Another international field of teams from around the world began the challenge of managing their Global Construction Business, a journey that would ultimately lead to one of them being crowned the Enginuity 2026, and 17th Enginuity Champions!

The ENGINUITY Competition is not designed to be an easy challenge, and is intended to reflect how difficult it can be to run a multinational construction business in the real world. To be successful will require developing an effective business strategy to

• Identify potential jobs in a number of market sectors
• Bid for and win new work in a competitive and dynamic bidding environment
• Progress jobs to profitable completion by allocating appropriate project managers and effective labour scheduling and risk management

• Looking after the interests of the company’s shareholders
• Expanding the infrastructure of the business to promote growth
• Diversifying through investments to reduce costs on jobs being progressed
• Managing the company's overhead departments effectively

And so to the early action, and encoragingly every team were able to post positive growth figures in period 5, and the top of the early leaderboard contains teams spread across the globe. The early pacesetters are "OneWorld Solutions" (Jacobs, India / Poland / UAE ) with 1,339 pts, but they cannot rest on their laurels with the chasing pack very close behind, led by another Jacobs team, the "The Constructivists" (Jacobs, United States) in 2nd, and only 4 points further back "Innovative Busters" (Hatch, South Africa) in 3rd, followed by the "Spreadsheet Contractors" (Stantec, United States). It is tight at the top with only 45 points separating the top 12 teams going into the second round, and many teams lying in wait should the leading teams slip us.

And a word of caution to the leading teams, and hope for those lower down the leaderboard. The top teams at the end of the first round normally have high workloads after successful bidding, and their infrastructure size then limits their ability to win a high volume of work in period 6, as well as giving them the 'growing pains' of needing lots of additional labour to handle the additional workload. In contrast, those who did not perhaps start too well are in the reverse position, and can improve their forward workload and margin significantly in the second round, providing, of course, they set competitive bids. It should be a very interesting leaderboard again in the next round!

And so to the first of this year's ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• For the second successive year teams from the University of Manchester are taking on their peers from Industry. Last year "No Eye Deer" produced a creditable performance, finishing in 36th place at the end of the Preliminary Rounds. This year two student teams have taken on the challenge, "Site Hustle" (SQUARE, University of Manchester, UK) in particular have made an impressive start, currently in 14th place, despite the demands from their studies.
  
  
• Back in 2024 Enginuity's largest sponsor for many years, Stantec, were Champions with "Whatever It Takes" from Italy, and rising to the challenge of repeating the success this year are teams from all over the globe. Two Stantec teams in particular have made impressive starts, with the "Spreadsheet Contractors" (Stantec, United States) and "MegaMine" (Stantec, India), currently in 4th and 7th place respectively.
  
  
• New to the Competition this year are the OCU Group, a leading UK-based infrastructure services provider specializing in renewable energy, utilities (power, water, gas), and digital infrastructure. They have two teams taking part, the "Under Construction Online " (OCU Group, UK) and "Mission Constructible" (OCU Group, UK) and it is the former who have a big early impression with 31% growth that sees them sitting in 6th place in the first League Table.
  
  
• Pell Frischmann have been involved in the Competition for many years, but have never qualified for the final, but after some intensive pre Competition trialling, and 6 well prepared teams taking part, hopes are high that this could change this year, and they already have two teams in the top 12, with "We Meant Well Consulting" (Pell Frischmann, UK) and "Pell me about it" (Pell Frischmann, UK) in 9th and 10th respectively.
  
  
• The Enginuity Competition is a stern test of endurance and team collaboration skills, and this will be put to the test in the next period for a number of teams languishing at the wrong end of the table. One of the keys to their recovery will undoubtedly be their ability to secure new work with more competitive bids, and in particular analysing likely rival bidders to ensure that their margins are set low enough to undercut their rivals, but still make a reasonable profit. They will also need to secure as much profit as possible from their jobs in progress, with a lot of emphasis on effective labour scheduling, especially when completing jobs.
  
  

Much to the relief of Kier Starmer’s Government the 2025 GDP growth of 1.4% was slightly higher than expected, making the UK of the fastest growing UK economies. However, challenges like lower productivity and business investments, combined with global trade uncertainties and inflationary pressures, have raised concerns by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) that growth could slip back to around 1.2% in 2026.

