On 5 March 2025, the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) published the 2024 editions of its:

  • Construction Management Contract 2024 (CM 2024) family;
  • Management Building Contract 2024 (MC 2024) family; and
  • Framework Agreement 2024 (FA 2024).

The JCT has also published its Adjudication Agreement 2024 (Adj 2024), Dispute Adjudication Board Documentation 2024 (DAB 2024) and Project Bank Account Documentation 2024 (PBA 2024).

One of the most notable changes made across the CM 2024, MC 2024 and FA 2024 contracts is to address and reference the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025. As such, references to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 have been removed and replaced with references to the Procurement Act, and the definition of "Local and Public Authority" has been updated in line with this.

In the CM 2024 and MC 2024 the right to terminate under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 has been removed but not replaced. We assume the JCT expects a contracting authority to rely on the implied terms provided for in the Procurement Act 2023.  However, the parties will need to consider how they wish the consequences of such termination to be catered for. We also wait to see how the JCT will tackle updates that will need to be made to the contracts within the JCT 2024 suite published prior to the Procurement Act 2023 coming into force.

Our Procurement Act toolkit sets out the key points to know about the Procurement Act, to help you get to grips with the Procurement Act, follow best practice and gain practical tools to support you throughout the lifecycle of a procurement.

Another update worthy of note in the Framework Agreement is reference to the HM Government Construction Playbook, which demonstrates the JCT's desire for its contracts to be utilised within the public sector notwithstanding the NEC and FAC-1 often being the contract of choice for contracting authorities. We explore the key takeaways from the Playbook in our earlier articles on the key policies and the latest updates of the Construction Playbook.

The majority of the other updates mirror the changes made in the previous 2024 updates issued last year, which we summarised in detail in our previous articles on the Design & Build 2024, the Intermediate Building Contract 2024 and the Minor Works 2024 contracts.

As a reminder, some of the key updates include:

  • Modernisation: in addition to the adoption of gender-neutral language throughout, the new suite permits most notices to be sent by email and accommodates electronic signatures.
  • Building Safety Act: drafting has been added to the CM 2024 and the MC 2024 to reflect the new dutyholder requirements under Part 2A of the Building Regulations 2010, which were introduced as part of the reforms under the Building Safety Act 2022.
  • Collaborative working, good faith and sustainable development: previously optional supplemental provisions relating to collaborative working, good faith, sustainable development and environmental considerations, and negotiation and dispute resolution, have been elevated into the main provisions in the CM 2024 and MC 2024 suites. This is intended to reflect the principles outlined in the Construction Playbook, described above.

Principles of collaborative working were already included within the FA 2016, but the FA 2024 also adds "consideration of, and adoption where practicable of, the recommendations and proposals" contained in the Construction Playbook to the "Framework Objectives".

Within the CM 2024 Trade Contracts and MC 2024 Works Contracts, further changes include new and expanded Relevant Events / Relevant Matters covering epidemics and changes in law, the renaming of statutory undertakers as statutory providers, amendments to the termination provisions to make express provision for the payment and payment-related notice requirements of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996, and the addition of two new company insolvency grounds, reflecting the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (CIGA).

Future publications

Whilst the JCT has now published most of its 2024 updates, there are a few are that are yet to be published. These include:

  • The new Target Cost Contract (TCC 2024) family.
  • Various items of guidance, such as an updated tendering practice note.

For further details on the new JCT 2024 suites and how these can be amended to suit your project needs, please contact Philip Baker or Ruth Griffin.