Several member companies of Northern Counties Builders Federation (NCBF) were celebrated at the North East’s premier awards for the construction sector.
The Constructing Excellence North East (CENE) Awards 2026, were held at the Grand Hotel Gosforth Park.
True North Construction won SME of the Year and BRIMS construction was part of the delivery team which won the Retrofit category for the HICSA – Housing Innovation Construction Skills Academy.
Other notable winners included Seymour Civil Engineering Contractors who achieved a Highly Commended for the West Park Alleviation Project. RE:GEN Group won a Highly Commended in the People and Culture category as did MGM Construction Ltd in the Residential Project category for HUSK Northumberland.
Classic Masonry contributed its skills to Robertson Construction, winner of the Regeneration and Conservation category at Bailiffgate Hotel in Alnwick and to Pilgrim’s Quarter working with Bowmer+ Kirkland and its wider project team.
The NCBF is a membership organisation championing regional SMEs in the North East construction sector and is closely linked to Constructing Excellence North East.
Angela Carney, president of Northern Counties Builders Federation, said: “The Constructing Excellence North East Awards are a key calendar fixture across the built environment and it was wonderful to see a number of our members acknowledged for the great work they do.”
The NCBF’s focus is very much on bridging the skills gap and its collaboration with CENE to relaunch the North East and Tees Valley Schools Wonder Challenge has brought construction to the forefront of students’ minds.
David Roberts, managing director at True North Construction and winner of the SME of the Year Award, said: “Winning this award is a real boost. In the last 12 months, we have rebranded the business and established a leadership team, that has a 40% female representation.
“Our aim is to ensure the business is well-positioned to take on larger, high-value projects across both residential and commercial sectors, while maintaining the quality standards that have become our hallmark.
“This award confirms that the plans we have put in place are recognised and will help to raise awareness as we continue to shift our target of securing projects valued above £5 million.”