Global GDP growth of around 3% in 2025 was lower than expected due to GEO political factors, such as President Trump’s trade wars, and continued conflicts around the world. 2026 GDP growth is expected to be similar, with the global economy showing resilience bolstered by AI investments, interest rate cuts and government stimulus. India remains one of the strongest performers amongst the emerging economies, with the USA and China continuing to lead the way amongst the major economies.

The league table at the end of period 5
Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Atkinsrealis
Jacobs
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Pell Frischmann
Stantec
WSP

Just like the real world it simulates, Enginuity is designed to reflect the ups and downs of managing a global construction business, and the growing pains on the journey have to be overcome, and management teams need to adapt and come up with innovative solutions to keep their businesses on the right lines.
This was perfectly highlighted in period 6 as many teams that made substantial gains in period 5, due to winning lots of work, suddenly found period 6 to be more challenging. Carrying a high workload going into period 6, their infrastructure (capital base) restricted them from being able to win much new work, and the work progressed in period 6 exceeded the value of the work won in the period, resulting in falling forward workload and margin KPIs.
To compound this the extra work that was won in period 5 needed to be progressed, and extra labour (own or subcontract) was required, incurring training costs for own new labour, or subcontract premiums. These all added to the cost base, and gross profit and operating profit to turnover KPIs suffered, and growth rates were largely down for many, with only 55% of the teams posting positive growth figures.

The result of this upheaval was major turbulence throughout the leaderboard in period 6, with 8 new entries into the top 12, and qualifying places for the final at the end of period 12.
It was all change at the top of the table as "The Infra Tribe" (Stantec, India), who had been sitting in 21st place at the end of period 5, outperformed all the teams above them with 12% growth that enabled them to climb 20 places and into pole position with 1,433 pts. 36 points further back are "Pour Decisions" (Laing O'Rourke, UK), who moved up one place to second after an impressive 18-place gain, but they are just one point clear of the "Spreadsheet Contractors" (Stantec, United States), still crunching the numbers to good effect, with "MegaMine" (Stantec, India) in 4th consolidating their place in the leading positions.
After the drama of period 6, it is almost certain that the league table will see lots more changes in the next round as the teams who did not do so well this week are expected to come storming back, and those that faired well will be trying to consoldiate their gains.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  In terms of performance the accolade went to the "Stantastic 4" (Stantec, Australia / NZ / UAE) with an impressive 22% growth that moved them 47 places up the leaderboard, and well away from the foot of the table.
  In terms of positional gain, and there were many eye catching rises (and falls), "Stan-Take the Lead" (Stantec, Canada / US / UK) and "Craig Wooten Inc." (Stantec, United States) jointly took plaudits with eye catching 56 place gains, with the former moving into the top 12 as a result, and demonstrating what can be achieved in one round with an effective set of decisions based upon a sound strategy.
  
  
• New to the Competition this year are SDC Builders, a leading UK main contractor designing and building lasting legacies across diverse sectors. They have two teams taking part, and they are locked in their own fierce internal battle, with the "Hard Hat Hustlers " (SDC Builders, UK) currently holding the bragging rights over "The Trowel Blazers" (SDC Builders, UK), but there is very little to choose between them.
  
  
• Risks that strike can have a major impact on job profits, and this was the case on a number of jobs in period 6, including contractors that secured the medium sized contract to build an adult education training centre for East Midlands County Council in Ilkeston in the UK. Unfortunately structural defects cost 125k that impacted on the job's profits in the project's first quarter.
  
  
• Long time supporters and previous champions of Enginuity, WSP, have once more entered a number of teams, from the UK, India and New Zealand, all hoping to emulate the success of "Building Suspense" from the United States in 2020. Currently "Avenir Visionaries" (WSP, UK / India) hold the internal bragging rights, and well placed in the top 30 to make a challenge on the leading teams in period 7.
  
  
• Looking further down the league table, success can be measured in many ways, including turning things round after an indifferent start. There are many examples of teams that were able to do this, and "Legacy Logistics" (John Sisk & Son, UK / Ireland) are one that stand out after pulling away from the foot of the table in period 6 with a 17% improvement, giving hope to others who are hoping to do the same.
  
  

With KPI points hard earned it will become increasingly important that the management teams look very carefully at every aspect of their business for potential improvements, and those that are most successful in doing so should prosper the most. Two areas that the teams need particular attention are Marketing strategy and Procurement (rival bidders), which are discussed in more detail below.

