Autumn Budget must put infrastructure delivery front and centre

Global engineering consultancy Egis is urging the chancellor to put infrastructure delivery front and centre at her Budget on 26 November 2025 to continue building the confidence the sector needs to justify a significant investment in skills.

Claire Davies, Managing Director at Egis in the UK, says the Budget is an opportunity to build on the approaches outlined in June’s spending review and the subsequent 10-year infrastructure strategy, with an emphasis on delivery and more project-specific funding.

She argues that a shift of emphasis towards delivery has the potential to unlock several projects capable of transforming regions and stimulating economic growth against a background of acute skills shortages in the sector.

Claire Davies said:

“Through this continued focus on infrastructure, the government – one with a big majority and still early in its term – can boost investor confidence across the economy, and it seems to be working. Yet, to be able to deliver on these ambitions, we as an industry need to invest heavily in skills in a way that we have not had the confidence to for some time.

“To build this confidence, we must see as many projects as possible come to fruition as soon as possible, with detail, clarity and consistency. We need the government to build the trust needed for investment.”

If the government succeeds in these efforts, the engineering consultancy predicts the industry will gain the confidence to justify investing at the level required to deliver such plans.

“When that happens, it’s not just the investors who win – it’s the communities we serve and the economy as a whole that truly benefit,” added Claire.

Following June’s spending review, a consortium including Egis secured a contract extension to support in advancing Sizewell C, a nationally critical development set to offer a major boost to the UK’s energy security.

Once completed, it will generate enough electricity to power six million homes, equivalent to seven percent of the UK’s energy needs, and is expected to operate for 60 years.

Claire said:

“Sizewell C is a perfect example of how the government’s long-term infrastructure plans can attract meaningful private investment. Alongside strengthening our energy resilience, it also demonstrates the kind of investor confidence possible when strategy is clear and consistent.

“This is the exact kind of momentum we need to maintain. When the public and private sectors work together with a shared purpose, we can deliver infrastructure that transforms communities and drives sustainable economic growth.”