News ACANews SUMMER 2025
NEC acquires ACA’s collaborative contracts in major industry move In a landmark deal set to reshape the UK’s collaborative construction landscape, Thomas Telford Ltd – publisher of the NEC suite of contracts and commercial arm of the Institution of Civil Engineers – has acquired publishing rights to the Association of Consultant Architects’ (ACA) flagship collaborative contracts: FAC-1, and TAC-1. The acquisition, for a substantial payment, brings together under one publishing roof all major collaborative forms used across the construction industry. The deal adds the Framework Alliance Contract (FAC-1) and Term Alliance Contract (TAC-1) to NEC’s already influential NEC4 suite, enabling practitioners to source and implement every leading collaborative contract from a single, trusted source – with consistent drafting philosophy, integrated guidance, and consolidated training. FAC-1 is already prominently recommended in the UK Government’s Construction Playbook and, together with TAC-1, has supported over £45 billion worth of construction programmes globally. The move is expected to further cement their role in shaping procurement strategy across the public and private sectors. Professor David Mosey CBE FICE, emeritus professor at King’s College London and the lead author of FAC-1 and
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TAC-1, has joined the NEC4 Contract Board, adding significant alliance contracting expertise to the NEC team. “I am delighted that Thomas Telford and the ACA are collaborating to bring these powerful tools to a wider audience,” said Professor Mosey. “I look forward to supporting this important initiative.” The acquisition will enable the ACA to invest significant resources in promoting its suite of architect appointments and supporting ACA members through initiatives such as the ACA Principal Designer Register. Patrick Inglis, President of the Association of Consultant Architects, welcomed the deal, “This partnership secures the future of the ACA contracts and represents a tremendous boost for our members and the wider construction community,” he said. Guidance on integrating NEC4 with FAC-1 was launched at the NEC annual conference in 2024. FAC-1 and TAC-1 are now available for purchase alongside the NEC suite, with the joint implementation guidance accessible at neccontract.com/news/fac1-guidance. This consolidation signals a new era for collaborative contracting – uniting expertise, simplifying access, and promoting a more aligned approach to construction procurement across the UK and beyond.
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