Marketing is possibly the area of the business that requires the most thought, as there are numerous strategies that could be adopted. The market trend can only be gauged for one year ahead, and not always accurately, and as marketing departments are expanded, the choices of where to direct the marketing effort are wide ranging, by sector, country and job size. The task is not an easy one, but has a major impact upon procurement options, and the future work undertaken, and ultimately on the long term prosperity of the company.

Another important consideration is that rival bidders do not necessarily stick with the same bidding strategy, and as time goes by they can change their strategy according to market conditions. This makes it imperative that teams keep a close eye on the margins rival bidders are applying, and how they may be changing. Evaluating these strategies could make the key difference between success in securing work, or not. To complicate matters even further there may be UNKNOWN rival bidders, and the only clues to these may be in the ENGINUITY NEWS NETWORK (ENN) for the period.

The league table at the end of period 6
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 6

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Atkinsrealis
Jacobs
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Pell Frischmann
Stantec
WSP

After the turbulence of period 6, it was much more serene for the majority of teams in period 7, with an astonishing 96% posting positive growth figures. And there was once more plenty of movement throughout the league table, with 6 new entries into the top 12, and qualifying places for the Final. Not surprisingly the two major sponsors, Stantec and Jacobs, are well represented with 5 teams apiece, but there are plenty of other sponsors represented just outside the top 12 in what is shaping up to be a titanic struggle.

At the top of the table "Pour Decisions" (Laing O'Rourke, UK) kept up their forward trajectory as they moved up one place from second to become the first ever Laing O'Rourke team to top the Enginuity leaderboard with 1,578 pts. However, they face a real challenge to stay on top with 3 Stantec teams breathing down their neck, and within just 6 points of them, led by "MegaMine" (Stantec, India), closely followed by "On A Stantechnicality" (Stantec, United States / Canada), who climbed 22 places, and the "Spreadsheet Contractors" (Stantec, United States), who have been in the top 4 since the beginning. The top of the leaderboard is closing up, with only 55 points now separating the top 12 teams, and many others sitting just outside the top 12 who will be looking to break make gains on the teams above them.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  In terms of performance the accolade went jointly to three teams, The "AECOMplishers" (AECON, UK / Ireland), "Internal Affairs" (Stantec, Canada, US) and "Ctrl + Alt + Elite" (Stantec, Canada), all with impressive growth figures of 28%. In terms of positional gain, the "Trident Titans" (Stantec, India) took the plaudits with an eye catching 41 place rise from mid table to 7th place, and once more demonstrating what can be achieved in one round with an effective set of decisions based upon a sound strategy.
  
  
• And what of the two student teams taking part ? An insider at the University of Manchester has expressed concern that they may be neglecting their studies and concentrating on Enginuity after both "Site Hustle" (SQUARE, University of Manchester, UK) and "Ready Boom Fire" (SQUARE, University of Manchester, UK) posted impressive 16% growth figures to move into 21st and 26th place between them, and well placed to make a push for the top 12.
  
  
• It was back in 2015 that AECOM were the Enginuity Champions with 'Newbee', and they have been trying hard since then to repeat the success. This year they have 3 teams taking part, all from the UK, and early indications are that they could mount a serious challenge this year with all the teams progressing well, led currently by "AECOMpletely Winged It" (AECOM, UK), with "AECOMpletelyWithinBudget" (AECOM, UK) just 2 points further back than their colleagues, and both well placed in the top 35.
  
  
• Every year the ENGINUITY CRYSTAL BALL tries to predict dark horses in the Competition. One team that has already caught the eye this year is the "The Wolfs of Mott Street" (Mott Macdonald, Bulgaria). After steady progress in period 5 they moved up to 9th at the end of period 6, and have remained there in period 7, and if they can build upon this consistency they could be serious contenders for the 2026 Title.
  
  
• MWH Treatement have been long time supporters of Enginuity, and this year their intense preparation for the Competition, aided by their Gheorghiu inspired AI generated horse racing trialling league table, looks to be paying dividends, and they may yet cross the winning line first with 3 teams currently in the top 20, led by "Mind The Stepps" (MWH Treatment, UK).
  
  
• Every week we see examples of the phrase from the famous Billy Ocean song, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going", and one that particularly stood out in period 7 were "Internal Affairs" (Stantec, Canada / US), who moved away from the foot of the table with a 24-place gain and an impressive 28% improvement that raised hopes amongst their stakeholders that better times lie ahead. Encoragingly there are just 2 teams currently below their starting total KPI of 1,000 points, showing how well the teams are adapting to the challenge of running their virtual construction businesses.
  
