What Brailsford & Dunlavey does

Brailsford & Dunlavey (B&D) is a U.S. institutional program management and advisory firm founded in 1994 by Paul Brailsford and Chris Dunlavey in Washington, DC. The firm provides three core service pillars — Planning & Development Advisory, Implementation Advisory, and Management Advisory — covering the full lifecycle of capital programs from feasibility and financing through construction oversight and post-occupancy operational optimization. B&D serves public-sector and institutional clients including colleges and universities, K-12 school districts, municipalities, sports and entertainment organizations, healthcare and academic medical centers, and defense communities. The firm's offering is structured as project-based professional services with multi-year engagements, typically entered via RFP or direct institutional relationship, and delivered through multidisciplinary teams of project managers, architects, economists, finance specialists, and management consultants across nine U.S. offices. The firm has advised on over $10 billion in venue investments and served 800+ clients over its history.

The firm does not operate a technology platform product; its differentiated capability lies in sector-specialized advisory expertise, including public-private partnership (P3) structuring, owner's representation, communications and public engagement, and energy/sustainability advisory. In June 2024, B&D received a strategic private equity investment from Bernhard Capital Partners, becoming the anchor of BCP's Institutional Project Management platform. In December 2025, B&D completed a transformative merger with Project Management Advisors (PMA), roughly doubling its headcount to over 450 professionals and reaching its highest-ever ranking of No. 22 nationally on ENR's 2026 Top Program Management Firms list. The combined entity continues to position itself as a national, full-lifecycle program management platform for institutional capital projects, with BCP expected to support an active M&A strategy going forward.

Name

Brailsford & Dunlavey

Legal name

Brailsford & Dunlavey

Website

https://programmanagers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Brailsford & Dunlavey is a PE-backed U.S. institutional program management and advisory firm serving universities, municipalities, sports organizations, healthcare, and defense clients, with 450+ professionals across nine offices following the December 2025 merger with PMA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Program Management & Capital Project Advisory

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Infrastructure & Project Finance Advisory (BPAHADAO), Infrastructure Planning, Capital Programs & Project Delivery Offices (PMOs) (BPAIALAJ), Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

Keywords

• Program management services
• Capital program advisory
• Public-private partnerships
• Construction management consulting
• Real estate advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Management & Advisory Services: B&D generates revenue through professional services fees charged to institutional clients for program management, owner's representation, development advisory, and management consulting engagements across education, municipal, sports, and infrastructure sectors. Revenue is project-based and relationship-driven, typically through multi-year engagements or defined project scopes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Brailsford & Dunlavey is an institutional advisory and program management firm that leads the planning, development, and management of major capital projects for universities, school districts, municipalities, sports organizations, healthcare institutions, and defense communities. The firm delivers services through three core pillars — Planning & Development Advisory, Implementation Advisory, and Management Advisory — supported by specialized practice groups covering P3 advisory, venues, infrastructure/energy/sustainability, healthcare, defense communities, and communications & public engagement.

