Unlocking projects through funding, partnerships and place-led investment: reflections from UKREiiF 2026

David Atkinson, Director of Development and Investment at Willmott Dixon Developments, shares his reflections from UKREiiF 2026.

UKREiiF 2026 made one thing clear: ambition isn’t the issue in regeneration, development or investment. Across housing, coastal towns, student accommodation, public estates and town centres, the appetite to invest is strong. The real challenge is unlocking delivery at pace while balancing viability, long‑term value and community outcomes.

That theme ran through almost every conversation in our pavilion. Whether discussing PBSA (purpose-built student accommodation), coastal regeneration, public estate investment or neighbourhood healthcare, partners were focused on the structures, funding models and partnerships needed to move complex opportunities from concept to delivery.

Funding and partnerships are evolving

Public sector budgets remain under pressure, borrowing constraints continue to shape decisions and many organisations are being asked to deliver more with limited capital. Meanwhile, the need for investment in regeneration, infrastructure, healthcare estates, housing and education continues to grow.

As a result, interest in alternative funding structures, public‑private partnerships and delivery models is rising. Our PBSA session highlighted this clearly: with universities facing accommodation demand and capital constraints, discussions centred on how DBFO (Design, Build, Finance, Operate), and development‑funded models can unlock schemes that might otherwise stall.

Crucially, the conversation has moved beyond whether projects can be funded to how they can be structured to align investor, operator, institutional and delivery interests, creating repeatable models deployable at scale.

Similar themes emerged around the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild programme. Modernising healthcare estates remains a national priority, but achieving this at scale requires innovative approaches to funding, partnership and delivery. Long‑term collaboration, clear pipelines and repeatable models will be critical.

Regeneration must be place‑led

Another consistent theme was the growing importance of place‑led regeneration. Successful regeneration increasingly requires understanding how housing, employment, infrastructure, healthcare, public realm, culture and community assets work together to support thriving places — particularly as devolution accelerates and regional leaders shape local growth priorities.

Our coastal regeneration masterclass reinforced this. Discussions highlighted the need to move beyond single‑asset interventions towards connected strategies that reflect the unique strengths and identity of individual places. Whether coastal communities, town centres or regional growth corridors, the same message applies: regeneration cannot rely on a one‑size‑fits‑all approach.

The same thinking shaped discussions on defence estates, where investment is increasingly viewed as a catalyst for economic growth, skills and placemaking. Attracting and retaining talent depends on creating places where people want to live and work, requiring a more holistic approach.

Our innovation workshop on data‑led placemaking reinforced this further. Better insight into community behaviour, visitor patterns and local need is helping partners make more informed decisions, strengthen viability and reduce delivery risk. Data is becoming a critical tool in shaping successful regeneration strategies.

A timely launch for Willmott Dixon Developments

Against this backdrop, the launch of Willmott Dixon Developments felt timely. Conversations throughout UKREiiF showed how customer requirements are evolving. Organisations increasingly need partners who can bring together development expertise, investment thinking, funding solutions and delivery capability to unlock complex opportunities.

The launch event, opened by Stewart Brundell, COO of Willmott Dixon’s construction business, marked an important milestone and reflects our ambition to support customers much earlier in the development lifecycle.

Our role is to help structure opportunities, navigate viability challenges, coordinate stakeholders and create the conditions for long‑term investment. Often that means connecting funding, development and delivery into a single integrated strategy.

UKREiiF 2026 highlighted a sector becoming more sophisticated in how it structures funding, investment and partnerships. The opportunity now is to turn that strategic alignment into viable, place‑appropriate projects that attract investment, accelerate delivery and create lasting community value.