by Iain McIlwee | 27 Aug, 2025 | Main News Feed
On 1st July 2025 Build UK published Version 5 of the
Common Assessment Standard (CAS). Significantly the
Building Safety section, introduced in 2024, will now become
mandatory for all FIS Members undertaking regulated design or building work (not just Higher Risk Buildings).
Principal Contractors are advising that Specialist Contractors in their supply chain should have successfully completed the Building Safety section by 1 October 2025.
What does this mean to FIS Members?
If your company is already CAS certified through one of the recognised Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) providers (e.g CHAS, Constructionline, Achilles etc), you will need to complete the new mandatory Building Safety question set as part of the updated overall question set the next time you renew or go through the certification process with a Recognised Assessment Body.
The Common Assessment Standard continues to gain traction across public and private sector clients as a key tool to demonstrate organisational capability and compliance under the Building Safety Act. Certification is required only once via any of the Recognised Assessment Bodies, and businesses are encouraged to review their current accreditations to avoid duplication and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy in pre-qualification.
FIS has (since Version 5 was published) been invited to join the working group that sets the standards so members are encouraged to feed any concerns or observations around the existing questions to jamesparlour@thefis.org.
FIS also hosts a mirror group that is, as well as reviewing and feeding into the assessment criteria, helping create resources and guidance to support members in completing this section including an Integrated Management Standard, a Template Building Safety Policy and a range of resources and guidance designed to help complete key questions.
Don’t Duplicate, Data Share!
The Common Assessment Standard is being used by a growing number of organisations across the industry to demonstrate that members of their supply chains have the organisational capability to fulfil their duties under the Building Safety Act. Pagabo and Structure Tone are the latest to specify it, and a full list is on the Build UK website.
Companies that have the Common Assessment Standard from any one of the Recognised Assessment Bodies do not need to obtain certification from any others. Instead, they can agree to share their data at no cost with the other Recognised Assessment Bodies so it is visible to more Contractors and Clients. Don’t duplicate: anyone wishing to see a reduction in the bureaucracy of pre-qualification should be sharing their data rather than getting the Common Assessment Standard from multiple Recognised Assessment Bodies. Giving permission to share your data is quick and simple and will help businesses across the supply chain to save time and money and win work.
If you have been certified through the Common Assessment Standard are being asked to use a specific PQQ procedure, FIS has prepared some specific wording to send to the company requesting and a whistle blowing process to help ensure that companies are not required to hold multiple accreditations.
by Oscar Venus | 22 Aug, 2025 | Main News Feed
From 1 September 2025, the new ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence will take effect, placing greater responsibility on large companies to ensure they have adequate procedures in place to deter and detect fraudulent activity.
The legislation is particularly relevant to the construction sector, which is considered to face a higher risk of fraud. Companies that fail to implement robust compliance procedures could find themselves exposed to significant legal and reputational consequences.
Our legal partners at Pinsent Masons have published a detailed article to help businesses understand the implications of the new offence and prepare effectively.
by Oscar Venus | 22 Aug, 2025 | Main News Feed
Recruiting the next generation is vital if we are to maintain a strong pipeline of talent in our sector. One of the most effective ways to showcase the opportunities our industry has to offer is by getting involved in Open Doors, and the countdown to Open Doors 2026 is already underway.
Taking place across the UK from Monday 23 – Saturday 28 March 2026, Open Doors will once again give young people, educators, and career changers a chance to go behind the scenes and see the diverse and rewarding careers available in construction.
To help members prepare, FIS will be supporting the Open Doors Coordinators Meeting on Thursday 11 September, 2:00pm – 3:00pm. This session will set out plans for #OpenDoors26, highlight the benefits of getting involved following the record success of Open Doors 2025, and answer any questions. With the backing of the Open Doors Partners network, members will also be guided on how to get ready to register events when the Open Doors website opens for submissions on Monday 6 October 2025.
Your nominated Open Doors Coordinators should already have received an invitation. Please confirm your attendance to ensure your organisation is represented and ready to play its part in inspiring the next generation.
For more information on Open Doors, visit the Open Doors website.
by Iain McIlwee | 21 Aug, 2025 | Main News Feed
Build UK has updated its payment performance table to include data on the value of invoices paid within 60 days for the first time. Following the introduction of new reporting requirements from 1 January 2025, large companies are now required to report on both the value and number of invoices paid within 0 – 30, 31 – 60 and over 60 days to provide even greater transparency for the supply chain around payment performance.
Information on the value of invoices paid within 60 days is currently available in the Build UK table for 16 out of 21 tier one Contractor members that are required to report. The full set of results will be available in May 2026 when the remainder have submitted their first reports.
On average, Build UK tier one Contractor members paid 97% of invoices within 60 days by value compared to 96% by number, which highlights consistency of payment performance within 60 days whether measured by value or number of invoices.