Product overview

Brailsford & Dunlavey (B&D) is an institutional program management and advisory firm that operates as a unified professional services platform offering planning, implementation, and management advisory services. The firm's offerings center on three core advisory pillars: Planning & Development Advisory, Implementation Advisory, and Management Advisory, supplemented by specialized practice groups covering P3 Advisory, Communications & Public Engagement, Infrastructure/Energy & Sustainability, Venues, Healthcare, and Defense Communities. Following the December 2025 acquisition of Project Management Advisors (PMA), the combined organization serves clients across multiple sectors including higher education, PK-12 schools, municipalities, sports venues, healthcare, and defense communities through nine U.S. office locations with over 450 professionals. The firm also operates the P3 Resource Center as an educational platform and produces the Built for Impact podcast for thought leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planning & Development Advisory Defines the right project in response to client vision and market conditions using strategic analyses, research, and analytics to deliver implementable and sustainable project concepts. Used by institutional clients at the earliest stage of a capital program.
• Implementation Advisory Oversees projects through financing, design, and construction, providing project management expertise that gives clients control over the development process through to ribbon cutting. Functions as the owner's representative and program manager.
• Management Advisory Aligns operations with the client's core values and financial resources through analysis and implementation of operational reforms that maximize post-occupancy value across the asset lifecycle.
• P3 (Public-Private Partnership) Advisory Comprehensive advisory services for structuring and executing public-private partnerships across higher education, utilities, housing, and infrastructure sectors, including deal structuring, procurement support, and financial close advisory.
• Communications & Public Engagement Develops communications and public engagement strategies for capital programs, including communications plan development, engagement planning, technical support, and major public event planning. Supports stakeholder consensus for institutional clients.
• Infrastructure, Energy & Sustainability Advisory Partners with institutions to advance sustainability through decarbonization planning, techno-econometric modeling, change management consulting, and infrastructure capital planning across campus and municipal settings.
• Venues Practice Group National leader in sports, entertainment, and event facility development, providing strategic planning, program management, and community-focused development advisory for stadiums, arenas, and surrounding districts. Has advised on over $10 billion in venue investments.
• Healthcare Advisory Partners with healthcare institutions, academic medical centers, and research universities on major hospital expansions, research hubs, and healthcare facility development, providing market analysis, financial modeling, design oversight, P3 structuring, and operational optimization.
• Defense Communities Advisory Partners with defense communities to advance mission priorities, strengthen resilience, and deliver long-term value through program management, P3 structuring, mission readiness support, land use planning, energy resilience, and community engagement.
• Colleges & Universities Sector Services Program management and advisory services for higher education institutions addressing enrollment, campus modernization, real estate strategy, student housing, utilities, and student experience projects.
• PK-12 Schools Sector Services Program management services for K-12 public school districts, including facility modernization, bond program implementation, and community engagement around school construction.
• Municipalities Sector Services Advisory and program management services for municipal governments addressing mixed-use development, infrastructure planning, community engagement, and asset reactivation.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2M in operating savings identified for University of Central Florida's housing operations
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Project Management Advisors (PMA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025In December 2025, B&D completed its merger with Project Management Advisors (PMA), creating a national program management firm with over 450 professionals. The combined organization significantly expanded B&D's national footprint, sector expertise, and multidisciplinary advisory capabilities. This was the first of what is expected to be a very active period of M&A for the firm.
• Gilbane Development CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGilbane Development Company led the private team for Western Kentucky University's $350M Elevate WKU student housing P3. B&D served as the university's strategic advisor/owner's representative. Inwood Management (a Gilbane subsidiary) provides O&M services.
• Collegiate Housing Foundation (CHF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollegiate Housing Foundation serves as the legal owner of assets and borrower for financing on the WKU housing P3 deal. B&D acted as the university's advisor on the transaction.
• RBC Capital MarketsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRBC Capital Markets served as the lead underwriter for the WKU housing P3 financing, with Kentucky Bond Development Corporation acting as the bond issuer. B&D advised the university on the transaction.
• Kentucky Infrastructure Partners (KIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIP, led by Plenary Americas and Walsh Investors, closed the University of Kentucky Central Utility Plan P3 deal. B&D acts as advisor to the university on the transaction. Walsh-Turner joint venture is the design-builder, and Noresco is the O&M provider.
• Plenary AmericascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlenary Americas co-leads Kentucky Infrastructure Partners (KIP) on the University of Kentucky Central Utility Plan P3. B&D advises the university on this $580M capital structure transaction.
• Mathes BrierreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMathes Brierre partnered with the City of New Orleans and B&D on a comprehensive study to reimagine the Old VA Medical Center site as a mixed-use destination. B&D led the analysis exploring the site's development potential.
• Marrero, Couvillon & AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarrero, Couvillon & Associates partnered with the City of New Orleans and B&D on the Old VA Medical Center redevelopment study.
• P3 Resource CenterminorOthersB&D created the P3 Resource Center as an educational hub featuring articles, state of the industry reports, case studies, and how-to tools. Clients and professionals throughout the P3 industry contribute to this resource.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hill International: Hill International is a global program management and construction consulting firm serving public and private clients on complex capital programs and infrastructure projects. It is a direct peer to B&D in owner representation, program management, and construction claims/consulting, though it operates at substantially larger scale.
• Turner & Townsend: Turner & Townsend is a global professional services firm specializing in program management, cost consultancy, and advisory across real estate, infrastructure, and natural resources. It directly competes with B&D on owner's representative and program management engagements for institutional and public-sector clients, with comparable service lines.
• Anser Advisory: Anser Advisory is an owner's representative and program management firm focused on K-12, higher education, healthcare, and aviation infrastructure. It directly competes with B&D's institutional practice groups, particularly in PK-12 bond program management and higher education capital programs.
• LiRo Group: LiRo Group is a program management, construction management, and engineering firm serving public-sector clients on infrastructure, transportation, educational, and healthcare facilities. It is a direct peer to B&D in owner representation and program management for institutional and municipal clients, particularly across the Northeast U.S.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm that provides program management among its broad portfolio of design, engineering, and construction services. It is a broad incumbent competitor that overlaps with B&D on large public-sector and institutional capital programs, though AECOM offers substantially more integrated technical capabilities.
• Jacobs Solutions: Jacobs Solutions is a global professional services firm providing program management, engineering, and technical consulting across critical infrastructure and government services. It is a broad incumbent competitor that overlaps with B&D on municipal, transportation, and institutional capital program management, with Heery International (acquired by Jacobs) historically a more direct match.
• CBRE (Project Management): CBRE provides global project management services as part of its broader commercial real estate platform, serving institutional owners on capital projects and occupancies. It is a broad incumbent competing with B&D on institutional advisory engagements, particularly for university and healthcare clients with real estate strategy needs.
• JLL (Project and Development Services): JLL's Project and Development Services division provides program and project management for institutional, corporate, and public-sector clients on capital projects globally. It is a broad incumbent competing with B&D on higher education, sports venue, and large-scale institutional advisory mandates.
• KPMG Infrastructure Advisory: KPMG's Infrastructure Advisory practice provides strategic, financial, and transaction advisory on large capital programs and P3s globally. It is a broad incumbent competitor that overlaps with B&D on P3 structuring, capital planning advisory, and infrastructure advisory for public-sector and institutional clients.

Emerging players

• Plenary Americas: Plenary Americas is a public-private partnership developer and investor that participates as a development partner on P3 deals across North America. It is a complementary/overlapping player rather than a direct competitor — B&D advises institutions on the owner side while Plenary leads the developer consortia, but the two firms frequently partner on P3 mandates (e.g., University of Kentucky Central Utility Plan).

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bd_pm
• Facebookfacebook.com/brailsford-dunlavey-402237133175944
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brailsford-&-dunlavey
• Instagraminstagram.com/brailsford_and_dunlavey

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Brailsford & Dunlavey