We are pleased to announce that the PlanBee programme has been awarded the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education, the highest national honour a Further Education College can receive.

This accolade forms part of the UK’s official honours system and is awarded biannually by the Sovereign, acting on the Prime Minister’s recommendation after a thorough and independent review. They celebrate exceptional contributions from UK colleges and universities that exemplify excellence, drive innovation, and deliver meaningful benefits to society.

PlanBEE is a unique, two-year apprenticeship delivered by Gateshead College which offers aspiring engineers the opportunity to experience the wide variety of disciplines within the construction industry, whilst progressing with their academic studies. Cundall is proud to be one of the founding companies, along with Ryder, Arup, Faulkner Browns, Brims, Sir Robert McAlpine, Tolent, 3E and Xsite.

Paul Hards, Partner said “We are proud to have been a founding company of PlanBee and see it continue to grow since its inception in 2016. We have welcomed many PlanBee apprentices over the years and it has been fantastic to see the next generation of built environment professionals getting a unique perspective to many different companies. This award is dedicated to all of those apprentices, and to the companies and people who have really made this happen."

We’re proud to share this achievement with our partners and all those who have contributed to making PlanBEE a success. Together, we’re driving innovation and creating opportunities that make a real difference.