AECOM has strengthened its position in the UK public sector project delivery market after securing an expanded role on the Government Commercial Agency’s Construction Professional Services 2 (CPS2) Framework, one of the largest consultancy procurement vehicles in the country.
The global infrastructure consultancy has been appointed to nine lots under the new four-year framework, up from five under the original framework established in 2021, giving the company access to a wider range of public sector programmes and major capital projects.
With a total framework value of £4.7 billion, CPS2 serves as a key route for government departments, local authorities and public bodies to procure project management, technical advisory and professional construction services across sectors including transport, energy, housing, defence, healthcare and education.
Growing Demand for Project Delivery Expertise
The expanded appointment reflects increasing demand for project management and programme delivery expertise as governments seek to accelerate infrastructure investment while maintaining greater oversight of cost, risk and delivery performance.
AECOM secured positions across a broad range of specialist lots, including general infrastructure, project management, defence, nuclear energy, international projects and flood risk and asset management services.
For project professionals, the framework highlights the growing importance of integrated consultancy services that combine technical engineering expertise with programme governance, risk management and strategic delivery support.
“As one of the largest procurement frameworks in the history of UK public sector consultancy, the scope and scale of CPS2 provides an important route to market for our multidisciplinary offerings,” said Lara Poloni, AECOM’s President.
The addition of newly established nuclear energy and flood risk management lots is particularly significant as the UK government continues to prioritise energy security, climate resilience and long-term infrastructure investment.
Supporting Complex Capital Programmes
Public sector organisations increasingly rely on frameworks such as CPS2 to access specialist project expertise without undertaking lengthy procurement exercises for individual projects.
The framework will support everything from standalone construction schemes to multi-year capital programmes, allowing public bodies to engage professional services across the entire project lifecycle.
For project leaders, this reflects a wider shift towards programme-based delivery models, where successful outcomes depend not only on technical design and construction capability but also on effective governance, stakeholder management and strategic planning.
AECOM’s expanded role positions the company to support some of the UK’s most significant infrastructure priorities over the coming years, including defence modernisation, energy transition projects, flood resilience initiatives and public service infrastructure upgrades.
Infrastructure Delivery Under Pressure
The appointment comes at a time when governments face increasing pressure to deliver infrastructure more efficiently while responding to growing demands for sustainability, resilience and social value.
Richard Whitehead, Chief Executive of AECOM’s Europe and India region, said the framework would help strengthen the company’s role as a delivery partner to organisations across the public sector.
“CPS2 provides us with the opportunity to continue supporting the UK public sector in solving its most pressing challenges across infrastructure and the built environment, while also embedding wider social value into projects and programmes and delivering significant value for UK taxpayers,” he said.
The emphasis on social value reflects a growing expectation that major projects deliver benefits beyond physical assets, including skills development, local employment, environmental improvements and community outcomes.
A Strategic Procurement Platform
The framework is being managed by the newly established Government Commercial Agency (GCA), which became operational in April 2026 following the consolidation of commercial expertise from Cabinet Office teams and Crown Commercial Service functions.
The creation of the GCA forms part of wider efforts to improve procurement efficiency and strengthen commercial capability across government.
For project professionals, the framework demonstrates how procurement is increasingly being used as a strategic tool to support the delivery of national infrastructure priorities.
As governments seek to accelerate investment in energy, defence, climate resilience and public services, frameworks such as CPS2 are becoming critical enablers of project delivery, providing access to the expertise needed to manage increasingly complex programmes while maintaining accountability, transparency and value for money.
AECOM’s expanded appointment positions the company at the centre of that effort, with a broader remit to support the planning, management and delivery of some of the UK’s most important infrastructure and construction programmes over the next four years.