  

IEWP = SUCCESS

A leading industry think tank have come up with a simple formula for running a successful construction business.

1. IDENTIFY new work
2. EXPAND the infrastructure (capital base) of the company to take on more work
3. WIN new work through competitive bidding
4. PROFITABLE PROGRESS of the jobs won

Another essential part of running a successful business is being able to form an effective Risk Management Strategy to keep the business as profitable as possible. This can take a number of forms, firstly by building sensible risk contingencies into the original bids based upon the likelihood and cost of the risks occurring. Secondly, and just as importantly is mitigating the affects of any risks that strike through targeted investment into risk management companies, using a BIM model if available, and employing the most suitable project managers to jobs in progress. However, even when these mitigating actions are taken, risk can still be costly to job and company profits, and during period 7 personnel problems affected the installation of foundations and a water trunk main for Devon and Cornwall Water near Tavistock in the UK in the job's second period, with an estimated risk cost of around 60k before mitigation.

The league table at the end of period 7
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 7

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Atkinsrealis
Jacobs
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Pell Frischmann
Stantec
WSP

As the teams reached the halfway point in the Preliminary Rounds, it is appropriate to reflect on how success can be measured. Teams at the top end of the table, and battling for a place in the 12-team final at the end of the Preliminary Rounds, will consider their position in the table a measure of how well they are running their business. Teams at the wrong end of the table will now look to success as being able to turn round the fortunes of their companies, and this can only be achieved by focusing on the key areas that could improve their growth rates i.e., competitive bidding to secure new work, and managing their jobs in progress as profitably as possible, and close analysis of past performance will be important to prevent past mistakes from reocurring.

Period 8 proved to be a good one for the majority of the teams, with 83% posting positive growth figures. However for those that struggled this was largely down to winning new work, and there were a number of reasons for this. Where there are KNOWN rival bidders, their bidding history is available, and it is possible to assess the margins their rivals have bid with in the past, and formulate an effective bidding strategy to undercut them. However, this is not possible where their are UNKNOWN rival bidders, or even KNOWN rival bidders that are new to the Industry, such as The Crayford Road Group in period 8, who had no bidding history. In this scenario it is much harder to gauge a competitive margin to win work, and margins often have to be cut further to try and mitigate against being undercut.

Period 8 saw a measure of stability appearing at the top of the table with just 3 new entries into the top 12, and qualifying places for the Final. One of these was from a resurgent "Stan-Take the Lead" (Stantec, Canada / US / UK) who bounced back strongly from a 58 place fall in period 7 with 28% growth that saw them surge through the field and up to 7th place. The other climbers into the top 12 were "Mind the Stepps" (MWH Treatment, UK), now the highest place team with just UK team members, and "Ctrl + 2" (Stantec, Canada), one of many impressive teams from Stantec in North America..

After being placed 4th, 3rd and 4th in the early league tables, the "Spreadsheet Contractors" (Stantec, United States) finally found the right formula, rising 3 places in period 8 to become the 4th consecutive new leaders with 1,786 pts, but their colleagues from another continent, the "Trident Titans" (Stantec, India) are just 12 points further back after a 5-place gain, with "On A Stantechnicality" (Stantec, United States / Canada) remaining 3rd, making it a Stantec 1-2-3 at the top. Stantec and Jacobs teams currently dominate the top 12, with the "The Wolfs of Mott Street" (Mott Macdonald, Bulgaria) and "Mind the Stepps" (MWH Treatment, UK) the exceptions. However, the top of the leaderboard remains tight, with only 74 points separating the top 12 teams, and as the teams enter the second half of the Preliminary Rounds it is still all to play for before the identity of the 2026 Finalists are revealed, with many teams lying in wait just outside the top 12 should the leading teams slip up.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  In terms of performance the accolade went to "Versa 2.0" (Stantec, India) with an impressive 29% improvement that lifted them 21 places up the table. In terms of positional gain another Stantec team caught the eye as "Stan-Take the Lead" (Stantec, Canada / US / UK) produced a stunning 62 place rise from 69th to 7th place.
  
