McAdam
McAdam Design is a Belfast-headquartered, multi-disciplinary consultancy delivering architecture, engineering, project management, and environmental services to public sector clients across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersBelfast, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What McAdam does
McAdam Design Ltd is a privately held, multi-disciplinary design consultancy founded in 1963 and headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with a second office in Cork, Republic of Ireland. The firm delivers architecture, civil and structural engineering, project management, environmental sciences, and health & safety services under one roof, employing 160+ professional staff led by seven Directors. Its integrated model allows it to act as single-source design lead on complex public capital programmes spanning water and wastewater infrastructure, education facilities, leisure and public realm schemes, social housing, and active travel networks.
The firm's core technology stack rests on ISO 19650-accredited BIM processes, Passivhaus design capability, and NEC contract management, with project delivery grounded in standard RIBA work stages. McAdam serves almost exclusively public sector and government clients across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland — including Northern Ireland Water, Belfast City Council, the Education Authority, Radius Housing, Irish Water (Uisce Éireann), and several universities and colleges. Multi-year framework appointments, notably a £800M Northern Ireland Water Professional Services Framework and a £1.2bn framework win in 2022, anchor its forward workload.
Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees on multi-year contracts awarded via public procurement frameworks, competitive tenders, and direct appointments. Pricing is bespoke to project scope and complexity; no standardised rate cards are publicly disclosed. The firm's growth strategy is centred on deepening its public sector framework positions, expanding its ROI footprint via the Cork office, and broadening its multi-disciplinary service mix rather than diversifying into private sector or adjacent verticals.
McAdam firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- McAdam
- Legal name
- McAdam Design Ltd
- Website
- https://mcadamdesign.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- McAdam Design is a Belfast-headquartered, multi-disciplinary consultancy delivering architecture, engineering, project management, and environmental services to public sector clients across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
McAdam industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architecture & Engineering Consultancy
- NAICS
- Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (2379)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE)
Keywords
Where McAdam is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Belfast
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
McAdam business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Services - Design & Engineering: Project-based fees for architecture, civil/structural engineering, project management, and PSDP services on construction and infrastructure projects. Clients include government bodies, councils, housing associations, and educational institutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based professional services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
McAdam product offering
Product offeringCore offering
McAdam is a multi-disciplinary architecture, engineering, and project management consultancy that designs and delivers buildings, infrastructure, and public realm projects for government, public sector, education, housing and water utility clients. Services span concept through construction across all RIBA work stages, covering civil/structural engineering, environmental science, PSDP services, and NEC contract administration.
Product overview
McAdam is a multi-disciplinary design practice offering integrated architecture, engineering, and project management services. The firm operates across two offices (Belfast and Cork) with over 160 professional staff including architects, engineers, project managers, environmental scientists, and health and safety professionals. The company delivers projects across diverse sectors including water/wastewater infrastructure, education facilities, leisure complexes, housing, and urban regeneration, serving clients throughout Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architecture Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivered 160+ projects on Rural Wastewater Investment Programme
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use McAdam
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
McAdam technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
McAdam partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- S3 SolutionscorePartnership with S3 Solutions for the McAdam Community Investment Scheme (MCIS). S3 Solutions assists in administering the grant scheme providing up to £7,500 to community organisations. This is an ongoing community-focused partnership.
- SLRminorMulti-disciplinary team consultant on Athlone Town Centre Regeneration Project, providing environmental and planning consultancy services alongside McAdam's project management and engineering role.
- Wallace WhittleminorM&E design consultancy partner on Athlone Town Centre and other projects including Lifford development.
- SammonminorCost management and planning consultancy partner on various projects including North West Greenway.
- ConsarcminorArchitecture consultancy on Templemore Avenue Baths Restoration and Athlone projects.
- OPEN (part of SLR)minorUrban planning and design consultancy on Belfast Little Patrick/York Street placemaking project.
- Hoy DormanminorEngineering and planning consultancy on various infrastructure projects.
- Resolve PlanningminorPlanning consultancy on Belfast public realm projects.
- Delap & WallerminorM&E consultancy on Belfast public realm schemes.
- Heron BroscoreMain contractor on major projects including Northern Regional College campuses, Templemore Baths, and other construction projects. Long-term working relationship on education and leisure facilities.
- van Dijk ArchitectsminorArchitecture partner on Clúid Housing Dúiche Roden project.
- O'Hare and McGovern (OHMG)minorContractor on Dúiche Roden housing project with McAdam as Employer Representative.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
McAdam competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Jacobs: Global professional services firm with significant UK/Irish water and infrastructure design presence; directly competes on NI Water-style frameworks and public sector programmes in McAdam's target geographies.
- WSP: Global engineering and design consultancy with deep public-sector infrastructure exposure in the UK and Ireland; competes head-to-head with McAdam on water, transport, education, and regeneration frameworks though with materially larger resourcing.
- Mott MacDonald: Large multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy active across water, education, and public buildings in the UK and Ireland; pursued similar frameworks and represents a top-tier competitive threat on larger commissions.
- Stantec: International engineering consultant active in UK/Irish water and infrastructure; competes on similar NI Water-adjacent work and offers scale advantages on larger multi-disciplinary commissions.
- Arup: International engineering and design consultancy with established UK/Irish public sector infrastructure practice across water, transport, education, and urban regeneration; serves the same client base as McAdam with broader specialist depth.
- AtkinsRéalis: Large multi-disciplinary engineering and project management consultancy pursuing NI/ROI water, education, and infrastructure frameworks; comparable service mix targeting the same government clients as McAdam.
- AECOM: Global infrastructure firm providing planning, engineering, and project management services to UK and Irish public bodies — Clare Morris's previous employer — and a competing multi-disciplinary design consultancy in McAdam's core segments.
Direct peers
- Waterman Group: UK-based multi-disciplinary engineering and environmental consultancy covering buildings, water, transport, and development — similar services, similar public-sector mix, and a comparable mid-sized scale.
- RPS Group (Tetra Tech): Ireland- and UK-headquartered multi-disciplinary consultancy providing planning, engineering, environmental, and project management services to public and private clients — closely comparable in size, service mix, and customer base to McAdam.
- Doran Consulting: Belfast-headquartered multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy (civil, structural, environmental) operating across Northern Ireland and Ireland; comparable size and regional service offering, making it one of McAdam's closest local competitors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
McAdam social profiles
Digital presenceMcAdam compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
McAdam financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
McAdam leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
McAdam funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
McAdam M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about McAdam
What does McAdam do?
McAdam is a multi-disciplinary architecture, engineering, and project management consultancy that designs and delivers buildings, infrastructure, and public realm projects for government, public sector, education, housing and water utility clients. Services span concept through construction across all RIBA work stages, covering civil/structural engineering, environmental science, PSDP services, and NEC contract administration.
Is McAdam a public or private company?
McAdam is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was McAdam founded?
McAdam was founded in 1963. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is McAdam based?
McAdam is headquartered in Belfast, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does McAdam make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services - Design & Engineering.
Who are McAdam's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Jacobs, WSP, Mott MacDonald, Stantec, Arup, AtkinsRéalis and AECOM. Direct peers are Waterman Group, RPS Group (Tetra Tech) and Doran Consulting.
Does McAdam have an API?
No public API is recorded for McAdam.
What industry is McAdam in?
McAdam's product category is Architecture & Engineering Consultancy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUANALAE, Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight). Its NAICS code is 2379 and its SIC code is 8700.