Transparency data

NISTA Major Projects Annual Report 2025-26

Published 13 July 2026

This was published under the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

1. Foreword from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby

For too long, building things in the UK felt too difficult: too expensive, too complicated, too slow. But our communities and our country depend on infrastructure – and it is a foundational necessity for this Government’s key aims: higher living standards, good growth in every post code and opportunity for all.

That’s exactly why this Government has been determined to tackle the causes of infrastructure delay and to get things built. The granting of the Development Consent Order for the Lower Thames Crossing is this in action - a project that has moved from aspiration into construction, and a tangible example of what building again looks like.

Whether it is for the family receiving quality healthcare, the child learning in a modern classroom, the business seizing new opportunities, or the commuter on a reliable line - good public investment delivers. From infrastructure to digital services, transformation and defence, these projects shape the country people live and work in.

Bigger picture

That is why one year ago, we launched ‘UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy’. Backed by an overall commitment of at least £725 billion, it sets out how we intend to make our ambition a reality. This has also been supported by an additional £120 billion in growth-driving capital investment.

We have also delivered the most ambitious pro-growth planning reforms in a generation, getting homes, roads, railways and wind farms built faster and unlocking delivery of nine new reservoirs and improved electricity connections.

And our Strategy ensures that the benefits of investment will be spread across regions, through our Northern Growth Strategy and a stronger commitment to place-based decision-making.

Where we stand

NISTA was established just over a year ago as a catalyst for how government oversees and delivers our most complex investments.

Between April 2025 and March 2026, NISTA provided assurance across a range of major investment, commercial and delivery decisions within the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) - including approval of the STEP Fusion and Great British Nuclear business cases, scrutiny of the Sizewell C final business case ahead of final investment decision, and commercial negotiations for HyNet carbon capture.

NISTA’s Major Projects Annual Report provides an independent assessment of delivery risk across government’s core portfolio of investment. It reflects where projects stand and the risks they face - as reported by departments.

The GMPP covers the most complex, innovative and long-running projects and programmes. From 2025-26 it comprised 189 projects - of those, 29 are rated green, 109 amber and 34 red. Work continues on the red-rated projects, many of which reflect the inherent complexity of the most ambitious programmes in the Portfolio.

The ratings in this report are a snapshot in time. A red rating does not mean failure - it signals that significant issues need urgent attention, and is often a natural feature of large, complex programmes undergoing re-baselining or responding to changing circumstances. A red rating triggers deeper, more targeted support from NISTA - with critical issues prioritised for action and expert intervention deployed rapidly to help projects get back on track.

Overall, this year, the red percentage reflects portfolio composition changes rather than a significant deterioration in project performance.

In fact, more projects are leaving the GMPP than joining and those leaving are predominantly green or amber rated. Notably, 26 projects exited the GMPP this year having successfully delivered on their objectives, up from 14 last year, with 70% of these being Government Transformation & Service Delivery projects. This includes: the Biosecurity, Borders and Trade Programme (by DEFRA), Digitising Social Care (by DHSC), Continuing the Move to Universal Credit (by DWP), Fraud Reform (by HO) and Drug Testing Services (by MOJ).

Performance has also improved in several areas: 18 projects moved from amber to green since the last annual report, alongside one project improving from red to green.

Refocusing and prioritising

It is important to recognise that in April 2026, we refocused the GMPP to approximately 80 projects, so that support goes where it is needed most and departments are empowered to manage their own portfolios, with clear accountability for delivery.

NISTA is also driving up delivery capability across government - through robust guidance and cutting-edge digital and AI tools, so that effective delivery is not the preserve of the central portfolio but the standard across the whole of government.

But of course, none of this effort is possible without the whole system pulling in the same direction. That is what NISTA is built to do - bringing together expertise and building capability with departments, industry and investors across the full lifecycle of every major project.

The foundations are in place.  But the hard work is not behind us.

Outdated methods, weak processes and barriers to innovation in how we plan, build and deliver major projects and infrastructure must continue to be challenged – robustly and rigorously.

That demands not just an openness to change but a relentless, unfailing commitment to identifying barriers to progress and to removing them. Because our economic future depends on it.

2. Foreword from the Chief Executive of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, Becky Wood

Transforming infrastructure and public service delivery is a complex task. It requires sustained effort, honest evidence and a willingness to change how government plans, approves and delivers its most complex programmes.

NISTA’s first full year has been focused on turning our mandate into practical changes that are helping departments to deliver better outcomes on a consistent basis. In standing up the organisation, we have brought infrastructure strategy and policy development, project delivery expertise, assurance and the Government Project Delivery Function together for the first time. In turn, this means our advice to departments and ministers can better connects strategic priorities for change to the decisions that shape individual project and programmes.

