What Sir Robert McAlpine does

Sir Robert McAlpine is a UK-based, family-owned construction and civil engineering contractor founded in 1869 and now in its 157th year of operation. The company delivers large-scale projects across four core sectors — Healthcare, Industrial (including Defence and Nuclear), Commercial (including Heritage and Major Projects), and Infrastructure — serving clients such as NHS Trusts (via the IHP joint venture with VINCI Building), UK Parliament estates, the University of Bristol, the Courtauld Institute, Maggie's Cancer Care Centres, and large industrial customers. Its FY25 turnover was £945.7 million with profit before tax of £15.7 million, against a debt-free cash position of £141.1 million. Operations are UK-only and headcount sits in the 1,001–5,000 range.

The company's core offering spans pre-construction, construction, construction management, and civil engineering, augmented by specialist in-house capabilities: McAlpine Design Group (architectural and engineering design), digital construction (BIM Level 2, 3D modelling, online asset tracking), geospatial engineering, façade engineering (including polychrome insulating glass and complex structural glazing), and lifting solutions. Adjacent businesses include Capital Ventures (investment/development) and Axis Land Partnerships (land and development analysis). Technology deployment is partnership-led: an AI workforce planning platform with Bridgit, and construction-tech integrations with Buildots, nPlan, Surfaice, and Versatile.

Sir Robert McAlpine generates revenue entirely through project-based construction contracts awarded via competitive tendering, negotiated tenders, and framework agreements with public and private clients. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales — senior leadership and sector managing directors engage directly with NHS Trusts, universities, government bodies, and industrial clients through an early contractor involvement model that targets repeat business and strategic partnerships rather than high-volume small contracts. The 2023 'Evolve' strategy has sharpened sector focus and leadership accountability, and recent product deliveries include Maggie's Northampton (November 2025) and ongoing work on the University of Bristol's Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.

Name

Sir Robert McAlpine

Legal name

Sir Robert McAlpine Limited

Website

https://srm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Sir Robert McAlpine is a UK construction and civil engineering contractor founded in 1869, delivering large-scale projects across healthcare, industrial, commercial, heritage, and infrastructure sectors for clients including NHS Trusts, universities, and government bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction and Civil Engineering Services

NAICS

Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237990), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare Facility Construction (Hospitals, Clinics, Labs) (IMAFACAD)

Keywords

• Construction services
• Civil engineering
• Building contracting
• Heritage restoration
• Infrastructure construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Hemel Hempstead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Construction Contracts: Sir Robert McAlpine generates revenue through construction management, civil engineering, and special projects contracts. The company delivers projects across healthcare, infrastructure, commercial, industrial, and heritage sectors on a project-by-project basis, typically as main contractor or through joint ventures. FY25 turnover was £945.7 million with profit before tax of £15.7 million.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sir Robert McAlpine is a UK tier-1 construction and civil engineering contractor that delivers pre-construction, construction management, civil engineering, design, and specialist services across healthcare, infrastructure, commercial, industrial, and heritage sectors. The company operates through divisions including Special Projects, McAlpine Design Group, Capital Ventures, Axis Land Partnerships, Digital Construction, Geospatial Engineering, Façades, and Lifting Solutions, and partners with VINCI Building in the Integrated Health Projects (IHP) joint venture for NHS healthcare delivery.

Product overview

Sir Robert McAlpine is a leading UK construction and civil engineering company offering a comprehensive portfolio of services across multiple sectors. The company operates through distinct divisions including Special Projects (heritage and complex builds), McAlpine Design Group (in-house design), Capital Ventures (investment), Axis Land Partnerships (land development), Digital Construction (BIM and technology), Geospatial Engineering, Façades, and Lifting Solutions. The company is also a partner in Integrated Health Projects (IHP), a joint venture with VINCI Building. Core service offerings span pre-construction, construction management, civil engineering, and customer care. Project portfolio includes healthcare facilities (Maggie's Cancer Care Centres across multiple UK locations, NHS projects), heritage and special projects (Elizabeth Tower restoration, 80 Strand refurbishment, Courtauld Institute), commercial developments, infrastructure, and industrial projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Construction