  
• Within the main Competition their are many sponsor battles for internal bragging rights. Mott Macdonald have been entering teams for many years, and this time round they have 5 teams taking part. The "The Wolfs of Mott Street" (Mott Macdonald, Bulgaria) are clear leaders in the Motts mini league, and are really getting their teeth into the Competition, sitting inside the top 12. There is not a lot between the other Motts teams who are all managing their companies well in a highly competitive Competition again this year.
  
  
• At the end of the last round the ENGINUITY CRYSTAL BALL picked out "The Wolfs of Mott Street" (Mott Macdonald, Bulgaria) as potential dark horses this year, which is looking like a wise decision. However, he has also turned his attention to another part of the world, Africa, and to "Innovative Busters" (Hatch, South Africa). After a great start in period 5, placed 3rd, they slipped back to 56th and 52nd in periods 6 and 7, but have now moved back up to 25th, and the wise Old Sage believes that their past experience could yet see them back in the top 12 before the Preliminary Rounds is complete. We shall see!
  
  
• Atkinsrealis in India have been taking on the Enginuity challenge for a number of years, and the 3 teams taking part this year have a lot to live up to, trying to emulate the success of the "CEPTians" (Atkinsrealis, India) who finished Runners Up in 2025. After a bright start, all the teams were knocked off course slightly in period 8 by aggressive bidding from rival companies that prevented them from winning some key jobs, but they are still well placed, with "Vision 360" (Atkinsrealis, India) in 37th place currently top of their Mini League.
  
  
• The Enginuity competition is a stern test of resolve, and the ability to recover from setbacks; a real test of character. There are many examples each week of teams who demonstrate this, and in period 8 one that really caught the eye was that of the "Aquaholics" (MWH Treatment, UK), who had been occupying the wooden spoon position at the end of the last round, but not anymore as they produced a superb 21% improvement to climb off the foot of the table, and their shareholders will be hoping this is just the start of their revival.
  
  

Running a successful construction business requires effective internal decisions to be made, such as bidding competitively to win new work, and progressing jobs as profitably as possible. However, external economic, political and environmental WORLD EVENTS can also impact upon the business. Clues to some of the events, but not necessarly all of them, are reported in the ENGINUITY NEWS NETWORK (ENN) each period, and close examination of this valuable new source may influence the current and future strategy of the business. For example, in period 8 an article in the ENN reported that "As preparations continue for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, California construction companies operating in the United States fear a shortage of workers in the next 6 months, and are looking at sourcing the shortfall from elsewhere. Clearly this could become a concern for contractors working in America in the next few months, and may well impact on labour costs, which would increase build costs on jobs progressed, and reduce profit margins.

The league table at the end of period 8
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 8

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Atkinsrealis
Jacobs
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Pell Frischmann
Stantec
WSP

As the teams entered the second half of the Preliminary Rounds, the problems with UNKNOWN bidders from the previous round were a distant memory for most with encouragingly 95% of them recording positive growth during period 9, driven largely by new contract awards, and there were 5 new entries into the top 12.

At the top of the table the "Spreadsheet Contractors" (Stantec, United States) did not need to tweak their spreadsheet formulas after solid 12% growth moved them onto 2,002 pts. They also became the first team to hold onto the lead, and in doing do they also opened up a significant gap of 71 points to the chasing pack, now led by "Logix and Load" (Stantec, India), who surged up to second after a 19% improvement and 19 place gain, with "On A Stantechnicality" (Stantec, United States / Canada) holding onto 3rd after another consistent set of of results.

The 5 new entries into the top 12 included the "Pipe Dreamers" (Cundall, UK), who were one of the top climbers in the table with a 35-place rise from 44th to 9th, and "Site Hustle" (SQUARE, University of Manchester, UK), as the students continue to impress, and hopefully not at the expense of their studies! The top of the leaderboard has opened up slightly, but there is still only 120 points separating the top 12 teams, and with 3 Preliminary Rounds left it is still all to play for before the identity of the 2026 Finalists are revealed, with many teams just outside the top 12 ready to pounce should the leading teams slip up.

As many teams look to trying to secure a place in the Final, it is worth looking back at the last year's Competition, and what level of KPI growth was needed to qualify for the Final. In 2025 at the end of period 12 a score of 2,230 pts was enough to secure a place in the Final. In average terms this is equivalent to growing by an average of 154 additional KPI points in each of the 8 Preliminary Rounds, based upon each team starting the Competition at the beginning of period 5 with 1,000 points. Currently the team occupying the last qualification place for the Final, "Ctrl + 2" (Stantec, Canada) have averaged 178 points each period so far, indicating that it may need a higher average this year to qualify the Final this year, something to bear in mind for the teams hoping to break into the top 12 by the end of the Preliminary Rounds.