Since NISTA was formed, the Office for Value for Money report into Mega Projects has been published, and we have established in more detail broader changes to the controls system linked to major projects delivery across Government, which we refer to as Project RESET.

In support of these changes, we have made significant changes to the breadth and scale of the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP), which took effect from 1 April 2026. The reformed GMPP now covers approximately 80 of the most complex and strategically significant projects, with other major projects managed through departmental portfolios. This annual report reflects the portfolio as it stood on 31 March 2026, before those changes, when it contained 189 projects.

The changes we have made to the GMPP are not linked to a reduction in ambition. It is a more disciplined model for support and oversight. It allows NISTA to focus its resources where we can add greatest value, while also working with colleagues across Government in strengthening the wider system so departments have clearer accountability, better tools and improved access to specialist expertise. This distinction is particularly relevant as to how the data in this report should be read.

The report is a transparent year-end snapshot of the former portfolio. It shows that projects with delivery confidence assessments that rate as green and amber make up the largest share of the GMPP, while also recognising that some projects continue to face significant delivery challenges.

Looking forward, over the past year we have begun to reshape NISTA’s assurance and delivery support so that it is more targeted, proportionate and better aligned to support projects on the GMPP. Assurance reviews are now more clearly tiered by risk and complexity. Escalation routes are better defined. The time between review and decision has been reduced.

The new Mega Project category will also mean that we can take a more tailored way to support the most complex projects over multiple spending periods and delivery phases.

We have been working closely with senior leaders across government to strengthen the practical support available to Accounting Officers, Senior Responsible Owners and project teams. That includes more focused expert advice, clearer guidance and materials, and a stronger emphasis on building capability within departments rather than substituting for it.

Data and digital tools are becoming increasingly important to this work and remain central to NISTA’s ability to deliver across our remit. NISTA is improving how government uses project information to identify risks, spot patterns and act before problems become harder to address.

As an example of this, our new Early Warning System, which uses existing GMPP data to flag projects at risk of moving to a red rating, is now being embedded into review processes. Over time, this will help us make support more preventative, not just reactive.

Beyond that government approach, NISTA’s work is also focused on integrating infrastructure decisions into wider policy choices. For instance, we are supporting implementation of the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy by improving the evidence available for long-term planning and place-based decision-making.

ALIGN, our spatial planning tool, helps national, regional and local partners test infrastructure constraints against real growth scenarios.

The latest iteration of our Infrastructure Pipeline gives departments, investors and companies in the supply chain an increasingly granular picture of what government intends to build and when, including stronger data on work force demand and procurement status.

Taken together, these changes are about optimising NISTA’s impact across government and the wider infrastructure sector. Making guidance from the centre more focused, not more distant; giving departments stronger support, not less; ensuring that NISTA’s expertise is deployed where it can make the biggest difference to delivery outcomes.

In the year ahead, our focus will be on bedding in these reforms by continuing to drive strategic change; strengthening market confidence, particularly through enhancing the Pipeline; completing the reforms to the control systems governing major projects; driving more efficient project delivery; and deepening NISTA’s capabilities in line with our remit to support delivery teams right across government.

NISTA’s success will ultimately be judged not by its own processes or publications, but by whether government projects are better planned, better governed and better delivered.

That is the standard we are holding ourselves to, and we will continue to work openly with departments, regional and local government, industry and investors to meet it.

3. The Government Major Projects Portfolio

The Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) ensures robust oversight of the government’s most complex and strategically significant projects and programmes. GMPP projects are typically those where approval is required from HMT because the budget exceeds a department’s delegated authority level and/or because the project is novel, complex, contentious, or requires primary legislation. While the GMPP spans many of the government’s most high-profile projects, it represents only a portion of the projects delivered across government, with most departments having further projects and programmes within their portfolios that do not meet the above GMPP criteria.

On 1 April 2026, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) undertook significant reforms to the GMPP, to ensure more targeted support from the centre of government for the most nationally significant and highest-impact UK projects and programmes. This report, however, represents the GMPP from April 2025 to March 2026, prior to these changes taking effect.

This Annual Report has been produced in collaboration with departments across government. Projects on the GMPP provide quarterly data returns on delivery progress to NISTA, which is used alongside wider NISTA market intelligence and information to monitor progress across the portfolio; where risks and insights are shared with departments and the centre of government. All project data used in this report was provided by the respective departments and approved by their Accounting Officers.

