This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

08 Jun 2026 at 10:25

Award

07 May 2026 at 13:15

Award

07 Apr 2026 at 09:58

Summary of the contracting process

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (RCT CBC), a public authority operating under the Welsh devolved regulations, has engaged in a procurement process titled "Heywood Pension Technologies." This process, completed on June 8, 2026, involves the direct awarding of a contract to Heywood Limited, responsible for providing a hosted solution for pension payroll, aimed specifically at the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and the Firefighters Pension Scheme (FPS). Situated in Pontypridd, UKL15, this direct award was justified under the Procurement Act 2023, emphasising intellectual property and exclusive rights held by Heywood Limited. The contract, which commenced on July 1, 2026, will run until June 30, 2031, with the potential for renewal extending up to 2036, ensuring continued operations with minimal technical disruption for RCT CBC.

This tender offers substantial opportunities for businesses specialising in software packages and information systems, particularly those with a focus on the public sector pension administration and management technologies. Large-scale companies with expertise in delivering complex IT systems, intellectual property management, and operational support within the regulatory landscape of Wales would find this procurement particularly aligned with their capabilities. While the existing contract was directly awarded, the expectation for future tenders in the sector remains significant, especially for suppliers capable of offering innovative and compliant solutions that can integrate seamlessly with the current systems used by entities like RCT CBC.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Heywood Pension Technologies

Notice Description

PS and Fire Pension/Pension Payroll Hosted Solution. RCT Council is an 'Administering Body' of the national occupational Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), and is the largest LGPS Fund in Wales, with total membership in excess of 84,000 and includes 70 participating Employers. In addition, the Pension Team also administer the Firefighters Pension Scheme (FPS) on behalf of the South Wales Fire & Rescue Authority.

Procurement Information

Justification for direct award is based on Schedule 5 of the Procuement Act 2023: Single Suppliers - section 5 (a)due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. The Authority is relying on this condition as the contract is for the continued use of the Heywood system to which they own the intellectual property rights. No other supplier could provide access to this system. Single Suppliers - section 6 The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract-- (a)due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. The Authority is relying on this condition as there are no justifiable alternative systems in the market that can provide what the Heywood system provides Additional or repeat goods, services or works - section 7 The public contract concerns the supply of goods, services or works by the existing supplier which are intended as an extension to, or partial replacement of, existing goods, services or works in circumstances where (a) a change in supplier would result in the contracting authority receiving goods, services or works that are different from, or incompatible with, the existing goods, services or works, and (b) the difference or incompatibility would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation or maintenance. The Authority is relying on this condition as a change to an alternative supplier/system at this present time would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation as well as potential incompatibilities. In the Authority's view it is not possible for a supplier other than the incumbent to continue this service for technical reasons. There are no reasonable alternatives and the parameters of the procurement (including timescales) are driven by the circumstances the Council finds itself in and have not been artificially narrowed. These circumstances are: 1. The impact and timing of McCloud Remedies, the National Dashboards Programme and further regulatory changes from April 2026 which are expected to involve significant workloads over the next 2 years. As a result of these intended regulatory changes it is not possible to scope the technical requirements or implement a risk assured transition to a new supplier to coincide with the current contract cycle. 2. The unreasonable cost (due to scarcity) of resource to dedicate to a transition to a new supplier, due to difficulty recruiting specialist staff nationally within pensions administration. 3. There are no viable alternatives within a highly specialist marketplace able to provide both the Local Government Pension Scheme and the Fire Service Pension Scheme (including McCloud Remedy calculations). Overall the Council believes this justifies the Direct Award as any alternative supplier/system at this present time would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in operation as well as potential incompatibilities The Council is withholding publishing the contract value under Section 94 of the Procurement Act 2023. The Council considers the release of the contract value is commercially sensitive information to Heywood.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-067cb2
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053699-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems


CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Jun 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
7 Apr 20262 months ago
Contract Period
30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
RHONDDA CYNON TAF CBC
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
PONTYPRIDD
Postcode
CF37 4TH
Post Town
Cardiff
Country
Wales

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL51 Central Valleys and Bridgend
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Electoral Ward
Pontypridd Town
Westminster Constituency
Pontypridd

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

HEYWOOD

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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