2026 Planning Framework for AEC Firms 

Structure, clarity, and a plan that actually gets implemented.

Across the AEC industry, 2026 planning is landing on desks at a moment when markets are tight, sectors are shifting, and teams are navigating more uncertainty than usual. Many firms are asking the same questions: Where should we focus next? What’s essential? What’s realistic? What should we fund? 

This framework gives you the structure to answer those questions — clearly, confidently, and with evidence. 



Oomph’s 2026 Planning Framework brings together a practical 4-part methodology and a fully built Excel Budget Template designed specifically for architecture, engineering, and construction firms. It turns planning into a process you can work through step-by-step — and put into use immediately. 

LINK TO THE DOWNLOAD FORM BELOW

Why Planning for 2026 Requires a Different Approach 

In most years, firms plan around growth targets and project pipelines. In 2026, leaders are planning around tightening pipelines, unpredictable demand, and the need to realign teams and budgets without losing momentum. 

AEC Firms are facing:

  • Slower condo markets and sector uncertainty. 

  • Shifts toward rental, adaptive reuse, and public projects. 

  • Intense competition for projects and for talent. 

  • Tighter margins and higher cost sensitivity. 

  • Changing client expectations. 

  • Pressure to do more with smaller teams. 

Traditional planning models — visioning retreats, wish lists, disconnected spreadsheets — simply don’t hold up in this environment. Firms need structure. They need evidence. They need one integrated system. That’s what this framework gives you. 

What You’ll Get

  • An Inventory of Your Practice 
    A clear, structured review of your firm’s current state: marketing & BD, financial health, operations, people, and sector performance. You’ll understand what’s working, what’s not, and what conditions must shape your 2026 decisions. 

  •  Set the Right Priorities for 2026
    A practical approach to determining what matters most — grounded in evidence, team capacity, and the realities of your practice.

    You’ll learn how to identify themes from your inventory, select 4–6 priorities that will move the firm forward, refine them into clear actionable statements, and define simple measures of progress that keep the work on track. Includes guidance on: Diagnosing patterns | Identifying opportunity areas | Surfacing constraints | Refining priorities into strong, deliverable statements | Setting checks your team can use throughout the year.

  • Build Your 2026 Budget 
    A downloadable Excel Budget Template that connects strategy to investment ranges, available hours, quarterly pacing, and cost alignment. | Marketing & BD investment ranges (3–5–10%)  | Staffing and recruitment | Training and systems | Quarterly pacing and available hours | Cost–revenue alignment. It’s built to replace fuzzy estimates with clear, defensible calculations. 

  • Translate Strategy Into a Quarterly Working Program 
    A 12-month execution structure that brings your plan to life: Quarterly calendars | Monthly checks | Measures of progress | Continue/stop rules | How to sustain cadence throughout the year | This is the difference between a plan and a plan that gets implemented. 

Who This Is For

  • Architecture, engineering & design firm leaders 

  • Marketing & BD directors 

  • Operations and finance leads 

  • Studio heads and practice area leaders 

  • Anyone shaping a 2026 plan tied to growth, budgets, or staffing 

  • It’s built specifically for AEC design practices, not generic corporate planning. 

Why AEC Leaders Use This Framework 

  • Integrates marketing, BD, operations, people, and finances into one system. 

  • It helps firms prioritize what’s achievable — not everything at once. 

  • It’s grounded in real market conditions, not optimism. 

  • Addresses the biggest planning pitfalls:  overloading the year, losing momentum by Q2, budgeting without alignment, or disconnecting planning from available hours. 

  • Built for the realities of the 2025–2026 AEC market 

 

Download the 2026 Planning Framework + Budget Template 

About Oomph 

Oomph helps architecture, engineering, and construction firms use strategy, marketing, and business development to grow with purpose. We work across North America with design-led practices navigating change, repositioning in new markets, and building integrated systems that align strategy, people, and performance.