What Association for Consultancy and Engineering does

The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) is a UK-based trade association founded in 1913 that represents the consultancy and engineering sector in the United Kingdom. ACE serves as a collective voice for member firms ranging from large multinational consultancies—including AECOM, WSP, Mott MacDonald, AtkinsRéalis, Arup, and Buro Happold—to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The organisation is headquartered at 3 Hanbury Drive, Leytonstone House, London, E11 1GA, and operates through regional groups covering Northern Ireland, Scotland, Cymru/Wales, the Midlands, and Northern England, alongside an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Infrastructure that gives it standing with HM Government, HM Treasury, the Competition and Markets Authority, and Parliament. Leadership comprises CEO Kate Jennings (with Milda Manomaityte announced as incoming CEO from 2 March) and ACE Chair Dr Sarah Prichard of Buro Happold.

ACE's product portfolio includes ACE Membership (subscription-based access to advocacy, networking, and resources), ACE Agreements (industry-standard contractual documents such as ACE 2019, ACE 2019 Scotland, ACE 2017, ACE 2009, ACE 2009 Scotland, and ICC contracts sold through an online store), a Find a Consultant directory, the Infrastructure Intelligence news brand and magazine, the annual ACE Awards and Consultancy and Engineering Awards, policy advocacy services, events and conferences, and a Resources Hub. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring annual membership subscriptions, supplemented by sales of contract documents, event income, and sponsorship. ACE does not develop proprietary technology products; its offering is structured around industry representation, knowledge sharing, networking, and standard-setting for the UK engineering consultancy sector.

ACE operates closely with the Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) as a combined group (the ACE/EIC Group), sharing a CEO, policy team, a joint Plan for Government manifesto, and co-hosted events including the Delivering Infrastructure 2050 conference and a joint Parliamentary Reception. Distribution is predominantly direct relationship-based engagement with members, supported by digital channels including the ACE website, email newsletters, LinkedIn, YouTube (acenet1913), and self-service tools such as the Find a Consultant directory and the ACE Agreements online store. The stated go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales targeting engineering and consultancy businesses of all sizes, from large multinational consultancies to SMEs.

Name

Association for Consultancy and Engineering

Legal name

Association for Consultancy and Engineering

Website

https://acenet.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Founded in 1913, the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) is a UK trade association that represents consultancy and engineering firms, from multinationals to SMEs, through membership subscriptions, policy advocacy, industry-standard contractual agreements, events, and the Infrastructure Intelligence publication.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: ACE generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees paid by consultancy and engineering firms. Membership provides access to advocacy representation, policy resources, networking events, industry awards, professional development, and industry-standard agreement documents (e.g., ACE 2019, ACE 2009, ICC contracts). Revenue is subscription-based and recurring in nature.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) is a UK membership-based trade association that represents consultancy and engineering firms. Its core offerings include annual membership subscriptions, industry-standard contractual agreements (ACE 2019, ACE 2009, ICC), the Find a Consultant directory, policy advocacy to government and Parliament, the Infrastructure Intelligence news publication, ACE Awards, conferences and regional events, and resource hubs for professional development.

Product overview

Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) is a membership-based trade association for the consultancy and engineering sector in the UK. The organization provides a unified portfolio of member services including industry-standard ACE Agreements (commercial contracts), the Find a Consultant directory, Infrastructure Intelligence news publication, ACE Awards, policy advocacy, events/conferences, resources hub, careers hub, and professional indemnity insurance guidance. ACE does not operate as a software platform or product company; its offerings are membership services centered around industry representation, knowledge sharing, networking, and standard-setting for the engineering consultancy sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Infrastructure Intelligence: ACE's industry news magazine covering infrastructure developments and policy
• ACE Agreements

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Beale & CocoreOthersBeale & Co is a legal affiliate of ACE providing specialist advice to ACE members. They offer a 20-minute free advice service for members and publish legal content on topics including RAAC, procurement law, and building liability orders on ACE's affiliate news section.
• Environmental Industries Commission (EIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACE and EIC operate as a combined group, sharing a CEO (Kate Jennings), policy team, and joint events including the Delivering Infrastructure 2050 conference and joint Parliamentary Reception. The organisations share a Plan for Government manifesto and campaign jointly on Net Zero and environmental policy.
• Infrastructure IntelligencecoreOthersInfrastructure Intelligence is the news and media brand published by ACE. It covers infrastructure projects, policy, and industry news across the UK, and is distributed as both a news portal and a printed magazine. The publication features industry news stories, editorials, and a magazine.
• Connect GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnect Group hosted the inaugural meeting of the ACE/EIC Public Affairs Group in November 2024 at their offices in Millbank Tower. They are a strategic communications consultancy providing insights on engaging with Government and the Industrial Strategy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Syntec-Ingénierie: French professional federation representing engineering consultancy firms. Comparable to ACE in providing advocacy, market intelligence, and member services in a major European engineering consultancy market.
• Consult Australia: Australian industry association for consulting firms in the built environment, providing advocacy, member services, and industry representation. Closely comparable in operating model to ACE, serving as the Australian equivalent.
• American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC): US trade association for engineering companies, providing advocacy, business resources, and member services. Closely matches ACE's mission, offering a direct international comparable in the largest market for engineering consulting.
• Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada (ACEC-Canada): Canadian trade association for consulting engineering firms, providing advocacy, business support, and industry leadership. Closely comparable to ACE in offering member services to engineering consultancy firms in a major national market.
• EFCA (European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations): European federation of national engineering consultancy associations, representing the industry at the EU level. Comparable to ACE's role in policy advocacy but at the European level, with member organisations that are also ACE's peers.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): Global professional body for property and built environment professionals. Competes with ACE for member firms in the consultancy space and engages in similar policy advocacy around UK infrastructure, planning, and standards.
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB): UK-based professional body for construction management and building professionals. Operates a similar membership and advocacy model and competes with ACE for member firms in the broader UK construction and infrastructure sector.
• Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE): One of the UK's oldest professional bodies for civil engineers, offering policy voice, professional qualification, and member services. Overlaps with ACE on policy advocacy and member representation in the UK infrastructure sector.

Direct peers

• FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting Engineers): Global trade association for consulting engineering firms, offering international advocacy, standard contracts (Red, Yellow, Silver Books), and policy engagement. Closely comparable in mission and member services to ACE at the global level.
• CECA (Civil Engineering Contractors Association): UK trade association representing civil engineering contractors, with similar advocacy, policy engagement, and member services for the UK infrastructure sector. Directly comparable to ACE in mission and operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ACE_Updates
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/acenet1913
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-for-consultancy-and-engineering-ace-

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 Association for Consultancy and Engineering