Set up new premises for construction
Construction opportunities are spread throughout the UK, with strong links to infrastructure and research centres.
Construction clusters
Construction is one of the UK’s major industries, with over 2.6 million employees across the country. Major centres for construction activity are located in the following regions.
South East England
High demand for housing, commercial and industrial units and the need for a large and efficient infrastructure network supports construction investment in the region.
London
London is a densely populated commercial hub with an extensive and complex infrastructure. There are many lucrative contract opportunities for commercial and residential developments.
North West England
The UK government is placing an emphasis on reducing regional imbalances, benefitting major city regions outside of London, including Liverpool and Manchester. Major civil projects are increasing infrastructure investment in the North of England.
UK-wide activity
A target for delivery of 1.5 million new homes to areas most in need of housing over the next 5 years was set in 2024.
New building regulations for new-build homes will reduce their CO2 emissions by around 30%, compared with previous standards. The Future Homes Standard will ensure all new homes produce between 75% and 80% fewer carbon emissions.
This activity means future construction opportunities will be spread throughout the entire UK, with many in areas which previously had lower levels of construction activity.
Find out more about the new housing targets on GOV.UK.
Contract and tender opportunities across the UK
You can find UK construction opportunities on these websites:
Building Confidence – an accreditation platform connecting buyers with suppliers.
CompeteFor – a free platform for contract opportunities from large-scale UK infrastructure projects.
Supply2Gov – a database of public sector contracts in the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Incubators and accelerators
Incubators are business growth programmes that provide physical space for startups, with shared facilities and business support services. They’re often based in science parks.
There are around 400 incubator programmes currently operating in the UK. Most incubators will charge your company fees or rent, but this is often subsidised by a university or public funding.
Accelerators will typically offer your company services through an intensive programme, of 3 to 12 months. There are currently around 300 programmes operating in the UK.
Accelerators tend to be more growth-driven than incubators, as they often offer direct funding in return for equity (typically less than 10%). They’re more appropriate if you’re a startup looking to scale rapidly.
Situated near Watford in South East England, the Building Research Establishment is a centre of excellence for safety and sustainability of the built environment.
Located in Central London, this provides facilities and flexible office space to support construction businesses, from start ups to major organisations.
View a directory of accelerators and incubators in the UK on the website of the Centre for Entrepreneurs (requires free registration)
Freeports
Freeports are special areas within the UK’s borders where different economic regulations apply and where you can access planning, infrastructure and innovation support from the UK government.
You can also access a wide range of customs and tax benefits by expanding your business within a UK Freeport.
Sites with an emphasis on sustainable infrastructure or greener buildings are:
However, other freeports may have a location or other offerings that are suited to your business.
Find office space
The UK has a competitive market of specialised serviced office companies, professional services companies and virtual office providers, all ensuring costs are kept low for clients.
Virtual offices allow companies to meet any legal obligation to have a registered address in the UK, without paying for a physical office.
You can compare prices for office or other space on commercial property search engines, such as Estates Gazette, and the websites of office advisory services like Instant Offices or Flexi Offices.
Support from local business programmes
The nations and regions of the UK have a network of private-public partnership bodies that look after local economic development. These bodies may be able to support you with finding office space.
England
Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Hubs support businesses across England. Find links on the Growth Hub network listing.
UK nations
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland manage their programmes for business support, funding and finance in their areas.
More information on the programmes’ websites:
Regulations
The UK construction industry is well regulated. Find more information on construction regulators and regulations on the following websites:
Office for Product Safety and Standards
The UK regulator for construction products to enable safer, better buildings across the UK.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) sets out rules to ensure the safe design and construction of high risk buildings (in England)
Planning Act 2008 (England and Wales)
The Planning Act 2008 provides the framework for granting planning consent for national infrastructure projects.
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015
Enforced by the Health and Safety Executive, these regulations manage construction projects' health, safety and welfare.
Planning permission and environmental permits
If you're building or extending premises in the UK, you'll usually need to submit a planning application. Permission to carry out the work is granted by a planning authority at local government level.
Depending on your business activities, you may also need an environmental permit. You can apply for this at the same time as a planning application.
A decision is made on most planning applications within 8 weeks. For unusually large or complex projects the time limit for a decision is 13 weeks.
Find out more about planning applications and who to apply to on GOV.UK
Check if you need an environmental permit and who to apply to on GOV.UK