Diversifying through Targeted investments can produce benefits to jobs being progressed through reductions in both build costs and risk costs and delays, which can make a real difference to job and company profitability. However, occasionally this can be a risky strategy when the company being invested in is in danger of going bust, and those investing in National Aggregate Plc were warned in period 7 that a 'financial director resigns', and then in period 8 of the 'threat of administration next period', and in period 9 National Aggregate Plc did indeed go bust, and only 38% of the investment was recovered for those that had continued to invest in the company.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  Both accolades went to the "Think Tank Engineers" (Atkinsrealis, India) with a standout 42 place gain after posting impressive growth figures of 23%.
  
  
• New to the Competition this year are SDC Builders, a leading UK main contractor designing and building lasting legacies across diverse sectors. Both their two teams taking part are continuing to impress, and particularly the "Hard Hat Hustlers " (SDC Builders, UK), whose 22% growth in period 9 was the second best recorded, and it propelled them 39 places up the table and into the top 20.
  
  
• The ultimate goal of taking part in the Enginuity 2026 Competition is to try and qualify for one of the coveted 12 places in the Final. However, success for is also measured in other ways, and particularly for sponsors it is the learning and development benefits of competing, such as improving team working, strategic thinking, decision-making, and problem solving amongst others. The best way of measuring this is the league table, and 79% of the teams taking part have so far averaged a highly impressive average gain of 100 KPI points, which surely demonstrates the positive outcomes of taking part.
  
  
• The ENGINUITY CRYSTAL BALL, picked out "Innovative Busters" (Hatch, South Africa) in the previous period as one team to watch, and even though they slipped back 7 places in period 9 despite 8% growth, the Wise Old Sage is still sticking to his belief that they could mount a late run for a place in the Final, although he is a pragmatist, and recognises the quality of the teams they will have to overhaul to make his prediction come true.
  
  
• As always we like to cast an eye on the lower reaches of the table, and in period 9 to the relief of their shareholders the "Aquaholics" (MWH Treatment, UK), built upon their whopping 24% growth in period 8 with an impressive 12% improvement that enabled them to make further moves up the leaderboard; further proof that their management team had resolved a few internal problems, were now back on an upward trajectory.
  
  

The league table at the end of period 9
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 9

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Atkinsrealis
Jacobs
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Pell Frischmann
Stantec
WSP

At this stage of the Competition, the three quarter point in the Preliminary Rounds, you can usually expect a level of stability in the league table, with less movement in and out of the top 12, but not so this year with 4 new entries into the qualifying positions for the final. Overall it was another very good round for many teams, with 90% posting positive growth, and a number of teams at the wrong end of the table rallying well once more. With just 2 Preliminary Rounds to go before the finalists are revealed, there is all to play for, with many teams just outside the top 12 still well placed to make their move should the leading teams slip up, and it will be a fascinating finale to the first stage of this year's Competition.

At the top of the table the "Spreadsheet Contractors" (Stantec, United States) retained the lead for the third consecutive round, and maintain their 70 point gap to the chasing pack, as they moved onto 2,155 pts. However, it was all change just behind them as the leaders from period 6, "The Infra Tribe" (Stantec, India), moved up 4 places to second, and the students, "Site Hustle" (SQUARE, University of Manchester, UK), continued their upward trajectory to climb to 3rd, and they are looking odds on to become the first student team to qualify for the final, which would be a first class achievement. They are also the only UK team currently in the top 12.

Of the new entries into the top 12, "The Unbillables" (Jacobs, India) made the biggest rise with an 11-place gain to 7th, one of 4 Jacobs teams in the leading positions, only surpassed by Stantec's 6 teams currently in the qualifying places for the final, joined this week by "Craig Wooten Inc." (Stantec, United States) and "Spodsy Quebec" (Stantec, Canada). The top of the leaderboard has opened up slightly, but there is still just 101 points separating teams from 2nd to 12th, and with just 2 Preliminary Rounds left it is still all to play for before the identity of the 2026 Finalists are revealed, with many teams just outside the top 12 ready to pounce should the leading teams slip up.

