CECA urges early contractor role as £700m Strategic Sites Accelerator opens

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) has called on the government to put enabling infrastructure at the heart of its Strategic Sites Accelerator, the programme launched on 2 November 2026 to bring forward up to 10 industrial and commercial sites across the UK.

In a press release issued the same day, CECA said the Accelerator will bring together around £700m in loans, equity and targeted grants, alongside technical support. It said early involvement of civil engineering contractors would help local leaders and investors establish what each site needs, its likely cost and the sequence in which the work must be delivered.

Ben Goodwin, CECA Director of Policy & Public Affairs, said: "Before a commercial or industrial site can begin to operate it needs power, water, drainage and access roads. These are fundamental investment decisions, and they need to be settled early."

CECA asked for an agreed programme of enabling infrastructure for each selected site, with clear responsibilities, funding and dates. It also said there was an opportunity to look beyond the boundary of each development so that infrastructure supports neighbouring businesses.

The programme

The government said the Accelerator will deploy around £700m alongside expert support, available through equity, debt and targeted grant funding. It said the programme aims to crowd in up to £2bn of private investment and could support tens of thousands of jobs over time.

The programme brings together the Office for Investment and the National Wealth Fund, with CBRE as National Delivery Partner, according to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade. No10 North will work alongside the programme and local leaders, and mayors and local leaders will help identify opportunities.

The government said the Accelerator is already engaging on potential sites in Glasgow, Burgess Hill and Sheffield. Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, said Accelerator backing alongside a new strategic partnership with the National Wealth Fund would help unlock Runway Park in the Don Valley Corridor.

The Accelerator is open to sites in every UK nation and region, from science parks and manufacturing sites to innovation districts held back by viability constraints, the government said. It presented the programme as a step forward for its Industrial Strategy, and said a further £285m would support areas moving towards devolution deals or Strategic Authority status, including £120m of capital funding.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said outdated infrastructure, insufficient access to finance and planning problems were the arguments heard too often.

Figures and site numbers

The published figures differ between sources. The GOV.UK launch release and CECA both put the funding at around £700m; the programme page on business.gov.uk says over £700m is available to support chosen sites within the pilot period. Turner & Townsend, in a release dated September 2026, said the government had provided over £600m over the next three years.

On site numbers, GOV.UK and CECA refer to up to 10 sites, while the business.gov.uk programme page describes the SSA as a pilot that will invest in six to 10 sites over this parliament.

Delivery team and eligibility

Turner & Townsend said CBRE was appointed National Delivery Partner by the Department for Business and Trade, with Turner & Townsend providing technical, cost management and project management support. It described the programme as designed to unlock complex, high-potential industrial and commercial sites across the UK.

The programme page says the Accelerator offers a blended finance model, including sub-market financial products where they deliver value for money. Technical assistance may include expert real-estate advice, support on land assembly complexities and planning.

Proposals must unlock or accelerate developments aligned with the Industrial Strategy's eight sectors and show clear evidence of a market failure. They go through a two-stage sift, with Sift 1 consisting of around 20 questions taking about 20 minutes.

Goodwin said: "The measure of this programme will be whether businesses can build and operate on sites that were previously beyond reach."

CECA has more than 300 members across England, Scotland and Wales whose firms carry out up to 80% of UK civil engineering activity, and says its industry supports the employment of over 200,000 people.

What happens next

The SSA published its Investment Strategy in October 2026. The Office for Investment is inviting proposals during specified windows in the pilot phase, with submissions to the pilot closing at 11.59pm on 19 January 2027.