Following a meeting of delegations from the two organisations’ boards in Glasgow on Thursday 6th June 2024, the National Federation of Builders (NFB) and the Scottish Building Federation (SBF) have said that they plan to become a single organisation in the next 18-24 months.

The announcement follows over two years of dedicated joint working and the publication of a partnership accord in 2023.

The Scottish Building Federation was founded in 1895 and represents the construction industry in Scotland, advocating for the interests of its members and promoting excellence in the sector.

Paul Mitchell, operations director at the Scottish Building Federation, said: “Through our ongoing partnership work, it is clear that SBF and the NFB share similar goals and ambitions for the construction industry. Both federations have collaborated diligently to reach this juncture and now is the right time to announce our plans to unify into a single entity.

“The construction industry can suffer at times due to fragmentation or divisions that make it harder to secure the support we need. By joining together, we can maximise our influence on critical policy areas whilst also delivering significantly enhanced services and benefits to our combined membership.”

The National Federation of Builders can trace its origins back to 1880 and is the foremost professional association of builders, contractors and house builders, offering unrivalled standards, services and advocacy to members across England and Wales.

Chief executive of the NFB, Richard Beresford, added: “We have long considered the SBF to be our ‘sister’ organisation and have enjoyed many decades of cordial relations, culminating in a significant level of partnership working in recent years. As the construction sector continually adapts and changes, so too must those who represent it.

“Our two teams have worked hard together to get to this point, so we are delighted to announce that we now intend to become one. Our members will enjoy a greater range of services, a louder share of voice and a bigger network of like-minded colleagues.”

Having made the commitment to join each other permanently, the NFB and SBF will now intensify their work to prepare for the change and ensure that members are consulted to best preserve the spirit, heritage, traditions and identities of the two sets of members.