What Barnes Construction does

Barnes Construction is a privately held UK building contractor founded in 1978 and headquartered in Ipswich, Suffolk. The company delivers new build, refurbishment, and fitout projects across education, higher education (notably Cambridge colleges), healthcare (NHS trusts and hospices), hospitality (Travelodge and Premier Inn), commercial, and residential sectors, primarily across East Anglia, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, London, and Kent. Individual project values range from sub-£1m to over £10m. The company operates a BIM Level 2 delivery model with BREEAM assessment methodology and Passivhaus low-energy construction capability, and has secured the first BREEAM Excellent rating for a Grade-I listed refurbishment in Cambridge (St John's College Community Hub).

The business generates revenue through fixed-price and NEC partnering contracts won via public sector frameworks and private competitive tendering. Barnes holds appointments to four county council construction frameworks — Suffolk (4th generation, 2023-2027), Norfolk (2024-2027), Cambridgeshire, and Central Bedfordshire — which together provide a structured pipeline of public sector work; the Suffolk framework alone has delivered over £145.6m of projects since 2005. Private tendering is dominated by a 32-year, 47-project partnership with Travelodge delivering 3,800+ hotel rooms, and by repeat engagements with Cambridge colleges (King's, Clare, Homerton, Selwyn, St John's) and NHS trusts (ESNEFT since the early 1980s).

The company's value proposition centres on heritage building decarbonisation, collaborative non-adversarial contracting, social value coordination via the Thrive platform (including 60%+ local supply chain reinvestment within 45 miles, 98% landfill diversion, and 1% of profit margin donated to charity), and long-tenured client relationships. Barnes is led by Joint Managing Directors Bob Steward and Mark Hart, with a five-person Associate Divisional Director team supporting framework and divisional delivery. A recently launched Barnes Developments arm extends into direct property development alongside the core contracting business. The company has 101-250 employees and operates as a regional specialist without external institutional investment or public listing.

Name

Barnes Construction

Legal name

Barnes Constructions

Website

https://barnesconstruction.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Barnes Construction is a privately held UK building contractor founded in 1978 and headquartered in Ipswich, delivering new build, refurbishment, and fitout projects across education, higher education, healthcare, hospitality, and residential sectors in East Anglia, Cambridgeshire, and London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Construction of Buildings (236)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Operative Builders (1531), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)

Keywords

• Building construction services
• Construction project delivery
• Education sector construction
• Healthcare construction services
• Heritage building refurbishment

Headquarters

HQ city

Ipswich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Construction Project Delivery: Barnes Construction generates revenue through fixed-price and NEC partnering contracts for construction projects spanning new build, extensions, refurbishments, and fitout. Revenue is project-based, one-time, and derived from public framework appointments and private tender. Sectors include education, higher education, healthcare, hospices, commercial, residential, hotels, and retail. Project values range from sub-£1m to over £10m.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Barnes Construction is a UK-based main contractor delivering new build, refurbishment, fitout and decarbonisation construction projects across education, healthcare, higher education, commercial, residential, and hospitality sectors. Projects are won through public sector frameworks (Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire) and private competitive tendering, with contract values ranging from sub-£1m to over £10m and delivered using BIM Level 2, Passivhaus and BREEAM sustainability standards.

