NEC Annual Conference 2026: scaling excellence in a new age of delivery

NEC Annual Conference 2026: scaling excellence in a new age of delivery

More than 250 delegates attended the NEC Annual Conference 2026 on 18 June at One Great George Street in Westminster, bringing together clients, contractors, consultants and delivery organisations from the UK and around the world. Themed “Scaling Excellence in a New Age of Delivery”, the day was opened by NEC Contracts Managing Director Andrea Naylor and moderated by NEC Contract Board member Matthew Garratt.

The morning plenaries covered the strategic landscape for infrastructure delivery. Professor David Hancock of the new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) spoke on the UK Government’s 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy and how it can give the sector the certainty to invest in skills and capacity. A panel featuring Turner & Townsend, Mace, Tideway and NHS England discussed measuring success by long-term outcomes and value, while the Government Commercial Agency outlined how the Procurement Act and the CWAS3 framework are reshaping public procurement around value, performance and collaboration.

There was significant news from the NEC Contract Board. Peter Higgins and Professor David Mosey introduced the developing NEC4 Project Alliance Contract, the next generation of NEC alliancing, alongside a new Engineering and Construction Short Contract for the humanitarian sector, the updated X29 placing nature on an equal footing with carbon, and the forthcoming ICE Dispute Register for NEC Contracts. NEC Digital, the suite’s online drafting platform, is now live.

International collaboration featured throughout the day. Ir Ricky Lau of Hong Kong’s Development Bureau (DEVB) and Chair of the NEC Users’ Group APAC spoke on NEC’s expansion across the Greater Bay Area and mainland China, while sessions from National Grid, Lantis and Singapore’s JTC showed collaborative contracting in action on some of the world’s largest programmes.

This year’s conference captured an industry ready to scale up. From the next generation of NEC alliancing to NEC Digital and the updated X29, we are giving clients and their supply chains better tools to collaborate, manage risk and deliver lasting value. Seeing NEC-led excellence recognised from the UK to Hong Kong, Peru and beyond shows just how far this collaborative approach now reaches.” Rekha Thawrani OBE, Global Director, NEC Contracts.

The afternoon breakout sessions explored the questions asked most often of the NEC Helpdesk, the case for conflict avoidance, and how the updated X29 can support climate and nature objectives in practice.

The day concluded with the Martin Barnes Awards, celebrating outstanding NEC projects and individuals from around the world. Read the full list of winners on our awards page.

We thank all our speakers, sponsors and delegates for making the NEC Annual Conference 2026 such a success, and we look forward to welcoming you to future NEC events.