Cost Estimation and Project Office Integration in Large-Scale Accelerator Projects: Lessons from the FCC-ee Feasibility Study

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Large research infrastructures require robust, transparent, and review-ready cost estimates to secure trust and credibility during project approval. This contribution presents the costing approach developed for the FCC-ee Feasibility Study, a process involving more than one hundred contributors across accelerator systems, civil engineering, technical infrastructures, procurement, and financial governance. The methodology combines bottom-up estimation based on detailed bills of materials and processes, parametric and analogous models anchored in historical data, and AACE-aligned cost classification supported by systematic risk assessment. A key outcome of the Feasibility Study has been the reduction of cost-estimate uncertainty compared with previous reviews and was endorsed by the Cost Review Panel as well as Council and its Committees. Through engineering optimisation, design-for-manufacture work, industrial benchmarking, and clearer process flows, several major domains—such as magnets, RF, vacuum systems, and power converters—moved from Class 4 to Class 3. The presentation highlights how an integrated Project Office structure, combining costing, risk management, procurement strategy, and data governance, enabled this progress. The FCC-ee experience provides a concrete example of how large scientific projects can strengthen PM culture and build credible, decision-grade cost baselines.

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