4. NISTA Support for the GMPP

On 1 April 2025, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) within the Cabinet Office and the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), an executive agency of HM Treasury, merged to form the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).

NISTA supports departments to develop and deliver major projects and programmes with greater confidence, pace and value for money. While departments remain accountable for delivering their individual Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) projects, NISTA provides a range of delivery and portfolio support, including: independent scrutiny and assurance, early-stage intervention to address barriers, access to our Expert Advisory Team specialist commercial and financial expertise, specific recommendations to help improve the chance of successful delivery, and bespoke digital and AI-enabled tools to support project delivery.

NISTA also supports the GMPP through its wider activities, providing strategic analysis and advice, systems leadership and project finance expertise across government. NISTA works with departments, regulators and investors to strengthen long-term planning, build capability, make informed investment decisions and deliver better outcomes for taxpayers.

5. GMPP Costs and Benefits Overview

This year’s Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) comprises 189 projects, with a total Whole Life Cost (WLC) of £924.2bn and £603.6bn of monetised benefits that are delivered by 20 departments and their arm’s-length bodies.

In June 2025, the Office of Value for Money introduced a ‘mega project’ classification for the most complex and strategically significant programmes within the GMPP  (typically more than £10bn in WLC and spanning multiple parliaments). Initially, three projects were granted mega project status; Sizewell C, HS2 and Dreadnought.  It should be noted that these three mega projects collectively amount to over 10% of the entire GMPP’s WLC.

All monetary costs and benefits figures in this year’s Annual Report have been presented in real terms, to enable accurate tracking of progress and impact over time. Where necessary, NISTA have converted the figures provided by departments to accommodate this (using base year 2024/25 deflators from the Office for National Statistics). As this is the first time NISTA has adopted this approach for the Annual Report, previous years’ monetary values are not directly comparable to this year’s on this occasion.

GMPP projects aim to provide innovative and meaningful benefits to the UK, many of which have no real or estimated market price. For example, out of the 38 Military Capability projects worth a combined WLC of £305.1bn, only one reported benefits this year due to the inherent complexity in monetising national security benefits.

The difficulty in accurately monetising the benefits of public goods and projects delivering public value extends beyond defence to other areas including justice, health and life sciences. But progress can and has been made in articulating these benefits, and departments continue to build on their benefits capabilities (with NISTA and wider HM Treasury’s support) to give a more rounded picture of value for money. NISTA and departments are working to improve the number and type of projects that report benefits by sharing best practice between departments and have developed new guidance.

6. GMPP Categories

The Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) projects fall into one of four categories, determined by the purpose and nature of their delivery:

• Infrastructure and construction projects: improving and maintaining the UK’s energy, environment, transport, telecommunications, sewage and water systems, and constructing new public buildings. These high investment projects are essential to the nation’s economic growth, development and prosperity and are prioritised accordingly across government.
• Government transformation and service delivery: projects changing ways of working and improving the relationship between government and the people of the UK, and harnessing new technology to improve public services and/or make government more efficient.
• Military capability projects: vital to the effective operation of the Armed Forces, they deliver the integrated training, personnel, structures, equipment, infrastructure, ICT and logistic support needed to enable the Armed Forces to maintain the UK’s national security.
• Information and communication technology (ICT): projects enabling the transition from old legacy systems to new digital solutions, equipping government departments for the future, and delivering efficiencies and other benefits of advances in innovation and technology.

6.1 Infrastructure and Construction (see headline figure)

Infrastructure and Construction is the largest GMPP category in terms of Whole Life Costs (WLC). Currently there are 68 projects in the portfolio, also 68 last year, with a total WLC of £450.0bn, and the largest amount of reported monetised benefits, totalling £372.4bn. As with Military Capability projects, these projects are typically lengthier than projects in other categories (with an average duration of 14.8 years).

6.2 Government Transformation and Service Delivery (see headline figure)

Government Transformation and Service Delivery is the second largest category by project number, totalling 61 projects this year. This is a decrease on last year when there were 76 projects on the GMPP in this category, with many leaving after successful delivery. Projects in this category have the second lowest average Whole Life Costs (WLC) (£2.1bn) and, as a result, it is only the third largest category in terms of total WLC (at £126.7bn). On the other hand, these projects have the second largest amount of reported monetised benefits, totalling £166.9bn. They are often shorter (7.3 years) compared to the other categories.