In terms of payment performance it remains a concern that on average 16% of invoices are not paid on time and particularly concerning to see three house builders topping the league for percentage of invoices not paid within terms (Countryside Property – 53%, Vistry – 47% and Crest Nicholson – 39%). Due to the way that companies are required to report on the value of invoices not paid within the agreed terms, Build UK is not able to include this data in its table at this stage, but report that they are in discussion with the Department for Business and Trade about what can be done to collect and present this data in a meaningful way. In the meantime, businesses in the supply chain can check data by linking through to the detailed reports provided on the Government Website.
Commenting on the numbers, FIS CEO Iain McIlwee stated:
“We don’t have a full set of data yet and whilst it is positive that value and volume of invoices paid over 60 days does seem to align closely, the devil remains in the detail. It is a concern that close to a quarter of companies on the list are paying over 20% of their invoices outside of terms. Delve further and it gets worse. Two national house builders top the table in terms of not paying invoices within the agreed period, averaging half their invoices being paid outside of terms. Withheld payments from just these two businesses (categorised late and disputed) equates to an eye watering amount – in excess of £0.5 billion. This for me is scandalous. This isn’t free credit, it comes at a premium, it impacts viability, productivity and the ability of the supply chain to invest. This behaviour is at the root of the construction challenge, beyond the business argument it places a huge burden on a beleaguered supply chain, it isn’t just crippling the industry, it is destroying lives.”
The Government has also laid draft legislation to require companies to include their payment results in their Directors’ reports from 1 January 2026 and is consulting on further measures to improve payment practices as part of its Small Business Plan. FIS is urging members to attend a webinar hosted on the 9th December with the Department for Business and Trade that is supporting the consultation process.
by Iain McIlwee | 20 Aug, 2025 | Main News Feed
Construction News has today reported that a group of specialist contractors working for ISG have formally threatened the Ministry of Justice with legal action following payments not being forthcoming for works completed and certified undertaken as part of prison construction at the time ISG entered administration.
These contractors and a wider group have been supported throughout by FIS who held a town hall meeting for impacted businesses in November last year when it became apparent that specialist contractors in the community were not going to get the protection expected from the Project Bank Accounts. There were 17 contractors involved in this first meeting and the group ballooned to 40 from across the construction sector that have been directly impacted. FIS introduced Hill Dickinson to the conversation and they have been advising the group since. On 11 August, Hill Dickinson, sent a pre-action letter to the department on behalf of six of these firms, demanding payment of unpaid money that was expected in August last year – the month before ISG’s collapse.
Commenting on the case, FIS CEO Iain McIlwee stated:
“We remain very concerned about how the supply chain of ISG have been treated and what we perceive to be a failing in the protection that should have been afforded through the administration of Project Bank Accounts. Specialist Contractors did an honest days work and for no fault of their own find themselves again carrying the can for others. We have tried to use all channels available to us to secure payment for this group of SMEs and are grateful to Hill Dickinson and Len Bunton for their advice throughout the process and to Lord Aberdare for championing the cause of these contractors in Government by raising key questions formally through the house.
Finishes and Interiors Sector will continue to do all we can to try to get some justice for these contractors and to ensure that lessons are not just learned, but changes are made.”.
Hill Dickinson partner Kate Kenneally, who is working on the case, said: “As the ultimate client and a party to the PBA Trust Deed, the MoJ is contractually obliged to ensure these payments are made. The failure to do so constitutes a breach of both the PBA and the associated contractual framework.”
The full article and a detailed analysis of the Prison PBA Scandal is available via Construction News here.
by Oscar Venus | 8 Aug, 2025 | Main News Feed
The latest report published on the CROSS (Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures) website serves as a timely reminder of the vital importance of clearly defined design responsibilities and scope management on construction projects.
In this case, a scope gap emerged on a residential timber frame project involving houses and apartments. The substructure was designed by a structural engineer, while the superstructure was designed by a specialist timber frame manufacturer. However, no party had assumed design responsibility for the outer leaf brickwork, raising serious safety concerns related to masonry properties, cavity ties, lintels and movement joints.
The report highlights a recurring issue in project delivery, unclear or poorly defined scopes of work, particularly where multiple design parties are involved. The absence of clarity not only results in design liability confusion, but also poses real risks to structural integrity and safety.
“It is essential that design responsibilities are clearly allocated and agreed from the outset. When interfaces are left undefined, critical elements may fall through the gaps, with potentially dangerous consequences.”
— FIS Technical Team
The key learning outcomes for project stakeholders include:
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Clients and project managers must ensure that package scopes include all interfaces and that responsibilities are explicitly defined and assigned.
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Package suppliers should review scope definitions thoroughly before contract sign-off, ensuring they understand and accept all interfaces relevant to their work.
FIS continues to stress the importance of scope management and clear documentation as part of responsible contracting and good procurement practice, key pillars of our Responsible No Campaign. This case reinforces the message that good design and construction rely on early engagement, clear roles and responsibilities, and a shared commitment to best practice.
To read the full CROSS report:
Design responsibility for timber frame houses and apartments
If you’d like to discuss design risk management or share concerns from your projects, please contact the FIS Technical Team at info@thefis.org.
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