Recognising exceptional achievement from a government infrastructure project team.
The Infrastructure Award recognises exceptional achievement from a government infrastructure project team.
These high-investment projects deliver the economic, social and defence infrastructure which are essential to the nation’s economic growth, development and prosperity.
HMP Millsike, the UK’s first all-electric prison, was delivered on time and under budget, creating 1,500 new prison places and supporting the government’s plan to add 14,000 places by 2031. At a crucial time for prison capacity, this achievement demonstrates exceptional project delivery and societal impact.
The team navigated challenging ground conditions, including a high water table, underground obstructions, and 50 kilometres of ducting, while ensuring readiness for the first prisoner. Close collaboration with utilities providers, contractors, and the newly appointed operator Mitie ensured a seamless mobilisation, with around 5,000 actions across 17 workstreams completed and around 600 staff recruited.
HMP Millsike sets new environmental standards as the greenest prison in the estate, achieving a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, 10% biodiversity net gain, and using 68% less energy than comparable new builds- incorporating green technology including over 1,800 solar panels.
The project exceeded local employment and social impact targets, generating around 800 jobs during construction, including 73 held by ex-offenders or prisoners on temporary licence, and injecting over £150 million into the local economy. HMP Millsike exemplifies cross-project collaboration, innovation, and public value, delivering a secure, sustainable, and timely solution that strengthens public safety.
The CCUS programme is launching a new industry to support the UK’s clean energy superpower and economic growth missions. Following previous failed attempts in 2005 and 2011, the programme achieved a remarkable turnaround, moving from a ‘Red’ rating from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) in April 2023 to successfully reaching financial close on 5 pioneering projects across two clusters by September 2025.
Allocated approximately £9 billion capital budget, the East Coast Cluster and HyNet will provide capacity to remove up to 8.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to taking four million cars off the road, whilst delivering 743 megawatts of low-carbon power.
The programme introduces first-of-a-kind business models and is the only national CCUS programme globally leveraging private finance. Located in industrial heartlands, it will support 4,000 direct jobs annually, with tens of thousands more as the sector matures, positioning the UK as a global climate leader.
Fylde View is a landmark £100 million Civil Service hub delivered on time and within budget, consolidating over 3,000 colleagues from the Department of Work and Pensions into modern workspace in Blackpool’s £350 million Talbot Gateway regeneration.
This innovative turnkey solution enabled staff occupation just 3 weeks after practical completion. The building achieved BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC ‘A’ ratings, reducing embodied carbon to 630 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per square metre versus the 1,100 industry norm.
Supporting the levelling up agenda, the project created 223 construction jobs, spent £25 million with local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and supported 60 individuals into employment. Built to inclusive design standards, it features neurodivergent-friendly spaces and fully accessible facilities, demonstrating transformative government infrastructure delivery.
Judges look at how the project:
Judges look at how the project:
Judges look at how the project: