The Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS) Commercial Committee met on 23 June 2026, with Tom Allen and Stephen Edmondson chairing the meeting. Member companies reviewed progress across a wide range of commercial and strategic issues, including the FPS digital database, position papers, competence and audit recognition, market conditions, retentions, Building Safety Regulator requirements, collateral warranties and communications priorities.
Key Updates and Actions:
Digital Project Database and Member Onboarding – The FPS Digital Database is now live and continuing to develop, with 12 members having contributed data and a further nine members still to be onboarded. It was noted that this is free to use for all visitors to the FPS website and that an update to the data will shortly be published. The committee discussed some of the practical challenges affecting participation, including incomplete digitisation of site records, inconsistent data formats and issues around easting and northing coordinates. Members also shared possible tools and approaches to support data conversion, including Grid Reference Finder and AI tools such as MS CoPilot, while the idea of a workshop was discussed as a way to help members address common issues and improve data quality.
Database Promotion and Industry Outreach – The committee agreed that the database needs more consistent external promotion if it is to gain wider traction beyond FPS membership. Suggested activity included regular updates, use of industry events such as Geotechnica, presentations to relevant audiences and targeted communication with key stakeholders. The group also discussed ways to monitor usage and capture feedback, including website prompts, enquiries and requests as possible KPIs. The wider aim remains to strengthen the FPS position as a leading voice on better use of ground data, pile re-use, risk reduction and informed procurement.
Position Papers and Industry Collaboration – The committee reviewed ongoing work on FPS position papers relating to data sharing and ground investigation. Members discussed the need to ensure that wording is suitable for external audiences, particularly where the documents may be used to influence clients, consultants, procurement teams and other industry bodies. Collaboration with organisations including AGS, BDA and Ground Forum was also discussed as a way to strengthen industry messaging and encourage better standards around ground investigation, data sharing and procurement practice.
GI Standards and Procurement Behaviour – The committee again considered the continuing issue of insufficient or poorly valued ground investigation data within project procurement. Members discussed the importance of educating procurement professionals and wider project teams on the role of GI data, while also encouraging adherence to recognised guidance and standards. The committee supported the idea of using revised position papers and external collaboration to help promote better understanding and improve decision-making across the sector.
Competence, Audit and Regulatory Developments – Competence remained a significant focus, particularly in light of the Building Safety Act and the wider regulatory direction of travel. The committee discussed competence at three levels: site-based competence, ground engineer or design competence, and organisational competence. Site-based competence is being progressed separately, while ground engineer competence is being considered through the RoGEP route, which may require chartership for some design roles. Members also discussed the potential role of the FPS Audit as a mechanism for evidencing organisational competence, subject to further review and external recognition.
FPS Audit and Build UK Engagement – The committee agreed that further engagement with Build UK would be valuable to explore how the FPS Audit may align with wider industry competence requirements. Members discussed the limitations of existing standards such as the Common Assessment Standard, noting that these are not yet full competence validation systems. FPS intends to continue exploring whether its audit process can provide a more appropriate and sector-specific benchmark for specialist geotechnical contractors operating in higher-risk environments.
Market Conditions and Order Statistics – The latest FPS order statistics were reviewed, with members noting a significant fall in driven piling turnover. Driven piling dropped below its usual quarterly level of around £20 million, with the latest figure just under £14 million. The committee discussed possible causes, including project timing, reduced activity in the housing sector, the influence of major London and infrastructure projects, and the effect of member changes on the data. Overall market expectations remain cautious, with the sector projected to remain around £600-650 million for the year, alongside continued pressure on margins and limited real growth once inflation is taken into account.
Retentions Ban and Fair Payment – The committee discussed the implications of the forthcoming ban on construction retentions under the Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill . While the anticipated ban was recognised as a positive development, members raised concerns that clients may introduce alternative mechanisms to withhold payment, including deductions linked to O&M manuals, documentation or other deliverables. The committee agreed that FPS should continue to consider how best to define fair completion, fair certification and appropriate payment triggers, helping members avoid new forms of payment abuse replacing or even exceeding traditional retentions.
Committee Structure and Task Groups – Members discussed whether the Commercial Committee should adopt more of a task group model, similar to the approach being explored by the safety group. The committee recognised that smaller project-based groups could help drive specific actions, although members also noted the value of quarterly meetings in maintaining broad participation and avoiding individual agendas dominating. The committee agreed to observe the effectiveness of the new approach in the safety group before making any significant changes to the Commercial Committee structure.
Building Safety Regulator and Pile Position Changes – Updated guidance around pile position changes under the Building Safety Regulator regime was discussed. The committee emphasised the importance of detailed change control plans being included within contract documentation, so that foreseeable changes, notification procedures and approval processes are clearly set out from the start. Feedback from the regulator suggests that, where reasonable changes are included within the change control plan, they may be treated as notifiable rather than major changes, helping to reduce the risk of unnecessary delays and additional contractual exposure.
Collateral Warranty Guidance – The updated FPS collateral warranty guidance has now been finalised following member feedback. The document is intended to provide members with a clear and concise template and guidance note, while helping to avoid excessive risk transfer to specialist contractors. The final version is to be circulated to members and uploaded to the FPS members’ area once confirmed.
JCT Contract Form Engagement – The committee discussed proposed future Design Sub-Contract items and continued engagement with the JCT committee. Contact has been made through Build UK to support any redrafting or communication, although further feedback is still being gathered ahead of the next meeting.
Training Provider and High-Risk Construction Activities – David Major of Expanded Piling shared details of a training provider that had delivered a session on decision-making, high-risk activities and waste in construction, including NCRs. Piling had been identified as a high-risk activity, although the provider does not currently engage directly with the piling sector. It was suggested that there may be value in further dialogue with FPS, and additional information is to be shared.