Building Awards 2026 shortlists: Major Contractor of the Year (over £500m), sponsored by Fenwick Elliott

Earlier this year Building announced the names of all the firms that made it onto the shortlists for our prestigious annual Building Awards.

Now we are shining the spotlight on each category in turn and publishing a selection of the images that impressed the judges.

Today’s shortlist is for Major Contractor of the Year (over £500m), sponsored by Fenwick Elliott.

Kier Group

Kier has demonstrated how a major contractor can combine certainty of delivery with meaningful impact for customers and communities. With £4.1bn revenue and a record order book of around £11bn, its work spans nationally significant infrastructure including HS2, Hinkley Point C and Devonport, alongside schools, hospitals, highways and water.

Partnership sits at the heart of its approach, with early collaboration, digital tools, offsite manufacturing and its end-to-end 360 model helping clients navigate complexity. Investment in people is equally strong: Kier is one of Higherin and the government’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers, and its Future You Build campaign generated more than 4,000 applications.

The contractor delivered £531m of social value during the year, while Kier Cares strengthens its focus on safety and wellbeing. Its combination of scale, innovation, skills and community impact makes Kier a powerful force in shaping UK infrastructure.

Mace Construct

In 2025 Mace Construct delivered a year of confident growth, completing 55 projects and securing £5.3bn of work while strengthening its position as one of the UK’s leading contractors. Its performance was underpinned by a clear focus on client relationships, innovation, productivity and sustainable delivery.

Long-term collaboration remains central, exemplified by a 33-year relationship with British Airways, while early contractor involvement, MMC, DfMA and digital delivery are helping improve productivity, reduce risk and deliver greater certainty. Through Project LIFT, AI-enabled insight and integrated risk platforms are supporting earlier intervention and sharper decision-making.

Mace Construct also continued to invest in its people, leadership and emerging talent, alongside a proactive approach to health, safety and wellbeing. Sustainability performance was equally strong, with operational carbon reduced by more than 70% since 2020 and over 70,000 tonnes of client carbon savings secured. The result is a business combining scale, innovation and certainty with measurable industry and community impact.

Multiplex Construction Europe

Multiplex has built on an award-winning year with a strategy centred on technical excellence, innovation and sustainability. Between April 2025 and April 2026, it completed three major projects, secured a £3.1bn live portfolio and maintained financial resilience with no external debt.

Early engagement and collaboration are delivering greater certainty on complex schemes, with three major projects secured through this approach and a 100% PCSA conversion rate. Technical innovation is evident across the portfolio, from engineered sequencing at Dovetail, which saved more than four months off the programme, to the UK-first reuse of demolition concrete at 50 Baker Street and pioneering river logistics at The Delft.

Multiplex also opened its UK Centre for Excellence training hub, strengthened apprenticeship and graduate pathways, and launched its Silica 25 safety programme. Combining technical expertise, innovation, safety and a people-first culture, Multiplex continues to set new standards for complex project delivery.

Sisk

Sisk delivered strong performance in a challenging market, combining strategic growth, customer focus, innovation and operational excellence across the UK, Ireland and Europe. In 2026, its new Delivering Together – Growing Stronger strategy established three priorities: people and culture; quality of earnings; and safe and sustainable construction, underpinned by operational excellence.

The creation of Sisk Infrastructure brought its UK and Ireland civils businesses together, while the acquisition of Farrans Construction expanded capabilities across aviation, water, renewable energy and utilities. Customer partnerships remain central, supported by a five-year strategic roadmap and major framework appointments, including the £1bn YORcivil Major Works 2 framework.

Sisk continues to invest in its people through apprenticeships, leadership development and career pathways. Sustainability is a defining strength, with a Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) A rating placing Sisk among the top 1% globally. On projects, breakthrough low carbon concrete at Wembley Park delivered savings of more than 70% against conventional concrete.

Willmott Dixon

Willmott Dixon enters its 175th year with record financial strength, a £4.4bn forward pipeline and £1.1bn turnover, while more than 65% of work comes from repeat customers. Its position on three Gold Standard verified frameworks reinforces its reputation for dependable partnership, alongside a 30-day average supply-chain payment time.

People remain a defining strength, with 98% engagement, 34% women across the workforce and more than 650 employees with over a decade’s service. Environmental performance is equally impressive: carbon emissions are down 63% from 2018, while its Energy Synergy in-use performance service has delivered £460,000 annual customer energy savings.

Safety performance reached an accident frequency rate of 0.09, while live projects generated £472m in social return. With a record net-zero portfolio, exceptional customer relationships and proven performance beyond handover, Willmott Dixon demonstrates resilience, innovation and responsible growth at scale.