Product overview

Barnes Construction is a construction services company offering a comprehensive range of building and construction services across multiple sectors. Their service portfolio spans education (schools, academies, colleges), healthcare (hospitals, hospices, medical facilities), higher education (university buildings, student accommodation), commercial and industrial (offices, warehouses, retail), residential (housing developments, almshouses), hotels, retail and leisure, refurbishment and fitout, and decarbonisation/sustainability projects. The company operates primarily in East Anglia, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, and Greater London, serving both public sector clients (local authorities, NHS trusts, educational institutions) and private clients. They are known for delivering projects through various procurement routes including frameworks, NEC partnering contracts, and traditional tendering, with strong emphasis on sustainability, social value, and collaborative client relationships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Build Construction Full main contracting service for new construction projects from sub-£1m to over £10m, delivered for public sector clients, NHS trusts, education providers, colleges, universities, hotel chains, and private developers.
• Refurbishment and Fitout Refurbishment and fitout of existing buildings including college hostels (e.g. Spalding Hostel, King's College), ward refurbishments at Addenbrookes Hospital, and commercial fitouts.
• Heritage Building Decarbonisation Specialist decarbonisation of Grade-I listed heritage buildings with Historic England coordination, vibration monitoring, air leakage management, and bespoke ventilation integration. Delivered for Cambridge colleges and other listed estate owners.
• Passivhaus Construction Delivery of dwellings to stringent Passivhaus low-energy standards using energy-efficient windows and doors, strict airtightness, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR), and high insulation levels. Applied for affordable housing and elderly accommodation.
• Education Construction Construction of new schools, school expansions, SEND units, sports halls, MUGAs, and educational refurbishments for Local Education Authorities and Academy Trusts. Delivered via SCC, Norfolk CC, Cambridgeshire CC, and Central Bedfordshire frameworks.
• Healthcare Construction Construction of new hospice buildings, NHS hospital extensions, Urgent Treatment Centres and Emergency Departments for NHS trusts and hospice charities. Projects include St Catherine's Hospice, ellenor Hospice Wellbeing Wing, Ipswich Hospital UTC/ED, and ward refurbishments at Addenbrookes Hospital.
• Higher Education Construction Construction of college dormitories, graduate accommodation, dining halls, libraries, auditoriums, heritage conservation, decarbonisation works, and student hubs for Cambridge colleges and universities including King's College, Clare College, Homerton College, St John's College, Selwyn College, and University of Suffolk.
• Hotel and Hospitality Construction Budget hotel construction and office-to-hotel conversions delivered primarily for Travelodge and Premier Inn, including BREEAM Excellent-rated schemes such as 177-bedroom Wimbledon Travelodge, 249-room Covent Garden, and 151-room London Stratford.
• Commercial and Retail Construction Retail store extensions, conversions, and commercial fitouts including Glasswells furniture store extension and Jack Sealey warehouse extension.
• Social Value Coordination (Thrive Platform) In-house social value coordination service measuring and reporting local SME spend, training hours, community investment, and waste diversion via the Thrive online platform, supporting public sector framework obligations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% waste diverted from landfill annually
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• Norfolk County CouncilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2024Barnes Construction appointed to new Norfolk County Council construction framework from 1 April 2024 (initial 3-year term). Appointed to Lot 1 (medium projects £500k-£4.5m, total £50m) and Lot 2 (large complex projects over £4.5m, total £300m). Framework designed to meet ongoing construction requirements across Norfolk county. Mark Bailey, Framework Director at Barnes, noted: 'We look forward to helping the County Council realise their overarching ambition for sustainable development and ensuring that we reinvest project expenditure into sustainable and cost effective buildings, and enhanced social value for the communities in Norfolk.'
• Suffolk County Council and Concertus Design and Property ConsultantscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2023Barnes appointed to Suffolk County Council and Concertus Construction Framework (4th generation, 1 June 2023 – 31 May 2027). Appointed to Lot 2 (£750k-£4.5m) and Lot 3 (£4m+). Framework has delivered over £145.6m of projects since 2005. Matthew Self, Managing Director at Concertus, stated: 'We are thrilled that the new iteration of the Suffolk County Council Construction framework is now live.' Framework focuses on sustainable, cost-effective buildings underpinning SCC's Net Zero 2030 target.
• ellenor HospiceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2023Barnes Construction appointed to build new Wellbeing Wing at ellenor hospice in Northfleet, Kent (March 2023). Groundbreaking held 19 May 2023; opening December 2024. Two-storey extension providing counselling rooms, sensory room for children, fitness studio, cinema, and multipurpose spaces. Mark Hart stated: 'This is a remarkable day – this building is beyond bricks and mortar.' Barnes collaborating with R H Partnership (architects), Northmores (project management), and Faithful + Gould (QS and cost consultant).
• TravelodgeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 32-year partnership with Travelodge, the UK's first budget hotel chain. Barnes has completed 47 projects delivering over 3,800 hotel rooms across London and the Southeast. Projects include new builds, conversions of vacant office buildings, and hotels built to BREEAM Excellent standard. Travelodge has agreed a 25-year lease term at London Stratford with Unex Group. Tony O'Brien, UK Development Director at Travelodge, described the partnership as delivering 'great experience of converting existing office space into Travelodge hotels.' Partnership covers design-standard hotels with premium look-and-feel and new bar café format.