6.3 Military Capability (see headline figure)

Military Capability is the second largest category in terms of total Whole Life Cost (WLC) (£305.1bn) and, in line with their scale, these projects are often lengthier than other categories, with an average forecast duration of 20.3 years. There are 38 projects in this category, down from 41 projects last year. Military Capability projects are reporting the lowest amount of monetised benefits (£13.1bn). All Military Capability projects are delivered by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

6.4 Information and Communications Technology (ICT) (see headline figure)

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is the smallest category by number and value with 22 projects this year (down from 28 last year) at a total Whole Life Cost (WLC) of £42.5bn, but it is still an important part of the portfolio with many projects in other categories having significant digital components. ICT capability projects are reporting monetised benefits of £51.3bn. On average, these projects take 10.7 years to deliver.

7. GMPP Departmental Overview (see Figure 3)

The Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) consists of projects from 20 departments, each with varying portfolio sizes. Each department is responsible and accountable for their own projects within the GMPP, and all data included in this report has been approved by the departments’ respective Accounting Officers.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has the largest portfolio and the highest Whole Life Costs (WLC) by department. This year, there are 44 MOD projects on the GMPP, which account for over a fifth of the portfolio by number. MOD delivers all of the 38 Military Capability projects, as well as five ICT projects and one Infrastructure and Construction project.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has the second largest portfolio in terms of number of projects and the second highest WLC by department. Of the 20 projects that are led by DESNZ, 18 are Infrastructure and Construction projects, and two are Government Transformation and Service Delivery projects.

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has the third largest portfolio. Of the 18 projects that are led by MOJ, eight are Government Transformation and Service Delivery projects, four are ICT projects and six are Infrastructure and Construction projects.

The Department for Transport (DFT) has the fourth largest portfolio in terms of number of projects and is the third most significant contributor to the GMPP’s WLC. Of the 16 projects that are led by DFT, 13 are Infrastructure and Construction projects and three are Government Transformation and Service Delivery projects.

There are several departments with multiple GMPP projects that are actively managed as part of wider portfolios. This is in line with the Government Project Delivery Functional Standard (GPDFS), which identifies that a portfolio comprises part of or all of an organisation’s investment required to achieve its objectives, such as other portfolios, programmes, projects, other work and work packages’. The GPDFS sets the expectation that all departments will adopt a portfolio management framework to manage their major projects and programmes.

The maturity of portfolio management varies across departments. For example, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has a well-developed central portfolio approach to govern major project investments, to actively manage resources and to adjust delivery priorities in response to changes in context. Other departments take a similar approach, with arrangements tailored to suit the nature of the portfolios and to dock with existing governance, accountabilities and responsibilities.

A portfolio approach allows the departments to ensure that their mix of projects and programmes helps to deliver their wider strategic objectives. NISTA provides a variety of support to departments to deliver their individual projects and wider portfolios in the GMPP through a combination of tailored expert advice, digital tools and assurance support.

8. GMPP Delivery Confidence Assessments (see Figure 4)

A Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) is an assessment of the likelihood of a project delivering its objectives to time and cost. Ratings are categorised into three groups - Red, Amber, and Green - with each providing an indication of the likelihood of successful delivery and level of associated risks.

DCAs are not a comprehensive reflection of project performance but reflect a project’s likelihood of success at a specific snapshot in time if the current status of risks and issues remains unchanged. Detailed definitions of each rating can be found in Annex A, but it should be noted, a red delivery confidence assessment does not mean a project will fail. In many cases it simply reflects the scale, complexity or stage of development of some of government’s most technically challenging and long-duration programmes.

The Annual Report includes the latest DCA rating for each project in the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). Senior Responsible Owners (SROs) provide NISTA with an updated DCA rating each quarter and their Quarter 4 rating is used within the Annual Report. However, where a project has received active NISTA support or independent assurance within the past six months, NISTA has provided an independent DCA rating instead, which has been published in place of the SRO’s self-reported rating.

DCAs change depending on the challenges projects are facing, the results of focused independent assurance reviews and actions taken by projects. By taking the right steps following reviews and managing delivery challenges effectively, DCAs are often improved over time.

NISTA launched a new digital AI tool this year called the Early Warning System, which uses existing GMPP data to flag projects at risk of transitioning to a Red rating. This tool is being embedded into existing review processes and has already proved helpful in forecasting the future health of GMPP projects, particularly for those that are not actively being monitored by NISTA.

At this year’s snapshot (end of March 2026), 29 projects were rated Green (15% of the GMPP), 34 projects were assigned Red (18%), 109 projects (58%) were rated Amber and 17 were exempt (9%). The number of projects rated as Red in the annual report has increased by three this year.

8.1 GMPP Delivery Confidence Assessments by Category (see Figure 5)

It is important to note that Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) projects are the government’s most difficult and challenging projects to deliver. They are, by definition, large, complex or innovative, with many breaking new ground. Focusing on supporting these projects is at the core of the GMPP’s purpose.

