The paper consists of a high-level comparison between the NEC third edition and the Fidic (Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs- Conseils) 1999 suite of contracts. The paper covers the origins of each suite of contracts and then compares each of the individual contact forms published by the NEC and Fidic. The paper then moves on to focus on the NEC Engineering and Construction Contact and the Fidic 1999 Red and Yellow Books. The key areas of structure and format, contents of a contract document, roles and responsibilities, variations/extension of time/claims and dispute resolution are then compared and contrasted. The paper concludes with a view on the relative advantages and disadvantages of each contract form and consideration as to why each may be selected.