• Central Bedfordshire CouncilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBarnes appointed to Central Bedfordshire Council Construction Framework. First project under this framework is Edward Peake CofE School expansion in Biggleswade (£32m Biggleswade area investment), part of Three to Two Tier Programme. Dan Mackenzie, Associate Divisional Director at Barnes, noted: 'This is a fantastic project for us to be involved with, and our first under the CBC Construction Framework.'
• Concertus Design and Property ConsultantscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMulti-disciplinary design and property consultancy that partners with Barnes on public sector framework projects. Concertus provides architecture, project management, and multi-disciplinary services. Multiple joint project references including Chapel Hill Primary School, Sybil Andrews Academy SEND unit, Stowmarket High School expansion, and University of Suffolk projects. Matthew Self, Director at Concertus, described Barnes as having a 'friendly but professional environment' with a 'can do attitude.'
• East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarnes has worked with ESNEFT (and predecessor organisations) since the early 1980s. Current project is new UTC and Emergency Department at Ipswich Hospital (£52M Big Builds programme). Also delivered F3 Ward refurbishment at Addenbrookes Hospital. Mark Hart, Joint MD of Barnes, stated: 'As an Ipswich-based employer, we are delighted to once again be working with ESNEFT on a project in the heart of our hometown.'
• St John's College, CambridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery of new Community Hub at St John's College Cambridge. Project comprised demolition of 1970s buttery, construction of modern replacement, and refurbishment of Grade-I listed Second Court. First Grade-I listed refurbishment in Cambridge to achieve BREEAM Excellent. Barnes worked with Historic England for weekly inspections, undertook vibration monitoring, and carefully managed works around 14th-century wall painting. Heritage specialist project requiring complex coordination with listed building constraints.
• St Catherine's HospiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarnes Construction building new St Catherine's Hospice at Pease Pottage, Crawley (West Sussex). Topping out ceremony held in February 2023; opening planned for Autumn 2023. Hospice staff buried time capsule marking 40-year anniversary. Paul Rycroft, New Build Director at St Catherine's, stated: 'The whole St Catherine's team would like to say a massive thank you for the Barnes input to our time capsule event yesterday. The site looked superb.' Barnes has also delivered Arthur Rank Hospice Cambridge, EACH Ipswich (The Treehouse), and Fair Havens Hospice Southend.
• Local Supply Chain PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarnes prioritises local SME supply chain partners within 40-45 miles of each site. At least 60% of project turnover is reinvested into the local economy through sub-contractors in the local area. Barnes maintains Dunn & Bradstreet 'low risk of slow pay' rating exceeding industry peers, with payment terms always under 30 days. Flexible procurement practices protect subcontractors from volatile material cost increases during Covid-19 and inflationary pressures. 50% apprenticeship bursary funding collaboration with M&S Contractors for carpentry and joinery apprentices.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bowmer + Kirkland: Mid-sized privately held UK contractor with comparable education, heritage, commercial and hospitality portfolio including hotel chains — closely comparable size, ownership structure and project mix.
• ISG: UK fit-out, construction and lifecycle services contractor with strong hospitality, retail and education presence — directly comparable hotel/refurbishment work and public-sector exposure.
• Willmott Dixon: UK contractor heavily focused on education, leisure and public sector construction with strong social value positioning and framework-based delivery — directly comparable vertical mix and customer profile.
• Morgan Sindall Group: UK construction and infrastructure group with overlapping education, healthcare, higher education and public-sector framework work; comparable mid-tier regional contracting model with revenue several multiples of Barnes.
• McLaren Construction Group: Mid-sized UK contractor active across residential, commercial, education and leisure sectors with comparable project values and procurement approaches — closely comparable size band and customer mix.
• Wates Group: Privately-held UK contractor with strong education and public-sector framework presence and similar sustainability/social value emphasis — directly comparable operating model in education and local-authority work.

Broad incumbents

• Kier Group: Larger UK plc contractor with extensive public-sector, education and infrastructure portfolio — overlaps on framework work and East Anglia presence but operates at materially larger scale and broader scope.
• Mace Group: Global consultancy and construction group with UK public-sector and education framework presence — comparable sector overlap but materially larger scale and international footprint.

Regional players

• RG Carter: Norfolk-based regional contractor with overlapping East Anglia education and healthcare public-sector framework footprint — comparable size and geography but does not directly compete across all of Barnes' Southeast geography.

Others

• Concertus Design and Property Consultants: Suffolk-based multi-disciplinary design and property consultancy that co-delivers multiple framework projects with Barnes (Suffolk CC framework) — adjacent ecosystem partner rather than competitor but closely tied to Barnes' pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BarnesConstrctn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDEcdlwXbIv0zZP27slToBA/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barnes-construction-barnes-group-limited-
• Instagraminstagram.com/barnesconstruction_
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Barnes Construction