What Barbour ABI does

Barbour ABI is a UK-based construction intelligence and lead generation provider operating a cloud-based platform that tracks every UK planning application of notable size from inception to completion. The company's research operations conduct over 1 million calls and 100,000+ hours of analyst research annually, producing a proprietary dataset that powers its core products: the Construction Project Leads Platform (flagship subscription product for filtering UK construction opportunities by sector, region, and value), Built Environment Analytics (subscription benchmarking and bid-win ratio tools), and a library of over 150 market research reports sold individually through a dedicated e-commerce storefront (store.barbour-abi.com). Additional offerings include AI-Powered Features embedded in the platform, CRM Integrations, a free project search tool, and a Consultancy & Bespoke Research service for tailored client engagements.

The platform is delivered through a hybrid go-to-market combining direct sales for enterprise accounts with self-serve product-led growth funnels for mid-market and SMB users. Free resources including 10 free project leads, monthly reports (Sector Review, Monthly Snapshot, Top 50 League Tables, Regional Spotlight), Construction Hotspots, and the proprietary Kudos in Construction editorial series serve as top-of-funnel acquisition channels. Pricing operates on a quote-based subscription model for the platform and analytics products, supplemented by one-time report purchases and professional services revenue from consultancy engagements.

Barbour ABI serves UK construction industry professionals across nine business types (main contractors, subcontractors, building material manufacturers, builders' merchants, hire services, recruiters, service providers, retailers, and marketers) and eight sectors (residential, infrastructure, industrial, retail, commercial, hotel/leisure/sport, education, healthcare). Named customers include Willmott Dixon, Arrow Industrial Group, BAE Systems, BRE, and CPA, alongside government bodies such as HM Government, the Office for National Statistics, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, indicating a diversified enterprise and public-sector customer base. The company is privately held (Barbour ABI Limited, registered in England and Wales), headquartered in London with an operational office in Cheshire Oaks, and operates from a 101–250 employee base.

Name

Barbour ABI

Legal name

Barbour ABI Limited

Website

https://barbour-abi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Intelligence

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & Engineering ERP (Job Costing, Project Controls) (HDAEAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Construction Engineering & Constructability Consulting (BPAHAIAN)

Keywords

• Construction intelligence
• Project leads platform
• Construction market research
• Built environment analytics
• UK construction data

Headquarters

HQ city

Ellesmere Port

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Construction Project Leads Platform (Subscription): Annual or monthly subscription access to the project leads platform, providing UK construction project intelligence across all regions and sectors, with filtering by sector, location, and project value. Includes free trial and demo offers.
2. Market Research Reports (One-time Purchase): Individual purchase of over 150 specialist construction industry reports covering sectors such as data centres, residential, infrastructure, commercial, renewables, and more. Reports are sold through the Barbour ABI Store as one-time purchases.
3. Built Environment Analytics (Subscription): Subscription access to analytics products including Contractor Win Rates Analytics, Project Starts Analytics, Home Improvement Analytics, and Supply Chain Analytics, providing benchmarking and competitive intelligence.
4. Consultancy & Bespoke Research: Custom research and consultancy engagements tailored to specific client requirements, providing bespoke construction market intelligence beyond standard reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Barbour ABI operates a cloud-based construction intelligence platform that delivers UK construction project leads, market research reports, and built environment analytics. Its in-house research team conducts over 1 million calls and 100,000+ hours of research annually to track UK planning applications of notable size from inception to completion, providing lead generation, competitive intelligence, and bespoke research to construction industry buyers across all regions and sectors.

Product overview

Barbour ABI is a construction intelligence platform operating as a unified platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings consist of the Construction Project Leads Platform (the flagship product for lead generation across all UK regions and sectors), Built Environment Analytics (providing bid-win ratio improvement and competitive tracking), and a library of over 150 Market Research Reports covering sector-specific and regional construction intelligence. Additional analytics modules include Contractor Win Rates, Project Starts, Home Improvement, and Supply Chain Analytics Reports. The company also offers Consultancy & Bespoke Research services, AI-Powered Features, and free tools including a Project Search Tool and monthly/quarterly reports (Monthly Snapshot, Sector Review, Regional Spotlight, Top 50 League Tables). The platform serves multiple business types including marketers, manufacturers, contractors, subcontractors, hire services, builders merchants, recruiters, service providers, and retailers, across sectors spanning residential, infrastructure, industrial, retail, commercial, hotel/leisure/sport, education, and healthcare.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kudos in Construction: A monthly series documenting the best of the construction industry, highlighting people making improvements in ten key areas including innovation, diversity, leadership, talent-seekers, sustainability, and health and safety.

