A Voice for the Industry

Actuate UK - the engineering services alliance - is the umbrella body for UK engineering services.

It brings together the leading trade, technology and professional bodies within the multi-billion-pound sector: BESA, CIBSE, ECA, FETA, LEIA.

We speak with a single, shared and authoritative voice to affect positive change in the built environment.

Actuate UK welcomes Government’s proposals to ban retentions & reform late payments

24 March 2026

Actuate UK, welcomes Government’s intention to act on its proposed reforms on late payments and take legislative measures to ban the use of retentions in construction contracts. Actuate UK and its members have been calling for a legislative change to stop the payment abuse of cash retentions in construction. We will continue to engage with Government and our members to ensure the implementation of this action is effective and drives the cultural change in our industry towards a safer and higher-quality built environment.

Actuate UK welcomes the sector skills plan for the Engineering & Building Services

24 February 2026

Engineering services alliance, Actuate UK, welcomes the first ever sector skills plan for the Engineering & Building Services brought together by the Engineering & Building Services Skills Authority (EBSSA) with input from Actuate UK and its members.

Actuate UK welcomes Government consultation on retentions & late payments

31 July 2025

Engineering services alliance, Actuate UK, welcomes the new Government consultation on reforming cash retentions and taking legislative measures against late payments to small businesses, as part of the new Small Business Plan. Withholding retentions across the supply chain has been an outdated practice which disproportionally impacts the cashflow of small businesses across the construction. Actuate UK and its members will now widely consult and submit a response supporting a solution that is fair, enforceable and sustainable.