A recent report in a leading international construction journal posed the question "What makes a successful construction business ?". The author's answer, backed up by some leading industry experts, was that the essential ingredients are an effective marketing strategy, competitive tendering and successful completion of contracts, but there are many other factors that can make the crucial difference between being a 'successful', and an 'outstandingly successful' business. These included targeted investments, employing the most suitable staff and effective overhead management
Also, increasingly important is the role that an effective risk management policy can play. Take the laying of a 350 km gas pipeline in Canada for TransCanada Energy. Service/utility clashes had been identified as a low possibility, but in the job's second period, period 10, they caused problems for the contractor at a reported cost of around 240k. However, it could have been far worse if the chosen contractor had not employed one of the most highly respected project managers in the Energy field, along with an investment stake in a risk management company, all of which helped to mitigate the affect of the Service/utility clashes, and reduce the final bill.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  Both accolades went to "Maple Syrup" (MWH Treatement, UK) with an incredible 57 place gain after posting impressive growth figures of 26%.
  
  
• The Champions in 2022 and 2023, Jacobs, are once more well represented with teams from all over the globe. It will take a monumental effort to repeat the success of "Babble Royale" in 2022 and "briJ" in 2023, but with 4 teams currently in the top 12, led by "One World Vertex" (Jacobs, India) in 4th, and many other Jacobs' teams lie in waiting not far behind, the 2022 and 2023 successes could be repeated.
  
  
• Every year there are a few new sponsors to Enginuity, and this year's first timers are Brookbanks, KPFF Consulting Engineers, OCU Group and SDC Builders. If they had their own NEWBEE mini league table at this stage it would be the "Hard Hat Hustlers" (SDC Builders, UK), currently at the top, and well placed in 22nd should teams above them falter in the closing stages of the Preliminary Rounds.
  
  
• Is the legendary wisdom of the ENGINUITY CRYSTAL BALL beginning to be questioned ? Locked away for many hours each day contemplating the future, he has been consistently pinning his reputation on the "Innovative Busters" (Hatch, South Africa). However, they only made a slight gain in period 10, but undeterred, and some would say stubborn, the Old Sage is still backing the 'Busters' to make a late move for a place in the Final.
  
  
• As has been said before, the Enginuity competition is a stern test of resolve, and the ability to recover from setbacks; a real test of character. Once more period 10 saw some fine examples of this resolve, and in particular from the "Legacy Logistics" (John Sisk & Son, UK / Ireland), whose 19% growth moved them up 17 places, and well away from the bottom of the table.
  
  

The league table at the end of period 10
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 10

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Atkinsrealis
Jacobs
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Pell Frischmann
Stantec
WSP

The penultimate round of the Preliminary Rounds saw just over 90% of the teams post positive growth figures in period 11, and as the final comes into sight 11 teams retained their positions in the top 12, with just 1 new entry, "MegaMines" (Stantec, India), who moved up 9 places to 5th. Outside the top 12 there is still a sizeable chasing pack still in contention, and the tension is palpable, and there are sure to be more surprises before the identity of the 12 finalists is revealed next week.

And so to the action in period 11. Not surisingly the two leading sponsors, Stantec with 6 teams and Jacobs with 4, who have both produced previous Champions in the last 3 years, will be confident of further success this year. There was no change at the top of the table, with the "Spreadsheet Contractors" (Stantec, United States) extending their lead to nearly 100 points as they powered onto 2,289 pts. However, behind them there was a shuffling of the chasing pack as "One World Vertex" (Jacobs, India) and the "Trident Titans" (Stantec, India) moved up to 2nd and 3rd respectively. With the top 12 being dominated by teams from North America and India, the two exceptions are the students, "Site Hustle" (SQUARE, University of Manchester, UK), who are the only UK representative, and the "The Wolfs of Mott Street" (Mott Macdonald, Bulgaria), flying the flag for both Europe and Mott Macdonald.

The teams that qualify for a place in the Final will carry on with their businesses as they are at the end of the Preliminary Rounds, or early years. However, the final, or later years will present a number of new challenges. In particular, each of the 'human' teams will be in direct competition for work against each other, with just one additional simulated rival. This adds more uncertainty to the bidding process, and added to this contract awards are not just based upon price, but upon client relationships, so relationships built up over the early years take on added significance in the later years, and marketing strategies assume added significance as niche markets become very attractive. Only the team able to cope the best under the increased pressure, and with the most effective and robust strategy for competing in this challenging global environment, would eventually emerge as the 2026 Champions.

