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Pensions Administration Operational Support Service Framework

Norfolk County Council (as Administering Authority of the Norfolk Pension Fund)

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Tender

19 Aug 2026 at 17:00

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

17 Apr 2026 at 15:45

UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Planning

15 Apr 2026 at 13:47

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Norfolk County Council, administering the Norfolk Pension Fund, is procuring a multi-provider framework for specialist operational support to Local Government Pension Scheme and other public-sector pension funds. Cheshire West and Chester, Essex, Tameside and Wolverhampton councils are also participating, with Cheshire West and Chester, Wolverhampton, Tameside and Essex involved in writing the specification and assessing tenders. Services will be delivered across the United Kingdom and cover five areas: pension administration operations; specialist pensions communications and engagement; business change and transformation; independent assurance, risk and internal controls; and enabling pension technology. Potential users include public-sector pension authorities, scheme employers, the Pension Protection Fund and the Local Government Association.

The procurement has reached tender: suppliers were invited to submit offers through an open procedure, managed electronically through the council’s e-procurement system. Enquiries close on 9 September 2026 at 14:00, and tenders close on 30 September 2026 at 14:00. The intended award decision date is 23 November 2026. The framework’s estimated value is £130,000,000 excluding VAT (£156,000,000 including VAT). It has five lots, valued at £40,000,000, £30,000,000, £20,000,000, £20,000,000 and £20,000,000 excluding VAT respectively. Each lot is estimated to run from 11 January 2027 to 10 January 2031. Quality is the sole evaluation criterion, weighted at 100%. A successful supplier pays a fee of 1% of its award value.

This opportunity suits specialist pension-sector suppliers, including SMEs, able to provide one or more distinct service lines. Relevant capability includes pension data analysis, rectification and cleansing; member processing, benefit calculations, payroll and transfer exercises; pension communications, engagement, accessible content, translation and stakeholder management; transformation, project delivery, policy design and change management; pension-specific audit, assurance, counter-fraud, risk and internal controls; or technology development. Technology expertise may cover calculation tools, automation and robotics, artificial intelligence, reporting, business intelligence and secure communications. Suppliers should be able to support complex public-sector pension environments, including legislative and regulatory change, data-quality work, administration-system implementation, pension dashboards and annual benefit statements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Pensions Administration Operational Support Service Framework

Notice Description

Norfolk County Council on its own behalf and on behalf of the Pension Funds listed below wish to let a Multi-Provider Framework Agreement for the provision of specialist operational support for pension administration services primarily in the support of The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). - Cheshire West and Chester Council (as Administering Authority of the Cheshire Pension Fund) - Essex County Council (as Administering Authority of the Essex Pension Fund) - Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (as Administering Authority of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund) - City of Wolverhampton Council (as Administering Authority of the West Midlands Pension Fund) This framework may also be used by: - Any LGPS administering authorities as defined in the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/2356) (as amended) including the Firefighters' Pension Scheme and Police Pension Schemes and any of their participating employing authorities, or in relation to the LGPS in Scotland, any administering authority and any of their scheme employers as defined in the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (SSI 2018/141) (as amended), - NILGOSC in Northern Ireland and employing authorities as defined in the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (SRNI 2014/188) (as amended), - The Board of the Pension Protection Fund. - Local Government Association (LGA) - Any other administering authority or scheme manager of a public-sector pension scheme or any public-sector body that requires pensions related services, and - Any LGPS Fund(s) or groups of funds, or any bodies, organisations or companies established by them for the purpose of operating on a collective basis. This Framework will be split into Lots. Contracts awarded under the framework may have a maximum total duration of 5 years. No contract awarded from the framework will be permitted to extend beyond 10th January 2036.

Lot Information

Pensions Administration Operational Services

Provision of operational administration services across a range of Pension Administration work areas, including but not limited to: Data interrogation and rectification, to include the following aspects: - Data exploration and analysis of member data sets, providing detailed outcome reports and identification of issues and gaps and required resolution activities - Undertake rectification and remedial data cleansing activities e.g. support with McCloud projects, employer transfer, Pensions, Administration System implementation support - Support Funds with data readiness and data quality assessments to determine for annual regulatory activities and for bespoke recalculation projects e.g. Valuation, McCloud, Pension Dashboards, Annual Benefit Statements etc. Temporary/Ad-hoc general Pensions Administration support including but not limited to: - Pensioner payroll services - Benefit calculations and member processing - Interim staffing support e.g. Pensions Manager - Employer led LGPS consolidation - Member transfer exercises - Production of member Annual Benefit Statements

Provision of Specialist Pensions Communications and Engagement Services

Provide specialist support to design, develop and deliver effective pensions related multi-channel communications and engagement strategies including but not limited to; - Successful targeted education and engagement programs for members and other stakeholders - Brand redesign, development and advice - Measuring the effectiveness and success of engagement, service delivery, user experience and outcomes and recommendations on change and improvement. - Written and digital content and design advice and delivery including use of appropriate language (e.g. Plain English) - Compliance with accessibility requirements and standards including translation, neurodiversity and equality support - Public relations and Stakeholder management to support with pensions specific communications in response to events e.g. cyber related issues, government announcements, LGR etc.

Business Change and Transformation

Support for business change and transformation including, but not limited to: - Support with large scale pension administration transformation processes e.g. shared services - Pensions Administration project delivery including those arising from legal judgements and legislative changes e.g. support with McCloud projects, employer transfer, Pensions Administration System implementation support. - Design advice and delivery of business change management frameworks - Review and design of pensions administration procedural policies / documents / strategies and recommendations on change and improvement and advising on best practice.

Independent Assurance, Risk and Internal Controls

Independent assurance, risk and internal controls including, but not limited to: - Pensions specific internal audit and assurance services e.g. member or employer engagement review, pensions counter fraud - Third line assurance review, check and challenge - Best practice advice

Enabling Pension Technology Services

Technology services including, but not limited to: - Development of bespoke calculation tools - Development of artificial intelligence and automation tooling e.g. robotics to assist with general pensions administration processing - Reporting and Business Intelligence tools and strategies - Advice and development of strategies around use of Artificial intelligence within pensions administration e.g. automated decision making - Technology to support verification and secure form of communications with non-member stakeholders e.g. power of attorney, personal representatives.

Planning Information

For more information and to register your interest in the market engagement, please visit In-Tend https://in-tendhost.co.uk/norfolkcc/aspx/Home

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06830b
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079210-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

66 - Financial and insurance services

CPV Codes

66520000 - Pension services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£130,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
£130,000,000 £100M-£1B
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
19 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
30 Sep 20262 months to go
Future Notice Date
7 Jul 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
11 Jan 2027 - 10 Jan 2031 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Norfolk County Council (as Administering Authority of the Norfolk Pension Fund)
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
NORWICH
Postcode
NR1 2DH
Postcode Area
Norwich
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH5 Norfolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH51 Norwich and East Norfolk
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Norwich
Electoral Ward
Lakenham
Westminster Constituency
Norwich South

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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