The Edge: January 2026

The January edition of The Edge highlights current developments across construction, infrastructure and procurement. While there were fewer major announcements this month, the updates reinforce several important themes that are shaping the year ahead.

Key themes in the January edition include:

• Continued expansion of digital capability in infrastructure, including strengthened asset analytics and digital twin technology from Bentley Systems, alongside ongoing Government support for AI in transport networks.
• Growing emphasis on retrofit before demolition, with Westminster City Council adopting stronger retrofit-first planning requirements.
• Increased scrutiny of procurement practices and bid evaluation, with wider investigations and continued discussion around how quality, social value and delivery confidence are assessed.
• Ongoing contractor insolvencies and warnings around market fragility, alongside forecasts of tender price inflation in infrastructure and revised construction growth expectations.
• Continued long-term investment in rail and healthcare programmes, despite tighter delivery timelines and funding pressures.
• Developments in safety, training and competence across plant, building services and major projects.

Given the continued challenges across the construction and civils market, this year introduces a new section highlighting contractors and key suppliers entering administration, alongside those that have been restructured or resumed trading.

The Edge supports WeBid Consult’s commitment to sharing industry insight across the team, helping ensure our tender responses stay aligned with what is happening across the industry.

If you are preparing an upcoming tender, WeBid Consult can support you with bid writing, bid strategy and bid design to help strengthen your submission.

Read the January edition of The Edge here.

If you would like to discuss an upcoming opportunity, please get in touch us here.