How we are funded
Our core funding is set through the Road Investment Strategy (RIS) process, normally in five-year cycles called Road Investment Periods.
Road Investment Periods
For each road period, we produce a Strategic Business Plan (SBP) and Delivery Plan setting out the how we will use the funding provided to meet the requirements set by the Government’s Department for Transport through the RIS. This enables us to plan for the long term, and provide excellent value for money for our customers, the taxpayer and the country.
The most recent Road Investment Period (road period 2) concluded on 31 March 2025. The start of the next five-year Road Investment Period (road period 3) has been deferred until April 2026 to align with the Government’s comprehensive spending review. For 2025-26, we have been awarded a one-year interim financial settlement to cover this gap, in accordance with statutory directions and guidance provided for under Section 6 of the Infrastructure Act 2015.
Strategic road network: Interim settlement 2025 to 2026
On 24 March 2025, the Government published our financial settlement for Investment and management of the strategic road network from April 2025 to March 2026. As required under the statutory directions and guidance, our plans for using this funding will be set out through our 2025-26 Interim Period Delivery Plan (IPDP), which will be published shortly once it has been approved by the Secretary of State for Transport.
Road Investment Period 2 - 2020 to 2025
From 2020 to 2025, we received funding of £27.4 billion to invest in the Strategic Road Network. Our plans for investing this budget to help connect the country were set out in our road period 2 Strategic Business Plan and Delivery Plan
This short film highlights our goals and priorities between 2020 and 2025.
Road Investment Period 1 - 2015 to 2020
From 2015 to 2020 we received funding of £15 billion which we’ve invested in improving the road network.
This video tells you more about our work to connect the country and what we achieved in the first Road Investment Period.
