FOI release

National Highways Project bank accounts

Case reference FOI2025/00463

Received 5 March 2025

Published 21 May 2025

Request

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information from you.

1. According to an announcement by National Highways in January 2023, project bank accounts will now be the default option for all tier one and tier two contractors working with National Highways (https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/financial/national-highways-makes-project-bank-accounts-default-option-13-01-2023/). Contractors would need to specifically opt out of the scheme. What percentage of you're a) tier one contractors b) tier two contractors have since opted out of the scheme

2. This should be provided for all contractors working for National Highways, and in a separate dataset focusing on contracts for projects in construction, civils, engineering and anything to do with the built environment.

Response

1.    According to an announcement by National Highways in January 2023, project bank accounts will now be the default option for all tier one and tier two contractors working with National Highways (https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/financial/national-highways-makes-project-bank-accounts-default-option-13-01-2023/). Contractors would need to specifically opt out of the scheme.

What percentage of you're a) tier one contractors b) tier two contractors have since opted out of the scheme

a) Tier One contractors as owners of the Project Bank Account do not have the ability to opt out.

b) To date, there are no Tier Two sub-contractors that have opted out.

2.    This should be provided for all contractors working for National Highways, and in a separate dataset focusing on contracts for projects in construction, civils, engineering and anything to do with the built environment.

Not applicable as there have been no opt outs to date.

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is National Highways' response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

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