And so to the latest ENGINUITY TWITTER FEEDS :-

• Who were the star performers in terms of overall improvement and positional gain this week ?
  Both accolades went to "The StanDards" (Stantec, Canada), whose impressive 20% improvement saw them shoot 38 places up the table to 39th, and still in with an outside chance of making a late surge into the top 12 at the end of the Preliminary Rounds.
  
  
• What makes Enginuity is so challenging is that just like the real world it simulates, it can be very unpredictable, and as well as the KNOWN bidders that can adjust their bidding strategy as market conditions dictate, there are also potentially UNKNOWN rival bidders for each job, who can be very aggressive on price, such as Aoraki Global and Sharami International in period 11. The only way to counter this threat when bidding is to set margins a lot lower than anticipated, but this also comes at a price in that any jobs won will then have a lower profit in the bid, but on the balance of risk this is a strategically better decision to guarantee future workload.
  
  
• The ENGINUITY CRYSTAL BALL is feeling slightly happier this week, and not quite ready for retirement yet, as the Old Sage's tip for glory, the "Innovative Busters" (Hatch, South Africa), made modest gains in period 11, and are still within sight of competing in the Final should others slip up.
  
  
• The question every team will be asking who are just outside the top 12, and still very much in contention for a place in the final, is what score will they need to qualify for the final. Based upon the what has happened in the last Preliminary Round over the last few years, and the current position of the leading teams at the end of period 11, a score of over 2,275 may well be enough to qualify for the final, but that is only a guide!
  
  
• One really encouraging aspect again this year is how many of the teams are heeding the words of the title of the 1985 Billy Ocean classic, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going", with currently every team above their starting position of 1,000 points, which has rarely been seen before at this stage of the Competition.
  
  

The league table at the end of period 11
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 11

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Atkinsrealis
Jacobs
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Pell Frischmann
Stantec
WSP

There is an old saying that 'timing is everything', and so it proved in the final Preliminary Round for "Stan-Take the Lead" (Stantec, Canada / US / UK), whose 9-place gain from 16th to 7th was enough to secure them a place in the Final after a tense conclusion to the first stage of this year's Competition. However, amongst the joy there was bound to be anguish, and spare a thought for "MegaMines" (Stantec, India), who fell out of the top 12 after a small decline in growth in period 12, and also for "On a Stantechnicality" (Stantec, Canada / United States), who could not quite do enough to secure a place in the Final after remaining in 13th place for two consecutive rounds. Just like the real world it simulates, the Enginuity world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, but there is always next year.

The two largest sponsors, and previous sponsor champions, Jacobs and Stantec, are well represented in the Final with 4 and 6 teams respectively, with Mott Macdonald and the University of Manchester having one team each. "Site Hustle" (SQUARE, University of Manchester, UK) are the first University team to qualify for the final, a significant achievement for a student team, and the other UOM team also finished in the top twenty. The finalists include teams from around the world, with a sprinkling of first time finalists and those with past experience.

Going into the final in pole position, and still in top spot are the formidable "Spreadsheet Contractors" (Stantec, United States) with 2,496 pts, and they have significant lead of 127 points from the chasing pack, led now by "Spodsy Quebec" (Stantec, Canada) after their 5 place rise to second, with the "Trident Titans" (Stantec, India) in 3rd. Although the leaders have clear daylight between themselves and the other finalists going into the 6 rounds of the final, it can all change very quickly, and KPI points can quickly be eroded away as the increased pressure of the final puts endurance, team dynamics and company strategies to the ultimate test before the Enginuity 2026 Champions are crowned.

The 12 teams that have qualified for the final, and the order in which they will start the final are :-

And what of the teams that did not make the final ? Every team that began the journey back in period 5 completed the early years with stronger, more sustainable companies than they started, a testimony to the skill and application shown throughout by the management teams.

There have been so many internal sponsor competitions within the main event that have caught the imagination over the last 8 weeks, and it is only fitting that we pay homage to the victors in their own mini battles. So here is the ENGINUITY 2026 Sponsor Podium at the end of the Preliminary Rounds, for sponsors entering 3 or more teams:-

In the end there can only be one Champion ... tune in from June 17 to July 2 to find out who!

The league table at the end of period 12
Improvements, or otherwise, during period 12

Sponsor league tables (3 or more teams):-
AECOM
Atkinsrealis
Jacobs
Mott Macdonald
MWH Treatment
Pell Frischmann
Stantec
WSP