valued at £123m and includes 17 suppliers.

A £102m lot for higher-value, more complex ME projects includes six firms: Amentum, Galliford Try, M Group Water, Quartzelec, Ross-shire Engineering and Veolia Dewatering and Maintenance Solutions. Electrical maintenance is valued at £58m (11 suppliers), and a safety lot worth £18m covers hazardous substances and explosion risks (seven firms). Contracts are expected from 04/11, with the framework running from 09/11/2026 to 31/03/2035, spanning AMP8 and AMP9.

For more information, please see here.

With thanks to: Charlie Underwood, Ella Crawley-Till and Josh Ovens

Disclaimer: The information in this publication is for guidance purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  We attempt to ensure that the content is current as at the date of publication, but we do not guarantee that it remains up to date.  You should seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content.

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