Suite Engine Expands Retainage Receivables to Seven New Markets –
Microsoft Dynamics Business Central Solution Now Available in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, UAE, United Kingdom, France, and Spain
Raleigh, NC – January 14, 2026
Suite Engine, a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ISV, today announced the availability of Retainage Receivables W1 across seven new international markets through Microsoft AppSource. The expansion brings automated retainage (a.k.a holdbacks) management to contractors and construction companies in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain—markets where manual retention tracking contributes to an estimated $280 billion in annual payment inefficiencies (Rabbet, 2024).
The launch addresses a critical gap in construction financial management across regions where 82% of contractors now wait 30 days or longer for payment—up from 49% just two years ago (Rabbet, 2024). Retainage, typically 5-10% of each progress payment, creates cash flow challenges that often equal or exceed a contractor’s entire profit margin, with subcontractors waiting an average of 167 days to collect withheld funds (Bausman, 2004).
“You shouldn’t have to choose between managing complex retention rules and getting paid on time,” said Matthew Welford, Retainage & HomeBuilder Product Director at Suite Engine. “Not only have we expanded to these countries, but we have improved our integration with Business Central’s ‘Projects.’ Our customers report that they can now handle and report on the taxes in retainage values with ease. We also hear that they no longer ‘forget’ to send the remaining invoices for their project. Retainage Receivables handles the complexity automatically, so finance teams can focus on running profitable projects instead of reconciling spreadsheets.”
Compliance-Ready for Evolving Regulatory Landscapes
The timing of this expansion is particularly significant given active regulatory reform across multiple markets:
United Kingdom: With £4-4.5 billion tied up annually in retention payments, the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade consultation closed in October 2024, proposing either regulated retentions or complete abolition (UK Parliament, 2023). New mandatory reporting requirements take effect in March 2025, requiring companies to disclose retention practices and subcontractor treatment (Kennedy’s Law, 2024).
Australia & New Zealand: Both markets have enacted Security of Payment legislation requiring retention money to be held in separate trust accounts. New South Wales mandates this for projects exceeding $20 million, while Western Australia sets the threshold at just $20,000, with penalties reaching $250,000 for corporations (Grant Thornton, 2024). New Zealand’s October 2023 reforms require separate bank accounts for all retention money, with penalties up to NZD $200,000 for non-compliance (New Zealand Building Performance, 2023).
France: Operating under strict retention laws limiting withholding to 5% (3% for SMEs in public contracts), French construction requires third-party consignment of retention funds rather than direct client holding (Hemea, 2024).
Automated Management That Scales Across Projects
Retainage Receivables W1 eliminates the manual tracking burden that costs construction professionals an average of 10+ hours per week (Flashtract, 2024). The solution integrates directly with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to:
- Track retention automatically across unlimited subcontractors per project
- Apply vendor-specific retention due dates and percentages
- Generate audit trails for compliance reporting and dispute resolution
- Provide real-time visibility into retention balances and expected release dates
- Maintain separate accounting for retention receivables and payables
The application joins Suite Engine’s existing Retainage Payables solution, creating complete retention management for both sides of construction payment workflows.
Available Now on Microsoft AppSource
Retainage Receivables W1 is available immediately through Microsoft AppSource in English (Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom), French (France), and Spanish (Spain). The solution complements Suite Engine’s North America Retainage products, which have been helping contractors manage retention since 2023.
Download Retainage Receivables W1
View all Suite Engine Retainage solutions
Schedule a demo today: Contact Suite Engine to see how automated retainage management can improve your cash flow and reduce administrative burden.
About Suite Engine
Suite Engine develops industry-specific solutions for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. With products serving equipment dealers (RPM), residential construction companies (HomeBuilder), and eCommerce businesses (Channel Sales Manager and Channel Payments Manager), Suite Engine brings deep industry expertise to growing businesses within the Microsoft ecosystem.
All Suite Engine solutions are available through Microsoft AppSource and backed by a team of implementation specialists who understand the unique challenges facing each industry.
Learn more at suiteengine.com.
Media Contact
Heather Wang | Suite Engine Marketing | suiteengine.com/contact
EDITOR’S NOTES
Construction Market Data:
- Combined construction market value across seven launch markets: >$700 billion
- UK construction: $256-316 billion (Global Market Insights, 2024 and Next Move Strategy, 2024)
- Australia construction: $322-403 billion (Mordor Intelligence, 2024 and Next Move Strategy, 2024)
- France construction: €157-161 billion (FIEC, 2024)
- Spain construction: €83.5 billion (ResearchAndMarkets, 2024)
- UAE construction: $41-67 billion (Business Wire, 2024)
- Ireland construction: €11-14 billion, growing 6.8% YoY (Business Wire, 2024)
- New Zealand construction: NZD $48.3 billion (IBISWorld, 2024)
Retainage Impact Statistics:
- Annual cost of payment inefficiencies (US market): $280 billion (Rabbet, 2024)
- Contractors waiting 30+ days for payment: 82%, up from 49% two years prior (Rabbet, 2024)
- Companies paid on time: Only 12% (Levelset, 2022)
- Average subcontractor wait time for retainage: 167 days (Bausman, 2004)
- Professionals spending 10+ hours weekly on manual payment administration: 43% (Flashtract, 2024)
- UK construction insolvencies in 2024: 4,032 companies, 17-18% of all UK insolvencies (PBC Today, 2024)
For More Information:
Related Articles and Links:
- Video: Retainage Receivables
- Video Playlist: Retainage (Holdbacks) How-To
- Retainage (North America) Press Release
- Retainage App Help Documentation
- See All Retainage Articles/Video