Products and services

• Construction Project Leads Platform The flagship cloud platform providing construction project leads across every UK region and sector. Enables lead generation and pipeline building with comprehensive project intelligence, searchable by sector, location, and project value. Sold via annual subscriptions with demo and free trial entry points; targeted at main contractors, subcontractors, manufacturers, builders merchants, and other construction industry buyers.
• Built Environment Analytics Subscription analytics platform combining specialist construction data with deep expertise, filtering, and bespoke visualisations to help users make data-driven decisions and improve bid-win ratios. Targeted at construction professionals seeking competitive intelligence and benchmarking.
• Market Research Reports Portfolio of over 150 construction industry reports covering sector-specific and topical UK construction market intelligence, including Construction Forecast, Bathroom & Kitchen, Building Products Distribution & Hire, Data Centres, Doors & Windows, Home & Garden, HVAC & Electrical, Renewables, Sectors Contractors & FM, and Wall Cladding. Sold as one-time purchases via the Barbour ABI Store.
• Consultancy & Bespoke Research Custom research and consulting services tailored to specific client requirements, providing bespoke UK construction market intelligence beyond standard reports. Targeted at organisations requiring tailored insights.
• Contractor Win Rates Analytics Subscription analytics report providing insights into contractor win rates and competitive performance tracking across the UK construction market. Used by contractors and sales teams for benchmarking.
• Project Starts Analytics Subscription analytics report tracking new project starts across the UK construction market, used to monitor construction activity momentum.
• Home Improvement Analytics Subscription analytics reports covering UK home improvement market trends and planning application data; used by home improvement product suppliers and retailers.
• Supply Chain Analytics Subscription analytics reports providing visibility into UK construction supply chain dynamics, trends, and performance, used by manufacturers, distributors, and merchants.
• Free Project Search Tool Freemium tool allowing users to search UK construction projects filtered by sector and region, acting as a lead generation entry point to the paid platform.
• AI-Powered Features AI-powered capabilities integrated into the construction intelligence platform to enhance project discovery and data analysis for users.
• Home Improvement Index Annual proprietary market intelligence publication monitoring shifts and trends in the UK private housing repair, maintenance, and improvement market, based on planning application data, with regional profiles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million calls and 100,000+ hours of research annually to track UK planning applications

Named customers10 records

Segments15 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature15 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Constructionline: Constructionline is the dominant UK construction prequalification and contractor intelligence database, owned by Build UK. Competes for overlapping clients (main contractors, subcontractors, suppliers) with project- and company-level intelligence products.
• BCIS (Building Cost Information Service): BCIS, operated by RICS, provides UK construction cost data, tender price indices, and market intelligence to surveyors, contractors, and clients. Overlaps with Barbour ABI's analytics and cost benchmarking offerings for UK construction professionals.
• Dodge Construction Network: Dodge (formerly Dodge Data & Analytics) provides commercial construction project leads, market analytics, and forecasting to the US market. Closest US analog to Barbour ABI's combination of project pipeline data and sector reports.
• NBS (National Building Specification): NBS provides UK construction specification, product data, and project intelligence tools for architects, designers, and contractors. Closely mirrors Barbour ABI's role as a construction information platform serving specifiers, contractors, and manufacturers.
• AMA Research: AMA Research was acquired by Barbour ABI in 2017 and remains an adjacent UK construction market research provider in its own right. Direct overlap on UK construction market reports across building products, distribution, and home improvement.
• Glenigan: Glenigan is the closest direct competitor to Barbour ABI, providing UK construction project leads, contract tracking, and sales intelligence to contractors and suppliers. Operates an overlapping subscription product and competes head-to-head for UK main contractor and subcontractor lead-generation budgets.
• ConstructConnect: ConstructConnect (iSqFt/Hitwise) is a North American construction project lead, bidding, and prequalification platform. Highly comparable business model to Barbour ABI's leads + analytics stack, operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• Procore Technologies: Procore is the largest construction project management SaaS platform, expanding from execution/operations into preconstruction and project intelligence. Overlaps with Barbour ABI's analytics and bid intelligence from a much broader platform footprint.
• GlobalData (Construction Intelligence): GlobalData offers construction project tracking, market reports, and analytics globally. An emerging competitor in UK project intelligence with broader international coverage, addressing a similar customer base of manufacturers and contractors.

Emerging players

• Mordor Intelligence: Mordor Intelligence publishes global construction and infrastructure market research reports and forecasts. Adjacent to Barbour ABI's market research store but with a broader international rather than UK-deep focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Barbourabi
• Facebookfacebook.com/BarbourABI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barbour-abi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Barbour ABI