Quality & Inspections · Mandatory · Pre-Construction

BIM Execution Plan (BEP)

The BIM Execution Plan defines how Building Information Modelling will be delivered on a specific project. It covers roles and responsibilities, information standards, the Common Data Environment, software and formats, level of information need, spatial coordination procedures, and handover of the Asset Information Model. Required by the Employer's Information Requirements on all BIM-enabled projects and mandatory on UK Government centrally-procured projects.

Last reviewed: 29 March 2026 — This guide reflects UK law as of this date. ISO 19650 / PAS 1192 / Government Mandate remains current with no amendments enacted as of 29 March 2026. Next scheduled review: 29 March 2027.

Legal basis	ISO 19650 / PAS 1192 / UK Government BIM Mandate
Pre-contract BEP	Submitted with the tender — sets out the supply chain's proposed approach to meeting the Employer's Information Requirements
Post-contract BEP	The live working document produced after contract award — updated throughout the project as the BIM delivery strategy evolves
Common Data Environment	The CDE is the single source of truth for all project information — all parties access, share, and approve information through the CDE
Higher-Risk Buildings	For HRBs under the Building Safety Act 2022, the BEP must address the golden thread of building information (Requirement K1)

1. BIM Execution Plan — Managing Digital Information as a Contract Obligation

BIM has moved from innovation to baseline requirement on publicly procured projects and is increasingly mandated on private-sector schemes. The BIM Execution Plan is the document that defines how BIM will be delivered on a specific project. It sets out the standards, processes, roles, software, and data exchanges that the project team will follow. On BIM-enabled projects the BEP is a contract document — failure to comply with it is a breach of contract, not merely a procedural lapse.

The BEP must be a live document, maintained and updated throughout the project as the team mobilises, subcontractors are appointed, and information requirements evolve. It is not a document that is written at tender stage and filed away. The Information Manager is responsible for maintaining the BEP, ensuring that it reflects the current state of BIM delivery, and that all parties are working to the agreed standards and processes. On ISO 19650 projects the pre-contract BEP (Pre-appointment BIM Execution Plan) is submitted with the tender, and the post-contract BEP (Project BIM Execution Plan) is the live working document used during delivery.

The BEP is a contract document

On BIM-mandated projects the BEP sits alongside the contract and is enforceable. The Information Manager must ensure the BEP is kept current and that all parties — including subcontractors — understand and comply with the information delivery requirements it sets out.

2. Key Content

The following table sets out the key content areas that should be covered in a BIM Execution Plan, with guidance on what each section should address.

BEP section	What to include
Project information	Project name, address, client, principal designer, principal contractor, contract form, and BIM mandate level. State whether ISO 19650 or PAS 1192 applies and confirm the project's information management framework.
Roles and responsibilities	Identify the Information Manager, BIM Coordinator for each discipline, and the responsibilities of each party for model production, coordination, and information exchange. Include subcontractor BIM leads where applicable.
Information standards	Confirm the standards the project will follow — ISO 19650-1 and ISO 19650-2 for information management, BS 1192 naming conventions, classification system (Uniclass 2015), and any client-specific standards or protocols.
Common Data Environment	Identify the CDE platform (e.g. Autodesk Construction Cloud, Aconex, BIM 360, Viewpoint), folder structure, access permissions, status codes (Work in Progress, Shared, Published, Archived), and approval workflows. The CDE is the single source of truth for the project.
Software and formats	List all authoring software (Revit, ArchiCAD, Tekla, Civil 3D, etc.), exchange formats (IFC, COBie, DWG, PDF), and version requirements. Confirm interoperability testing has been carried out between disciplines.
Level of Information Need	Define the level of graphical detail and non-graphical information required at each project stage, aligned with the Employer's Information Requirements. Replace the deprecated “LOD” terminology with Level of Information Need per ISO 19650.
Spatial coordination	Describe the coordination process — clash detection software (Navisworks, Solibri, BIMcollab), meeting frequency, clash resolution workflow, tolerance standards, and how design freezes will be managed across disciplines.
Information delivery	Set out the information delivery plan — what information is to be produced, by whom, at which project stage, and in what format. The Master Information Delivery Plan (MIDP) and Task Information Delivery Plans (TIDPs) should be referenced.
Handover (Asset Information Model)	Define what digital information will be handed over to the client at practical completion as the Asset Information Model (AIM). This typically includes the federated model, COBie data, O&M information, and as-built geometry. On HRB projects the AIM must support the golden thread.

3. Common Mistakes

Not updating the BEP after contract award

The pre-contract BEP is a proposal — it reflects the supply chain's intended approach at tender stage. Once the contract is awarded and the team is mobilised, the BEP must be updated to become the post-contract (Project) BIM Execution Plan. This update should reflect the actual team members, confirmed software, agreed CDE setup, finalised Level of Information Need, and detailed coordination procedures. A BEP that has not been updated after contract award is a tender document masquerading as a project delivery tool and will quickly become irrelevant.

Not including subcontractor BIM requirements

Many BEPs are written as if BIM delivery is solely the responsibility of the main contractor and the lead designers. In practice, a significant proportion of model content and information is produced by specialist subcontractors — structural steelwork, MEP, curtain walling, precast concrete, and many others. The BEP must set out the BIM requirements for subcontractors, including software, exchange formats, Level of Information Need, naming conventions, and delivery dates. Subcontractor BIM capability should be assessed at pre-qualification, and subcontractor Task Information Delivery Plans should be incorporated into the Master Information Delivery Plan.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the BEP and the Employer’s Information Requirements?▾

The Employer’s Information Requirements (EIR) is produced by the client and specifies what digital information is needed, at what stages, and to what level of detail. The BEP is produced by the project team and explains how they will meet the EIR — the processes, software, standards, roles, and delivery plan. On ISO 19650 projects the terminology changes: the EIR becomes the Exchange Information Requirements, the pre-contract BEP becomes the Pre-appointment BIM Execution Plan, and the post-contract BEP becomes the Project BIM Execution Plan. The relationship remains the same — the client states what they need and the project team explains how they will deliver it.

Generate your BIM Execution Plan (BEP) on Construction Suite

Construction Suite walks you through every required section with a guided Q&A — built to ISO 19650 / PAS 1192 / Government Mandate — and generates a professionally formatted document in minutes.

Get started free