Proposal to extend one of Arup’s owning trusts
Last updated: July 2026
Arup’s ownership model has provided the foundation for our success for decades. In a changing world, it affords us the independence, stability and long-term view to stay true to our purpose and values.
In order to secure the long-term future of Arup’s trust ownership model, the Arup Group Limited Board (“the Board”) is proposing procedural steps to extend the statutory lifespan of one of the Trusts that owns Arup whose beneficiaries include all current employees within Arup Group (and their family members).
The proposal is intended to help protect our firm’s long-term future as an independent trust-owned business, preserving something of which we are all rightly proud and hold dear.
Background
Arup is owned by three Trusts. One of those Trusts, the Ove Arup Partnership Employee Trust, has a time limit that ends in 2046 – which was the maximum lifespan of 80 years legally allowed when the original trust arrangements were established in 1966.
Following independent legal review, the Board has decided to pursue the established UK Parliamentary Private Bill Procedure to seek to remove the time limit, to ensure the Trust and Arup’s full independence continue indefinitely.
The action we are taking is in line with what Ove Arup and his partners wanted but were unable to achieve at the time the Employee Trust was established. The Trustees have been fully briefed on this proposal.
Consultation process
As part of the Private Bill process, we are providing an opportunity for questions or points to be raised by past as well as present members and considered by the Board before the formal proposal is submitted to the UK Parliament.
If you have any comments you would like to provide, please do this via the feedback mechanism below.
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Please ensure any feedback is submitted by Thursday 3 September 2026
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