Most capital projects that go wrong were not lost during construction. They were lost where a decision was taken on too little definition – a budget fixed before the scope was understood, an option chosen before the alternatives were compared, or a design approved without confirming it met the operational requirement. By the time that surfaces on site, the cheap fixes have gone.

Projex Solutions is an engineering consultancy working with regulated process manufacturers across the UK, including chemical, pharmaceutical, food and drink, FMCG and energy. We work in the front end of projects, where definition is cheapest to change, and stay involved through delivery as an EPCM partner where clients want that continuity. Our approach is delivery-led: multidisciplinary engineering, structured decision-making, and documentation your team, your regulator and your board can rely on.

What we cover

  • Feasibility Studies – Assessment of whether a proposal is technically, financially and operationally viable, with costed options and a recommendation.
  • Concept Screening & Design – Conceptual options compared through matrices against safety, cost, constructability, scalability and schedule criteria.
  • Front End Engineering Design (FEED) – Scope, performance requirements, layout and cost defined in enough detail to establish a controlled design baseline.
  • Project Blueprinting – A high-level delivery strategy covering project intent, system architecture, phasing, governance and critical dependencies.
  • Project Scope Development – Deliverables, exclusions, assumptions and interfaces structured into a Work Breakdown Structure that supports estimating and change control.
  • User Requirements Specifications (URS) Development – Business needs, operational goals and compliance obligations translated into measurable, auditable requirements.
  • Functional Design Specification (FDS) – How a control system must behave across start-up, normal operation, shutdown and fault handling, including sequences and interlocks.
  • Design Validation – Independent review of design outputs against the original scope, FDS or URS before procurement or construction.
  • Project Due Diligence Reviews and Support – Independent review of a proposed build, upgrade or acquisition, validating cost estimates, timelines and delivery strategy.
  • GAP Analysis – Current state compared against target requirements, with gaps categorised by severity and a risk-based, prioritised action plan.
  • Engineering Procurement Construction Management (EPCM) Partner – Acting as your representative to manage design, procurement, contractors and commissioning while you retain ownership.
  • Programme Management Support – Governance, master scheduling and budget oversight across interrelated projects, so benefits are realised at programme level.
  • Framework Agreements & Engineering Support – Pre-agreed terms and call-off scopes giving fast access to process, mechanical, EC&I and project management resource.
  • Factory Layouts, Logistics & Relocation – Layout design, material flow evaluation, 3D modelling and clash detection, and phased planning of equipment moves.
  • Compliance with CIRIA C736 Requirements – Assessment, design and upgrade of containment such as bunds, sumps and drainage to prevent chemical release.
  • Vessel and Containment Inspection – Engineering-led inspection of tanks, pressure vessels, silos and secondary containment, covering integrity and certification.
  • Equipment Qualification (DQ, IQ, OQ & PQ) – Support across the qualification lifecycle, from verifying the design meets user requirements to confirming performance in service.
  • Sustainability Planning – Energy, carbon, water and waste impacts assessed, with low-carbon opportunities built into the design.

Getting the definition right before you commit

Front-end definition is the cheapest risk reduction on a capital project. Concept screening lets you compare genuinely different approaches while changes still cost little. Feasibility work tests the preferred direction against the real site: existing infrastructure, process limitations, utility availability and space constraints. FEED then produces PFDs, P&IDs, GA layouts, equipment lists, tie-ins and an execution strategy.

The cost estimate firms up as the definition improves. Our FEED deliverables include cost estimates and risk assessments developed to a level of definition agreed with you. That is a figure a board can sanction against, traceable to a documented scope rather than an assumption. Earlier concept and feasibility estimates are high-level by design and should be treated as directional, not a budget.

The same discipline applies to requirements. A URS states what the system must do, the FDS states how it will do it, and design validation confirms the finished design answers both. Where that chain holds, commissioning is quicker. Where it breaks, the gap is found during installation, at the worst possible cost.

When clients typically call us

  • A capital request needs a defensible number and the estimate has no scope behind it.
  • Two or three technical options are on the table and nobody can agree which to back.
  • An acquisition or brownfield site purchase needs independent technical review before signature.
  • An audit or inspection is approaching and the site is not certain where it stands.
  • A production line or whole facility is being relocated and the shutdown window is fixed.
  • Internal engineering resource is stretched and several projects need coordinating under one governance framework.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a feasibility study and a FEED study?

A feasibility study asks whether the project is worth doing and which option is best, using concept-level design and costs. FEED assumes the option is chosen and defines it, producing the design baseline, execution strategy and cost estimate needed for investment approval and tendering.

What kind of cost estimate does a FEED produce?

An estimate built from the defined scope, equipment list and execution strategy, at a level of definition agreed with you at the outset. Earlier feasibility and concept estimates are deliberately high-level, intended to compare options rather than set a budget.

What does EPCM mean in practice?

We act as your representative, not as a turnkey contractor, and we do not build the works. We manage engineering, procurement, contractor selection and construction oversight on your behalf, and you retain ownership and decision-making control.

Can you work alongside our in-house engineering team?

Yes. Much of our work supports client engineering, operations and compliance teams directly. Framework agreements suit sites needing support regularly, giving pre-agreed terms and fast mobilisation without a new procurement exercise.

Related: our engineering consultancy work is one of six areas covered under engineering services. We also work across a range of regulated sectors and industries.

If you have a project at concept stage, an estimate you do not yet trust, or a programme of work needing structure, the earliest conversation is the most valuable. Talk to us about your project. Request a call