The UK’s antitrust watchdog is widening its net in a major investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices within the building sector. What began as a targeted look into how school roofing contracts were handed out has now snowballed into a sweeping probe involving a dozen companies and stretching across both public and private construction markets.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) first launched its investigation in December 2024 under Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998. The initial focus was narrow but critical: suspected bid-rigging on contracts tied to the Department for Education’s Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), a pot of money designed to help schools maintain safe and efficient buildings. Bid-rigging occurs when businesses secretly collude to manipulate the bidding process, artificially inflating prices or rigging who wins the contract, ultimately leaving taxpayers and institutions to foot a much higher bill.
A Growing Scope and More Targets
As investigators dug into the evidence throughout 2025, the true scale of the suspected collusion began to clarify. In January 2026, the CMA officially expanded the scope of its probe. Realizing that the alleged misconduct likely went beyond just school funding, the regulator added new parties to the investigation and broadened its parameters. The inquiry now spans the supply of roofing and other essential construction services not only to CIF-eligible schools but also to various other public and private sector entities.
The list of businesses currently under the regulatory microscope is extensive. The CMA has named twelve companies as active subjects in the ongoing investigation. These firms include AMR Consult Ltd, Blue Cube Contracting Ltd, Central Roofing and Building Services Ltd, Higham Flat Roofing Ltd (trading as Higham Roofing and Construction), ICE Roofing & Cladding Ltd, Inspire Contract Services Ltd, M&J Group (Construction & Roofing) Ltd, Parias Construction and Interiors Ltd, PSARLD Ltd (trading as Peter Smith Associates), RAM Building Consultancy Ltd, Russell Trew Ltd, and Stoic Roofing and Construction Ltd.
The Long Road Ahead
Cartel investigations are notoriously complex, requiring the meticulous review of digital communications, financial records, and bidding history. According to the CMA’s updated timeline, the regulator expects to remain in an intensive phase of evidence gathering, analysis, and information review until at least December 2026.
It is crucial to note that the opening of an investigation does not equal a declaration of guilt. The CMA has explicitly stated that no assumption should be made at this stage that competition law has actually been broken. The watchdog has not yet determined if it has enough hard evidence to issue a formal “statement of objections” to any of the named parties.
If the evidence eventually warrants a statement of objections, it will serve as a formal notice of the CMA’s case against the companies. However, even at that stage, the businesses will be given ample opportunity to review the allegations, submit written defenses, and make oral representations before the regulator hands down any final decisions or heavy financial penalties. For now, the construction sector remains under intense scrutiny as the CMA continues to piece together the full picture.
