BIM execution plan (BEP): what ISO 19650-2 requires at every project stage (2026)

ISO 19650-2 has the delivery team produce a pre-appointment BIM execution plan (BEP) with its tender, and confirm a BEP after appointment. The pre-appointment BEP proposes the team’s approach; the confirmed BEP records the approach the team commits to. The lead appointed party leads the delivery team’s BEP, with input from each task team. For the exact clause wording, see ISO 19650-2 clauses 5.3.2 and 5.4; this guide follows the public UK BIM Framework pre-appointment and delivery team’s BEP guidance.

BEP reference at a glance

What is a BIM Execution Plan under ISO 19650-2?

A BIM Execution Plan is the delivery team’s documented response to the appointing party’s exchange information requirements (EIR). It sets out how the team will meet those requirements. The UK BIM Framework guidance describes the two versions: the pre-appointment BEP proposes how a potential delivery team would carry out the information management activities, including any suggested amendments to the project’s information standards and production methods; after appointment the delivery team’s BEP is confirmed, typically by updating the pre-appointment BEP with the appointing party’s feedback. The guidance notes that the BEP should respond to the EIR, so sections that do not correspond to the information requirements should be omitted.

What must a pre-appointment BEP contain?

ISO 19650-2 does not reduce the BEP to a fixed count of items here, and this guide states no count. The public UK BIM Framework template shows the structure the guidance recommends. Section 1 covers the project description, the delivery team’s scope and collaboration goals, and the information management responsibilities. Section 2, the information delivery strategy, covers objectives for collaborative production of information, the delivery team’s organisation and composition, a detailed responsibility matrix, a schedule of software, the federation strategy, information delivery plans, an information delivery risk register, a mobilisation plan, and the PIM and AIM/handover strategies. Section 3 covers adjustments or additions to the project information standards and production methods, such as information container identification conventions, coordination strategy, key performance indicators, model quality and security requirements. The guidance states that Section 2 is needed for both versions, while Section 3 is only for the pre-appointment (tender) stage.

What changes in the BEP after appointment?

After appointment the delivery team’s BEP confirms the team’s approach only. Under the UK guidance, any agreed changes to the project’s information standards and production methods are made by the appointing party and stay separate from the BEP while still forming part of the appointment. Before the BEP is finalised, the lead appointed party collaborates with all task teams. Each task team prepares a TIDP; the MIDP is assembled from the separate TIDPs and outlines when each information container will be delivered and by whom. The guidance lists, per deliverable, the container identification, description, level of definition, level of information, dependencies, classifications and date of issue. The MIDP is a delivery plan in its own right; the UK template carries it as an appendix reference. For ISO 19650-2’s own list of what the post-appointment BEP must hold, see ISO 19650-2 clause 5.4.

How does the BEP differ from the EIR?

The BEP and the EIR are the two sides of an ISO 19650-2 exchange. The EIR is issued by the appointing party and states what information is needed, for what purpose, and when. The BEP is the delivery team’s response: how the team will produce that information. The EIR flows from client to supplier; the BEP flows back. When a client calls a requirements document a “BEP template”, check whether it is an EIR template, since the two are different documents.

What BEP templates are available by national market?

VDI 2552 Blatt 11 is a different guideline: its parts 11.1 and 11.2 cover information exchange requirements, not the BEP. Check the current edition of any template against the EIR of the project before use.

Common mistakes

BEP mistakes fall into four patterns.

1. Treating the BEP as a one-time filing. The BEP is confirmed after appointment and should be revisited when the project’s information requirements or team change; the UK guidance recommends a mobilisation checklist at the beginning of every work stage or when a new task team joins.

2. Copy-pasting a prior project BEP without updating EIR-specific content. The BEP responds to the current appointment’s EIR.

3. Producing only the pre-appointment BEP. The pre-appointment BEP proposes; the confirmed BEP records the agreed approach.

4. Confusing the BEP with the project specification. The project specification governs the building’s physical properties. The BEP governs how information about the building is produced and delivered.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a pre-appointment BEP and a post-appointment BEP?

The pre-appointment BEP is submitted with the tender and proposes the team’s approach against the EIR, including suggested changes to information standards and methods. The post-appointment BEP is the confirmed version, updated with the appointing party’s feedback, and records the team’s approach for delivery.

Who is responsible for writing the BIM Execution Plan?

The delivery team writes it, led by the lead appointed party, with input from each task team. On a typical design project the architect may be the lead appointed party, but ISO 19650 assigns the role by appointment, not profession. The appointing party sets the EIR that the BEP responds to.

What is the difference between a BEP and an EIR?

The EIR is issued by the appointing party and states what information is needed. The BEP is the delivery team’s response, stating how it will produce that information.

Does every ISO 19650 project need a BEP?

ISO 19650-2 provides for a BEP in the appointment process it specifies. Whether a project follows that process depends on its appointment documents. Whether a BEP is contractually required is set by the project’s contract and EIR, not by the ISO standard alone.

What is the MIDP and how does the MIDP relate to the BEP?

The master information delivery plan (MIDP) is assembled from the task teams’ TIDPs and lists when each information container is delivered and by whom. It is a delivery plan separate from the BEP; the UK BEP template references it in an appendix.