NEC abbreviations

The short forms you will meet in meetings, letters and registers. Some are the contract's own; others are just common habit, and we say which.

Everyday terms

Short form	What it means
AP	Accepted Programme
AS	Activity Schedule, used on Options A and C
BQ	Bill of Quantities, used on Options B and D
CE	Compensation event
CD	Contract Data. Part one comes from the Client, part two from the Contractor
EW or EWN	Early warning, or early warning notice
EWR	Early Warning Register in NEC4. NEC3 calls it the Risk Register
KD	Key Date
NCE	Notification of a compensation event. A common shorthand, not a contract term
PMI	Project Manager's instruction
PWDD	Price for Work Done to Date
SCC	Schedule of Cost Components
SSCC	Short Schedule of Cost Components
TRA	Time risk allowance
WI	Works Information: the NEC3 name for what NEC4 calls the Scope

People

Short form	What it means
PM	Project Manager
SM	Service Manager, on the NEC4 PSC and the TSC family
QS	Quantity Surveyor. Not a role named in the contract

Contract forms

Short form	What it means
ECC	Engineering and Construction Contract
ECS	Engineering and Construction Subcontract
ECSC	Engineering and Construction Short Contract
ECSS	Engineering and Construction Short Subcontract
PSC	Professional Service Contract (Professional Services Contract in NEC3)
PSS	Professional Service Subcontract
PSSC	Professional Service Short Contract
TSC	Term Service Contract
TSS	Term Service Subcontract
TSSC	Term Service Short Contract
SC	Supply Contract
SSC	Supply Short Contract

Options

Short form	What it means
W1, W2	The dispute resolution Options. W2 is for contracts where the UK Construction Act applies
X1 to X29	Secondary Options, in NEC4. X22 is early contractor involvement, X29 is climate change
Y(UK)2	The Option for the UK Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act
Y(UK)1	Project Bank Account
Z clauses	Additional conditions the parties add to the standard form

Need a meaning rather than a short form? Try the glossary.