Quantifiable outcome

• £945.7 million annual turnover with £15.7 million profit before tax in FY25
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• BridgitstrategicTechnology or Integration · 13 May 2026Strategic partnership equipping Sir Robert McAlpine with cutting-edge AI technology for workforce planning across complex construction programmes. The platform is AI purpose-built for construction workforce planning and will enable data-driven team assembly, skills matching, and proactive people planning. Bridgit's insights will help SRM move away from spreadsheet-based processes toward structured, data-driven workforce management.
• VINCI Building (IHP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated Health Projects (IHP) is the industry-leading joint venture between VINCI Building and Sir Robert McAlpine. IHP delivers NHS healthcare construction projects and is involved in the New Hospital Programme and Hospital 2.0 Alliance. The joint venture represents a flagship strategic partnership in the healthcare sector.
• Maggie's Cancer Care CentrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSir Robert McAlpine has supported Maggie's for more than a decade, having delivered 10 architecturally significant cancer care centres across the UK. The company has also raised over £1.2 million for the charity. The partnership includes both construction delivery and ongoing fundraising support, with SRM being a founding sponsor of the Building Hope Spring Gala Dinner.
• UK Space Agency and Lockheed MartinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSir Robert McAlpine was mentioned as participating in the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre project at Northumbria University, working alongside the UK Space Agency and Lockheed Martin on this national space asset development.
• Agratas (Tata Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSir Robert McAlpine was the main contractor for Agratas's £800m gigafactory in Bridgwater, Somerset (terminated and replaced by Tonroe Group Ltd in June 2026). The project was intended to be the UK's largest battery plant for Jaguar Land Rover's electric vehicle supply.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Costain Group: Costain Group is a UK smart infrastructure and construction solutions provider serving transportation, water, energy, and defence sectors. Comparable in targeting large-scale UK infrastructure and civil engineering contracts, particularly in regulated and public-sector domains.
• Balfour Beatty: Balfour Beatty is a leading UK infrastructure and construction contractor with comparable scale (~£8B revenue), operating across rail, highways, utilities, and building construction. Highly comparable as a tier-1 UK contractor competing for the same public and private sector mandates, including healthcare frameworks.
• Wates Group: Wates Group is a UK family-owned construction contractor with comparable focus on commercial, education, healthcare, and heritage sectors. Similar private family-owned structure and customer mix to SRM, competing for similar mid-to-large scale public and private tenders.
• Laing O'Rourke: Laing O'Rourke is a privately held UK-headquartered construction group with similar tier-1 positioning, focusing on large-scale buildings, infrastructure, and engineering projects. Comparable in scope of services and target client base including healthcare and commercial sectors.
• Morgan Sindall: Morgan Sindall is a UK construction and regeneration group operating across construction, infrastructure, and property services. Comparable in targeting UK commercial, education, and public sector construction, with similar scale and operating model.
• Bowmer + Kirkland: Bowmer + Kirkland is a privately held UK construction contractor delivering commercial, leisure, heritage, and industrial projects. Comparable in scale and sector mix, including heritage restoration and complex commercial builds.
• Kier Group: Kier Group is a UK infrastructure, construction, and property services company operating across highways, utilities, and buildings. Comparable as a UK-focused tier-1 contractor competing for similar public and private sector construction mandates, particularly in infrastructure and healthcare.
• Mace Group: Mace is a UK-headquartered international consultancy and construction firm, comparable in scale and service breadth including construction management, civil engineering, and major project delivery. Direct competitor for London landmark and complex commercial mandates.
• VINCI Construction UK: VINCI Construction UK is the British arm of VINCI, and SRM's JV partner in Integrated Health Projects (IHP). Directly comparable in delivering NHS healthcare, commercial, and infrastructure projects in the UK; both firms co-bid and co-deliver on major healthcare frameworks.
• Skanska UK: Skanska's UK operation is a major construction and civil engineering contractor competing for similar large-scale building, infrastructure, and healthcare projects. As the UK arm of a global contractor, Skanska brings comparable technical capabilities and competes head-to-head for NHS and commercial mandates.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WeAreMcAlpine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sirrobertmcalpine5282
• Facebookfacebook.com/WeAreMcAlpine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sir-robert-mcalpine
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearemcalpine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sir Robert McAlpine