The Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) has announced that the long-awaited 2024 edition of the Design and Build Contract family will be released on 17 April 2024.

JCT announced the 2024 Edition last year and, so far, all we know about the likely changes is that they will centre around the following key themes:

• Modernising and streamlining – including adoption of gender-neutral language and increased flexibility around the use of electronic notices.
• Legislative changes – updates in relation to the new Part 2A of the Building Regulations, termination accounting and payment provisions reflecting the Construction Act and new insolvency grounds reflecting the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020.
• Future proofing – including changes to reflect the objectives of the Government’s Construction Playbook and the incorporation of previously optional supplemental provisions relating to collaborative working, and sustainable development and environmental considerations, into the main conditions.

So that users will be able to easily see what has changed, a track-changed version will be released alongside the new Design and Build Contract to show the differences between the 2016 and 2024 editions.

JCT will be holding an online launch event to give an overview of JCT 2024 and explain the main changes on 1 May 2024.

We await the release of the new 2024 edition with interest and will be providing further updates and training sessions in due course.

Though not yet confirmed by JCT, we anticipate that the remainder of the 2024 suite will be rolled out in stages over the rest of this year, as was the case when the 2016 suite was published.

Further further information please contact:

RACHEL HEALD | Partner 

T:      +44 (0)113 543 6700
DD:  +44 (0)113 543 5940
M:    +44 (0)7736 294442
E:    rheald@hklegal.co.uk