TO BE PUBLISHED July 2026
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This conference will examine priorities for managing the transition away from Private Finance Initiative contracts.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to consider the way forward for oversight, coordination and support as PFI contracts approach expiry, including the emerging role of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority within wider arrangements for infrastructure oversight and contract management. Areas for discussion include co-ordination across contracting authorities, consistency in the assessment of asset condition and compliance, and what guidance, capabilities and expertise may be needed to support the management of expiry and related processes.
The agenda will also consider implementation of the PFI Asset Condition Playbook and implications of the Procurement Act 2023 for contract management and expiry, including the development of greater clarity and shared understanding in the interpretation of handback requirements and expectations. Approaches to improving preparedness across contracting authorities will also be discussed, alongside strategies for improving data quality and asset information, and managing risks relating to lifecycle maintenance, compliance and potential disputes at contract expiry.
With 2025 Autumn Budget ambitions for a new public-private partnership model and use of private finance to support delivery of a strengthened long-term infrastructure pipeline, there will be a focus on market confidence and pipeline credibility. In the context of the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy’s ambitions for large-scale infrastructure projects, discussion will consider how PPP models can be structured to deliver value for money and designed for specific use cases, particularly in health infrastructure and public estate decarbonisation projects.
Handback readiness, risk management & implementation
The agenda will examine system readiness for the expected volume of PFI contract expiries, including continuity of service delivery and strengthening assurance and accountability arrangements as contracts approach handback. Discussion will draw on findings from the Public Accounts Committee’s 2025 report, Government’s use of private finance for infrastructure, which highlighted concerns around preparedness, data quality and oversight.
Delegates will consider how risks relating to incomplete or inconsistent asset data, lifecycle maintenance backlogs and compliance with contractual standards at expiry can be addressed in practice, as well as approaches to reducing the likelihood of disputes over asset condition, rectification requirements and contractual interpretation.
Options for establishing more consistent and transparent approaches across public and private sector partners will be examined, including options for earlier engagement on asset condition, clearer expectations for handback standards, and use of dispute avoidance and resolution mechanisms as contracts approach expiry.
Future PPP model design, structuring & delivery capability
The conference will also look at implications of the Government’s commitment within the 2025 Budget to develop a new PPP model, in the context of establishing a credible and deliverable long-term infrastructure pipeline. Attendees will consider how lessons from legacy PFI could inform model design. Areas for discussion include approaches to risk allocation between public and private partners, contract flexibility over long asset lifecycles, and performance management frameworks - alongside how decarbonisation requirements, digital and data capabilities, and evolving service delivery models can be integrated.
Approaches to structuring PPP models will be examined. This includes how risk allocation, procurement approaches and contract structures can fairly reconcile investor confidence with public sector value for money, alongside options for managing demand, construction and operational risks, and reducing the likelihood of disputes over the life of a contract.
Further sessions will examine strategies for strengthening procurement and contract management capability across the public sector. Areas for discussion include workforce development, commercial and technical skills, and institutional capacity to support both effective handback and future PPP delivery. Attendees will also consider options for improving transparency and coordination across complex delivery structures, and the extent to which clearer frameworks and expectations may be needed to support consistency in future PPP arrangements.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department for Transport; Department for Infrastructure, NI; Ministry of Defence; Environment Agency; Ofwat; National Audit Office; National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority; Office of Rail and Road; National Wealth Fund; the Welsh Government; and The Scottish Government.
