The Office for National Statistics Appoints Barbour ABI for the Provision of Construction New Orders Data in the UK

CHESTER, England, June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

- Second major government contract for NW-based Barbour ABI in 12 months

Barbour ABI has been appointed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to provide Construction New Orders data, a key indicator for the health of the UK economy for the Built Environment Industry.

As a leading supplier of construction data to the industry, Barbour ABI will now be supplying Construction New Orders data on a quarterly basis for the ONS (the national statistical institute of the UK and UK's largest independent producer of official statistics).

The data will tell the Government how much new work has been awarded in construction across the UK. The figures are a highly important indicator of the health of the Built Environment industry for the UK economy.

This significant new partnership for Barbour ABI comes after last year's appointment as the chosen partner to collate, maintain and publish the UK Government's Construction and Infrastructure Pipeline (GCIP) the forward programme for publicly-funded construction. 

Barbour ABI, part of UBM plc, was chosen after a formal tender process and an analysis by the ONS on the quality of data available.

The ONS has said this new arrangement provides an improvement on the ONS's ability to produce new orders in construction estimates, as the data and analysis Barbour ABI can offer is more comprehensive. Currently the ONS uses a sample survey based on 9,000 businesses.

Barbour ABI is part of UBM plc, a leading global live media and B2B communications, marketing services and data provider.  

Simon Mahoney, Group Director, Barbour ABI, said: "This new partnership is a significant one given ONS construction statistics play an extremely important role in helping many businesses plan for the future. Our well established sources and significant expertise in gathering and researching construction project information mean that we can offer the ONS the quality and detail of data it needs."

Jacqui Jones, Deputy Director - Business Indicators and Balance of Payments for the ONS, said, "It is of key importance that New Orders in construction data are an accurate reflection of industry orders across sectors and geography and careful consideration has been taken in choosing the right partner.  Partnering with Barbour ABI we will be accessing virtually a census of new orders data, to produce estimates of New Orders in Construction."

The ONS, as the Executive Office of the UK Statistics Authority, collects, compiles, analyses and disseminates a range of economic, social and demographic statistics relating to the United Kingdom that serve the public good and meet legal obligations (both domestic and international).

Notes to editors

Barbour ABI provides construction intelligence products, providing UK companies with sales leads, contact data, CRM software and market intelligence.  Its reputation is built and maintained by the in-house team of market researchers who have excellent working relationships with planning authorities and other relevant information providers, including Government departments.

Barbour ABI was recently made responsible for publishing data for the UK Government's Construction and Infrastructure Pipeline, which outlines future construction and infrastructure projects where public funding is agreed. 

Barbour ABI produces the CPA/Barbour ABI Index monthly alongside the Construction Products Association (CPA), and is the chosen data provider for the CPA Forecasting Panel.

Barbour ABI is part of UBM. UBM plc is a global events-led marketing services and communications company. We help businesses do business, bringing the world's buyers and sellers together at events and online, as well as producing and distributing news and specialist content. Our 5,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into expert teams which serve commercial and professional communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

For more information, go to http://www.ubm.com; follow us on Twitter at @UBM_plc to get the latest UBM corporate news.