8.2 GMPP Delivery Confidence Assessments by Delivery Phase

It is not unusual for Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) projects to be rated as Red earlier in their lifecycle, when scope, benefits, costs and delivery methods are still being explored. NISTA’s five stage gate approach promotes the identification of potential issues early and the interventions needed to achieve successful delivery. A changing Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) can reflect that project risks are both being identified and mitigated.

Not all Red rated projects are at the same lifecycle phase: some projects are in pre-delivery, while others are in delivery (delivery meaning that the majority of a programme’s components have had its final business cases approved). NISTA’s Expert Advisory Team actively supports those projects and programmes to ensure they are set up for success and with a focus on guiding them from a Red to Amber or Green DCA.

Projects in all the Annual Report categories receive similar DCA ratings, and there is no discernible trend between the categories over time. The NISTA’s Expert Advisory Team actively supports those projects and programmes to ensure they are set up for success and with focus of guiding them from a Red to Amber or Green DCA.

8.3 GMPP Delivery Confidence Assessments Over Time (see Figure 4)

Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) projects present many distinct challenges and complexities that are complicated to summarise over the long term. This year the majority of projects (58%) are Amber rated meaning the project’s delivery appears feasible but significant issues exist, requiring management attention. These projects appear resolvable at this stage and, if addressed promptly, should not present a cost/schedule overrun. Many of these projects are working through assurance action plans but some still continue to have inherent complexities due to the innovative nature of these projects.

The composition of the GMPP changes continuously, with projects joining and leaving the portfolio each year, meaning the distribution of DCA ratings does not reflect the progress of a consistent set of projects over time. In addition, individual projects may move between confidence ratings for a variety of reasons, reflecting differing stages of delivery, achievements, risks and challenges.

8.4 Changes Between 2024/25 and 2025/26 (see Figure 7a/7b)

Figure 7a illustrates the flow of projects between 2024/25 and this year’s annual report. It highlights a significant shift in last year’s amber Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rated projects leaving the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) with many successfully achieving their objectives or becoming part of another GMPP or falling outside of GMPP criteria. There are a number of complex projects that have remained Red since last year, which can be expected given the nature and scale of them. These projects receive the highest level of assurance and support from the NISTA.

8.5 GMPP Leavers since 2024/25 (see Figure 8)

Since last year’s report, 42 projects have left the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). In most cases a project leaves the GMPP when it has been successfully delivered or no longer demands regular NISTA support. For instance, when a project reaches a business-as-usual stage of delivery, readiness to leave is judged by the NISTA alongside departments. Of the 42 projects that left the GMPP this year, 26 reported delivery against their objectives; one left to be replaced by another GMPP project; eight left the GMPP because they no longer met GMPP reporting criteria; and seven were brought to early closure.

Projects regularly join the GMPP at an early stage of their lifecycle, and therefore tend to have lower delivery confidence due to inherent uncertainty. Of the 42 projects that left the GMPP in the last year, three left with a Red Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA), 21 with an Amber DCA, whilst 17 projects started with a Green DCA and one was exempt. Leaving the GMPP rarely marks the end of a project’s delivery, and for some of the most complex projects, NISTA maintains a continued involvement in the project, where required. In line with recent National Audit Office (NAO) recommendations, NISTA is committed to ensuring that all projects leaving the GMPP have had an exit (or equivalent) review which includes consideration of the ongoing tracking of project benefits.

A project may no longer meet the criteria for inclusion in the GMPP for a range of reasons. For example, changes to scope may mean the project is no longer considered novel or contentious, or changes to cost estimates may mean the project no longer requires HM Treasury approval to proceed. GMPP projects could also reach a point where they are on a successful pathway and they no longer require NISTA involvement to achieve their objectives. When a project exits the GMPP, responsibility remains with the relevant department to ensure the project continues to deliver its objectives through to successful completion.

9. The Annual Report and Transparency Data on Major Projects

Under its 2012 mandate, the NISTA is required to produce an Annual Report on the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). This is the 14th Annual Report, with some previous reports having been published by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) and Major Projects Authority (MPA). In accordance with the Government’s Major Projects Transparency Policy, the Annual Report is published at the same time as departments publish the data on their projects that are part of the GMPP. The data published this year was submitted to NISTA in March 2026. The Delivery Confidence Assessments (DCAs) within that data, and included in this report, are provided by NISTA for projects where the projects have received active NISTA support or have undertaken an independent NISTA assurance in the last 6 months. For other projects, the DCA is provided by the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO). The narratives from departments that accompany their published data online provide an update on progress since then.