The rankings are critical to contractors and consultants because they influence selection of bidders on the £1.5bn annual motorways and trunk roads programme.
Replacing the old CAT ranking system, the new StART – Strategic Alignment Review Toolkit – is also being used to highlight firms’ strength and weaknesses.
Firms were audited on leadership, supply chain management, cost as well as new areas such as commitment to inclusion and sustainability.
StART scoring is out of a theoretical maximum of 180. Just four firms scored over 75% of top marks – Costain, EnterpriseMouchel, Carillion and Balfour Beatty.
Agency procurement chiefs said there was significant contrast in category scoring behind each headline score.
They will now forensically shift through details from the 21 firms taking part to press for improvements and identify best practice down the supply chain.
Highways Agency StART scores
- Costain 139.7
- EnterpriseMouchel 138.0
- Carillion 137.4
- Balfour Beatty CE 135.7
- Halcrow Group 133.0
- Skanska 130.3
- BAM Nuttall 129.7
- Colas 126.4
- Jacobs Engineering UK 126.3
- Eurovia Ringway Group 126.0
- Atkins Highways 115.7
- Mott MacDonald 115.7
- Serco Integrated Transport 115.4
- Amey 112.0
- Ferrovial Agromán UK 110.6
- Morgan Sindall 102.0
- Sir Robert McAlpine 98.3
- WSP Civils 91.3
- VolkerFitzpatrick 74.4
- Interserve Project Services 70.7
- GallifordTry Infrastructure 69.3
- Maximum score: 180
