Two award shortlists for McCann and the National Highways Midlands LED Retrofit Programme

National Highways, alongside 11 delivery partners and including McCann, have been shortlisted for two industry awards – the Collaboration Award at the CIHT West Midlands Awards 2026 and the Supply Chain Collaboration Excellence Award at the Construction News Awards 2026.

Delivering improvements across the Strategic Road Network is complex, involving a diverse supply chain, tight safety requirements and the need to minimise disruption for road users. The National Highways LED Retrofit Midlands Programme shows how a truly collaborative approach can turn that complexity into a strength.

Over the past year, the programme has doubled its installation output while delivering more than 30 schemes across the Midlands. The shortlistings recognise the outstanding collaboration across highways and transportation, highlighting projects that are driving innovation, sustainability and safer outcomes across the region.

Delivered through a fully integrated supply chain comprising of McCann, Rubicon Wigzell, C.U. Phosco, Crown Highways, WSP, Martin Group of Companies, Charles Endirect, Chevron Traffic Management, Signify, David Lodge Lighting, Amey, and National Highways, the programme is setting a new benchmark for collaborative delivery. In 2024/2025, the team installed over 6,300 LED lanterns in nine months while maintaining zero safety incidents. Performance improvements include 92% on-time delivery, over 40% productivity gains, and significant reductions in rework.

Beyond operational success, the programme is delivering lasting impact, with projected annual energy savings exceeding £1.2m and CO₂ reductions of more than 50%, supporting a safer, more sustainable strategic road network.

This recognition from CIHT and Construction News reflects the strength of a truly collaborative approach, where client, contractors and specialist partners operate as one team aligning around shared goals to deliver faster, greener and more efficient outcomes.

McCann look forward to celebrating these shortlisting with the collaborative partners at both:

• The CIHT West Midlands Awards Ceremony on 7 May 2026.
• The Construction News Awards 2026 on 9 July 2026.