Construction bid-rigging timeline

This page provides a timeline of the five-year OFT (Office of Fair Trading) investigation into construction bid-rigging, including links to all key stories during this period.

June 2002: OFT begins an investigation into tendering practices of flat-roofing contractors in the West Midlands.

March 2004: OFT concludes its investigation, and nine roofing contractors in the West Midlands are fined £330,000 for price-fixing. 

January 2005: OFT warns it would be widening its investigations into the whole construction and housebuilding sector.

February 2005: OFT urges contractors to 'rat' on their competitors who engage in price-fixing.

April 2005: 10 roofing contractors in the North East fined £550,000 for price-fixing.

April 2005: OFT says more than 10 contractors have come forward with 'significant leads' for their investigation.

June 2005: OFT announces it will take a tougher line on bid-rigging, considering criminal prosecutions rather than fines.

June 2005: Another six roofing contractors, this time in Western Scotland, fined £138,000 for price fixing.

August 2005: OFT raids premises of 22 construction companies in the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

December 2005: OFT says it is working with the Office of Government Commerce to look at bid-rigging on public sector contracts.

January 2006: 13 roofing contractors fined £2.3m for collusion across England and Scotland.

March 2006: OFT announces it has widened its investigation to include major contractors, with Balfour Beatty and Morgan Sindall thought to be on the list.

March 2007: Roofing and car-park surfacing firm Makers loses appeal over £526,000 OFT fine.

March 2007: OFT issues ultimatum to construction companies implicated in its investigation: cooperate or else.

May 2007: Rok and Galliford Try admit OFT is investigating their tendering activity.

June 2007: Balfour Beatty and Connaught reveal they are cooperating with the OFT investigation.

June 2007: OFT announces probe into housebuilding industry, looking at delivery and customer satisfaction.

December 2007: Contractors warned bid-rigging fines could run into "hundreds of millions".

December 2007: Contractors say they are shying away from tender races to keep their practices "squeaky clean".

March 2008: OFT offers contractors upto £100,000 each for blowing the whistle on construction cartels.

April 2008: OFT announces 112 construction firms have been accused as part of the investigation.