What Northern Counties Builders Federation does

Northern Counties Builders Federation (NCBF) is a membership trade association serving small and medium-sized construction companies and contractors operating across the North East of England. Founded in 1898 (per firmographics) and headquartered in Ovingham, United Kingdom, NCBF represents 30+ member companies and focuses on raising member profile, supporting training and apprenticeships, and providing a collective regional voice on policy and industry matters affecting construction. Member companies include Brims Construction, Sendrig Construction, Wharton Construction, Hodgson Sayers, and McCarrick Construction, among others.

NCBF's core offering is a single annual membership product priced at £125 per member company, which automatically extends membership to Construction Alliance North East (CAN) and Constructing Excellence North East (CENE). The organization delivers value through three principal channels: a Members Directory showcasing member services, the Building Your Future campaign (launched 2023) connecting employers with students across four regional colleges, and the Built Environment Wonder Challenge (launched 2024 in partnership with Constructing Excellence North East) engaging Year 8 pupils in construction-themed design exercises. NCBF is also networked with the National Federation of Builders (NFB), Generation for Change (G4C), Construction Industry Council (CIC), and Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA).

NCBF operates as a not-for-profit-style association governed by an elected leadership team led by President Angela Carney (re-elected to July 2027), with a small staff of 1-10 employees. Revenue is generated almost exclusively through flat annual membership fees, with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or external capital structure. The organization is regionally focused with no disclosed geographic expansion beyond the North East of England, and its technology footprint is limited to a Wix-hosted website and standard social media profiles on X and LinkedIn.

Name

Northern Counties Builders Federation

Legal name

Northern Counties Builders Federation

Website

https://ncbf.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Northern Counties Builders Federation is a North East England trade association founded in 1898 that represents 30+ small and medium-sized construction companies through £125 annual membership, providing regional advocacy, training and apprenticeship support, and access to linked industry bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ovingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: NCBF generates revenue through annual membership registration fees. The standard annual fee is £125 per member company. Membership provides access to Construction Alliance North East (CAN) and Constructing Excellence North East (CENE) affiliations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NCBF is a membership trade association that brings together small and medium-sized construction companies and contractors across the North East of England. For an annual fee of £125, member companies receive regional policy representation, networking opportunities, training and apprenticeship support, and automatic membership extension to Construction Alliance North East (CAN) and Constructing Excellence North East (CENE).

Product overview

Northern Counties Builders Federation operates as a unified membership organization offering a single portfolio of services to construction SMEs in the North East of England. The core offering consists of NCBF Membership, which provides access to networking, policy influence, training support, and automatic membership to linked organizations (CAN and CENE). Supporting this is the Members Directory, which showcases member companies and connects them with students. The Building Your Future campaign, launched in 2023, extends the membership value by addressing skills shortages through career promotion initiatives with regional colleges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NCBF Membership Annual membership association for construction companies and contractors across the North East of England, providing networking, regional policy influence, training support, and automatic extension to Construction Alliance North East (CAN) and Constructing Excellence North East (CENE) affiliations.
• Members Directory A browsable directory of NCBF member companies showcasing their services and contributions to the North East construction industry, providing access to final year trade students for workforce pipeline development.
• Building Your Future Campaign A flagship initiative to promote construction careers and inspire the next generation of industry talent, connecting employers with students through partnerships with colleges across the North East (Hartlepool College, Northumberland College, Sunderland College, Darlington College).

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ member companies served
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Constructing Excellence North East (Built Environment Wonder Challenge)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NCBF works with Constructing Excellence North East to launch the annual Built Environment Wonder Challenge, engaging Year 8 pupils to act as mini construction companies designing sustainable, eco-friendly developments to solve real-world problems.
• Construction Alliance North East (CAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAN is the collective voice for the region's small and medium-sized construction companies, representing over 500 member companies with combined turnover of £3 billion and 100,000+ employees. NCBF membership automatically extends to CAN, providing representation in matters affecting construction across the North East.
• Constructing Excellence North East (CENE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner of the national Constructing Excellence movement promoting collaboration, innovation and best practice across the built environment. Members benefit from a professional network and events programme. NCBF membership automatically extends to CENE.
• National Federation of Builders (NFB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1880, NFB is one of the UK's longest-established trade associations representing builders and contractors across England and Wales. Provides expert guidance, business support, and political voice.
• Generation for Change (G4C)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe young professional voice of the UK built environment sector, designed for emerging leaders and early-career professionals. Offers networking, personal development and industry change opportunities.
• Construction Industry Council (CIC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrings together over 500,000 professionals from across the built environment. Represents a broad alliance of industry bodies and supports the sector through research, policy development and collaborative working.
• Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal trade association representing civil engineering contractors in the UK. Speaks for over 300 firms employing close to 250,000 people and delivering work worth around £15 billion annually.
• Hartlepool CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCBF collaborates with Hartlepool College through its Building Your Future campaign to connect employers with final year trade students and showcase construction career opportunities.
• Northumberland CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCBF collaborates with Northumberland College through its Building Your Future campaign to promote construction careers and connect students with industry opportunities.
• Sunderland CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCBF partners with Sunderland College as part of the Building Your Future campaign to inspire the next generation of construction industry talent.
• Darlington CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCBF partners with Darlington College through its Building Your Future campaign to connect young people with construction career pathways.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Construction Industry Council (CIC): CIC is the representative forum for professional bodies, research organizations and specialist trade associations in the UK construction industry. It is a strategic partner of NCBF and provides broader industry representation.
• Build UK: Build UK is the representative body for the UK construction industry, bringing together leading contractors and trade associations. Comparable to NCBF in its role as an industry convener and advocacy body, but operating at national scale.
• Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB): CIOB is a global professional body for construction management and leadership, covering standards, training, and qualifications. Comparable to NCBF in addressing workforce development and industry standards, though operating as a chartered professional body rather than trade association.

Direct peers

• Federation of Master Builders (FMB): FMB is the UK's largest trade association for the SME building industry, offering membership, vetting, and warranty services. It is highly comparable to NCBF in targeting small and medium-sized construction firms with regional chapter structures.
• Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA): CECA represents civil engineering contractors in the UK, speaking for over 300 firms. It is a direct strategic partner of NCBF and operates a comparable trade association model focused on contractor advocacy and policy influence.
• Home Builders Federation (HBF): HBF represents housebuilders in England and Wales. It is comparable to NCBF as a UK construction trade association providing advocacy, policy influence, and member services, though focused on a different construction segment.
• National Federation of Builders (NFB): NFB is one of the UK's longest-established trade associations representing builders and contractors across England and Wales. It is a direct strategic partner of NCBF and serves a closely analogous SME contractor membership model.
• Constructing Excellence: Constructing Excellence is the national movement promoting collaboration and best practice in the built environment. Its North East regional arm (CENE) is a direct NCBF partner, and the network operates a comparable member-and-event-driven model.

Regional players

• Scottish Building Federation: SBF is Scotland's primary trade association for the building industry, providing services similar to NCBF's. It is a strong regional comparable, operating with the same SME-contractor focus in a different UK geography.

Emerging players

• Generation for Change (G4C): G4C is the young professional voice of the UK built environment sector, providing networking and development opportunities. It is a strategic partner of NCBF and operates a similar membership-driven model focused on emerging leaders rather than established firms.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCBuildersFed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northern-counties-builders-federation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Northern Counties Builders Federation