UK government projects report shows most programmes on track before portfolio reset

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UK projects report on track

Highlights

By 31 March 2026, of the Government Major Projects Portfolio, 15% of projects were rated Green, 58% Amber, and 18% Red by NISTA.
From April 2026, the GMPP will be streamlined to 81 nationally significant projects and introduce a mega-project classification for programmes with costs above 10 billion pounds.
NISTA is implementing an AI-powered Early Warning System to detect at-risk projects sooner, aiming to improve delivery performance and raise infrastructure execution standards.

Annual report outlines delivery progress

As reported by GOV.UK, citing NISTA, in its Major Projects Annual Report 2025 to 2026, the Government Major Projects Portfolio showed delivery confidence across strategically significant programmes before the portfolio reset in April 2026, with most projects rated Green or Amber.

The review covers performance between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. By the end of that period, 29 projects, or 15% of the portfolio, were rated Green, 109 projects, or 58%, were rated Amber, and 34 projects, or 18%, were rated Red, while 17 projects, or 9%, were exempt from rating.

During the period, 42 projects left the portfolio, including 26 that met their objectives. These included the Biosecurity, Borders and Trade Programme run by DEFRA, Digitising Social Care run by DHSC and Drug Testing Services run by the Ministry of Justice. A further eight projects no longer met reporting criteria, one was replaced by successor projects and seven were closed early.

Since the previous annual report published in August 2025, 18 projects have improved from Amber to Green, while one project moved directly from Red to Green. Red-rated projects, which include some of the most ambitious and complex programmes, are receiving more targeted support to help recover delivery performance.

Reset brings tighter focus and new risk tools

The report comes alongside NISTA’s reshaping of the GMPP from 1 April 2026 into a more streamlined list of 81 nationally significant projects, aligned with the government’s 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy for social and economic infrastructure.

Projects that were previously in the GMPP and still need HM Treasury approval, but are no longer in the condensed portfolio, are now managed through strengthened departmental support functions under the Departmental Major Projects Portfolio.

NISTA also adds a new mega-project classification for programmes with whole-life costs typically above 10 billion pounds and timelines spanning multiple parliaments. Sizewell C, HS2 and Dreadnought are the first three projects given that status.

The authority says it is embedding an AI-powered Early Warning System into its review processes to flag projects at risk of slipping to Red status sooner. Treasury Chief Secretary Lucy Rigby says the government is raising delivery standards and using digital tools and AI to improve infrastructure and public service execution, while NISTA Chief Executive Becky Wood says earlier risk detection and stronger assurance should improve the chances of successful delivery.

Our earlier report on Treasury plans for a combined autumn Budget and spending review explained how officials were weighing a single fiscal event to set tax and departmental priorities ahead of the next election. It highlighted the tight timetable facing an incoming administration, alongside mounting pressures from higher defence commitments and the risk of real-terms squeezes for unprotected departments.

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