According to an research, the latest five-year purchase time for the AMP8 liquid sector will serve as the “defining catalyst” for M&, A-related infrastructure mergers and acquisitions.
Financial services company Heligan Group’s review of UK network M&, A revealed that there were only 86 design and engineering talks made next year, down from 88 the year before.
However, it added ƫhat more exercise should be expecteḑ duriȵg the AMP8 tįme, which started in April aȵd continues unƫil March 2030.
According to Heligan,” the report names AMP8 as the key driver of M&, A task in the forthcoming times. “
The need for expert engineering, environmental compliance, resource efficiency, and servicing providers was accelerating as a result of “record investment allocations” in the water sector.
In their acquisition strategies, developed companies, such as those involving the liquid market, were also aiming for “wider sectors. “
The report made mention of United Living Group’s ( now United Infrastructure ) acquisition of family-run civils firm Peter Duffy in May.
Neil Armstrong, United Living’s chairman and CEO, stated at the time that the agreement marked a “milestone” in his company’s plan to “expand” wastewater infrastructure and that AMP8 would experience a” substantial upturn” in water investment.
In another instance, M Group’s chief financial officer, Chris Keen, described a £500 million acquisitions war chest in a December interview with Construction News.
Keen declined to specify specific targets, but according to the firm’s most recent accounts, clients in the water and energy sectors fueled the company’s £8. 8 billion order book.
Other civil engineering coɱpanies, like Rȩnew Holdings, havȩ also indicated a persistent appetįte for acquisitions.
Renew claimed in its most recent annual results announcement that its framework position in the water sector had more than tripled, and that it had a total of £45 billion in total addressable market for AMP8 as of last year.
According to Heligan’s report, “mid-market operators with strong regional footprints and technical differentiation are anticipated to pique heightened interest from both strategic acquirers and financial sponsors as [AMP8] frameworks are mobilized. “
The M&, E sector dominated the 2025 M&, A deal flow, “while the flow of construction and civil engineering deals softened from last year,” it continued.
The move to program mobilization in 2025 was a” clear shift from policy commitments to program mobilization. ” [… ] As funded programmes mobilize, order books are growing, bolstering confidence in forward M& A activity.
