High-quality infrastructure depends on good decisions at the earliest stage. Governments and project developers need to be able to test whether a project is needed, whether it offers value for money, whether it is affordable, whether the market can deliver it, and whether the right governance is in place.
The Infrastructure Business Case: International Guidance sets out how to apply the UK’s Five Case Model to infrastructure projects internationally. It provides a practical framework for developing, approving, procuring and delivering infrastructure project proposals, giving confidence to those preparing business cases, those approving them, and those considering investment. The guidance is designed for all types of infrastructure projects — including transport, power, waste, telecommunications, education, health and housing — and can be applied proportionately to both smaller sub-national projects and major national investments.
The model looks at infrastructure proposals through five connected dimensions: the strategic case, economic case, commercial case, financial case and management case. Together, these help decision-makers understand whether a project fits wider priorities, maximises public value, is commercially viable, is affordable and fundable, and can be delivered successfully.
The guidance also reflects the growing need for sustainable and resilient infrastructure. This second edition includes updated material on decarbonisation, climate change and green finance, helping users consider environmental, social and governance issues throughout the business case process.
By using a common business case discipline, partner governments can strengthen project preparation, improve transparency, and develop more credible infrastructure pipelines for public and private investment.
Download the Infrastructure Business Case: International Guidance PDF to learn how to apply the Five Case Model to infrastructure project preparation, approval and delivery.
Published
26/06/26