Connections reform timeline

Connections Reform Timeline Update – January 2026

Joint statement from all connections reform delivery partners (including NESO, networks and all joint governance parties)

Immediately following creation of the new connections delivery pipeline in December 2025, NESO, network operators and delivery partners kicked off a review of the Connections Reform delivery timeline in light of the newly established list of phase one and phase two connecting projects. Through this work, technical and engineering matters have been identified, and require resolution to ensure that offers issued through the programme will be robust, reliable and technically accurate. 

Additional work related to these matters will take longer than planned, which means some delivery dates will shift. However, this is not a wholesale timeline change: all parties remain focused on maintaining momentum, issuing as many offers as early as possible. 

We recognise that any change to the timeline creates uncertainty, particularly in relation to resourcing and investment. The additional work underway is intended to strengthen delivery across the programme and increase confidence in the offers that will be issued. 

Our priority now is to give customers clear visibility of when offers will be issued and to set out a plan we can all move forward with confidently. A revised timeline has been developed and is now being reviewed through the programme’s joint governance process. Subject to signoff by programme governance, we are aiming to publish the updated plan in the coming weeks. 

To support customers while this process concludes, we set out responses to some key questions below. Thank you for your continued patience. All programme partners remain fully committed to delivering a timeline that customers can rely on and that supports the long-term success of Connections Reform. 

FAQ – January 2026

Two main factors: 

  • Updated background assumptions have been needed in some locations where the volume of projects at Gate 2 are higher than forecast. NESO has needed time to set up these new assumptions, and the network companies will now need time to rerun their studies going into the engineering phase of the programme.
  • Offers development in some areas require additional time to ensure that construction planning assumptions are accurate. 

The review focused on: 

  • Providing customers with clear certainty on revised delivery timescales.
  • Exploring opportunities to accelerate or resequence activities to provide earlier clarity wherever possible. 

The revised timeline will set out when customers can expect offers to be issued. Some areas may progress sooner where assessments can be completed earlier. 

Customers with 2026/2027 Protected Offers are currently expected to begin receiving offers in coming weeks. 

This is being considered. A regional sequencing approach is being considered, enabling offers to be issued as soon as the work, for that area is completed, rather than waiting for all areas to reach the same stage. 

The strengthened timeline aims to: 

  • Issue more offers as quickly as possible across the programme.
  • Reduce rework by ensuring offers reflect the most up to date technical information for projects before assessment
  • Provide earlier, incremental certainty rather than waiting for all assessments to conclude. 
  • We expect to publish the updated timeline in the coming weeks, subject to signoff by the relevant programme governance.
  • A joint webinar between NESO and network operators will be held to share the new timeline. If the timeline readiness does not align with an existing event, a dedicated webinar will be scheduled and communicated to customers. 

NESO and network operators are responsible for delivery of the connections reform, approved by Ofgem last year. We continue to closely engage with Ofgem and DESNZ on delivering the programme and provide customers with clear, reliable information as quickly as possible.