PFI and PPP advisory

Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and Public Private Partnership (PPP) contracts need careful management throughout their life. Priorities change as projects move from operational delivery to expiry, handback and future service planning.

We bring strategic, commercial and technical advice together so clients can understand the contract, manage performance and make informed decisions about what comes next. Our work spans operational contract management, health checks, project reset and performance improvement, expiry and handback readiness, future service delivery and digital asset intelligence.

Clarity across complex contracts

PFI and PPP projects involve long-term relationships, detailed obligations and assets that need to keep performing. Advice has to reflect the contract, the service environment and the condition of the estate.

We work with clients on all sides of these arrangements, from public sector bodies to ProjectCos, SPV managers, facilities management providers, investors and funders. That gives us a balanced view of the responsibilities, commercial pressures and practical realities involved.

Our PFI and PPP specialists sit alongside building surveyors, cost managers, MEP engineers, digital engineers and other technical experts. Our clear, pragmatic advice is grounded in the buildings, assets, services and contractual realities that shape what will work in practice, tailored to specific projects.

• Operational contract management

  Running a PFI or PPP contract well depends on clear roles, reliable evidence and consistent  and collaborative performance management. With the right structure in place, clients can see how the contract is working day to day and make informed decisions as priorities change.

  We review contractual compliance, interpret output specifications, assess performance reporting and KPIs, and review payment mechanism deductions. Working closely with client teams, we identify practical ways to strengthen service delivery within the terms of the existing agreement.

  This gives clients a clearer view of performance, responsibilities and contractual position, supporting better day-to-day decisions and more confident long-term management.

• Project health checks and risk reviews

  A focused health check gives clients a clear, current view of how a PFI or PPP contract is performing either ahead of the expiry and handback process or during operations. It brings together operational, technical and commercial evidence so decisions are based on what is happening now, not assumptions or historic reporting.

  We review areas such as operational performance, lifecycle planning, compliance records, asset condition, reporting processes, payment mechanisms and expiry readiness. Our teams test the information, identify priorities and highlight where further action, assurance or planning may be useful.

  This gives clients a practical baseline for managing the contract, planning ahead and engaging confidently with partners, funders, advisers and internal governance teams.

• Project reset and operational performance improvement

  As PFI and PPP projects progress through their lifecycle, there are times when priorities, performance or working arrangements need to be reviewed. As with any complex, long-term contract with many stakeholders and competing priorities, relationships can become strained.

  Independent, evidence-led advice gives clients a clear view of what is happening and the options available.

  We assess operational performance, payment mechanisms, lifecycle and maintenance obligations, service delivery and contractual responsibilities. This can support negotiation strategies, operational reset proposals, remediation programmes and, where needed, technical expert witness advice.

  The result is improved collaboration between parties and a proportionate set of options, grounded in the contract, the asset and the practical steps needed to move forward.

• Expiry and handback

  PFI expiry works best when preparation starts early. Clear governance, robust technical evidence and a shared understanding of the contractual handback standard give clients a stronger platform for planning the transition.

  We help parties implement the NISTA guidance and best practice. This can include identifying the contractual handback standard, undertake or review condition surveys, assess lifecycle and maintenance obligations, and develop remediation strategies where action is needed. This evidence supports informed discussions with authorities, ProjectCo, funders, facilities management providers, and their legal advisers.

  Clients approach expiry, and the transition that follows, with a well-supported position and the technical information needed to stand behind it.

• Future service delivery and estate strategy

  As contracts approach expiry, public sector clients need to decide how assets and services will be managed once the PFI or PPP arrangement ends. That decision shapes operational, financial and estate outcomes for years to come.

  We help develop and appraise options for what comes next, from in-house management, re-procurement and revised service models to estate rationalisation, decarbonisation, masterplanning and long-term investment planning. We also provide procurement advice to support the transition, tailored to the client’s operational and financial priorities.

  Clients come away with a practical estate strategy, built around realistic assumptions, service needs and long-term value.

• Technical support for variations, remediation and compliance

  Works within operational PFI and PPP environments need technical advice that reflects the contract, the asset and the live operational service setting. Successful implementation requires the alignment of approvals, delivery requirements and stakeholder expectations from the start.

  Our multidisciplinary teams support the planning, costing, design, management and delivery of works in operational contract environments. This includes building surveying, MEP engineering, fire safety, cost management, project management, sustainability and digital engineering.

  The focus is on solutions that are technically robust, commercially realistic and deliverable in practice.

• Digital asset intelligence

  Data-led asset intelligence gives clients a clearer, more auditable view of condition, compliance and lifecycle planning. It creates a stronger evidence base for operational management, handback preparation and future estate decisions.

  We combine condition surveys, drone and reality capture, digital modelling, geospatial data, asset registers and structured compliance evidence to build a clearer baseline for operational management, lifecycle planning and handback.

  This supports better challenge and response between parties, improves future estate planning and operational management and provides authorities with a more useful digital record beyond the contract itself.