Cumming Group merges with Dublin's OutForm to build out infrastructure advisory

What's the deal? Cumming GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has merged with OutForm ConsultingDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Dublin-based advisory firm serving the water, transport, and energy sectors across Ireland and the UK. Terms were not disclosed.

Who's OutForm? Founded in 2018, the firm advises senior leaders at the earliest stages of major infrastructure programmes, from offices in Dublin, Belfast, and Edinburgh. Its services span planning, delivery, performance improvement, and digital innovation.

What's the endgame? The merger expands Cumming Group's reach at the front end of the project lifecycle. "This merger strengthens our ability to support clients across the full lifecycle of complex investment programmes," said Craig Maunder, Cumming Group's chief executive officer for the UK and Europe.

Why now? Infrastructure spending across Ireland and the UK is climbing, driven by tighter regulation, ageing assets, and the modernisation of energy and transport networks. Those pressures are fuelling demand for early-stage advisory and digitally enabled performance support.

What changes? Founder Brian Thompson stays on as managing director and will take a leadership role in the combined business. "Joining Cumming Group allows us to scale that impact, combining our strategic and digital expertise with a global platform," he said.

The signal: As capital programmes grow larger and more complex, project consultancies are consolidating to cover the entire asset life cycle. Cumming Group is buying its way into the crucial early planning stage, where value is set long before work reaches site.

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