--- title: "Sponsor Bank Service" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0615d4" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0615d4" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0615d4.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0615d4.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR WORK & PENSIONS" published: "2026-06-05" --- # Sponsor Bank Service Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR WORK & PENSIONS Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0615d4 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0615d4) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0615d4.json) ## Summary The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is set to initiate the procurement process for the "Sponsor Bank Service," part of the broader Payment Contingency Services aimed at ensuring timely benefit and pension payments. The procurement belongs to the financial and insurance services sector, covering the London area. The current procurement status is "planned," with key milestones including the expression of interest deadline on 6th September 2026 and the enquiry period closing on 23rd August 2026. The procurement will adopt a two-stage competitive flexible procedure, with the complete tender documentation expected on 27th July 2026. The contract, valued at approximately £1,353,740, is expected to commence on 1st July 2027 and conclude by 30th June 2032, with a potential extension until 2034. This tender presents significant growth opportunities for financial service providers, particularly those with robust banking infrastructure capable of supporting the DWP's Faster Payment initiatives and settlement with the Bank of England. Suitable businesses would include banks or financial institutions looking to expand their government service portfolios. Engaging in this contract could enhance the firm's reputation, diversify its service offerings in the public sector, and secure a steady workflow over the contract duration. This opportunity is particularly suited for entities that have previously engaged in large-scale, regulated financial operations and can navigate the competitive flexible procurement procedures effectively. ## Notice The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) wish to give notice of planned procurement opportunity in relation to two linked but separate future procurements for DWP payment contingency services (together referred to in this notice as the "Payment Contingency Services ("PCS")). The intention of the PCS is to ensure DWP has robust contingencies in place to make benefit and pension entitlement payments to its customers on the dates they are due. The PCS are invoked only in exceptional circumstances where there is a delay in DWP releasing Bacs payment file(s). The DWP intends for the relevant services to be provided under two separate, interdependent contracts (both of which are required to allow for invocation of PCS) as follows: Short Term Payment Contingency ("STPC") - Lot 1: This service reformats Bacs payments files into Faster Payment files for onward submission into the Faster Payment infrastructure Sponsor Bank ("SB") - Lot 2: This service is required for the settlement of funds with the Bank of England. Please note that as these are separate procurements, different procurement processes and/or commercial approach may apply to each procurement. In addition, each procurement may be awarded, delayed, or withdrawn independently of the other. This notice relates specifically to the SB procurement. A separate UK3 Planned Procurement Notice has been issued for the STPC procurement, which can be found on Find a Tender Service. Please note that: - Further information and relevant guidance will be provided in or with the UK4 Tender Notice, published on Find a Tender Service website. - UK 4 Notice and associated procurement documents provided with that notice will outline how and when to express your interest to participate in the procurement process. - All procurement activities will be managed via DWP online portal (Atamis). - Procurement related documentation will be issued via Atamis. Full guidance on registration and system navigation will be provided in or with the UK4 Notice. - It is mandatory for any interested suppliers to register on the new Central Digital Platform (CDP) which is part of the enhanced Find a Tender Service in order to participate in any future procurements. Details of how to register will be included in or with the UK4 Notice. - The DWP will not be liable for any expenditure, work, or effort incurred by a provider in acting based on this notice. - The information provided in this notice is for indicative purposes only. The DWP reserves its rights to amend any of the information included in the notice. - DWP reserves the right to add or remove stages throughout the procurement process or to reduce the tendering period in future (in accordance with the PA 23). The DWP also reserves the right to decide not to proceed with this procurement. - Please note, that involvement in Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) which was taking place 12/05/2026 or the One-to-One supplier events taking place between 01/06/2026 and 05/06/2026 are not a pre-requisite for participating in the procurement process. Please see the following link to the UK2 PME Notices for both STPC and SB - Short Term Payment Contingency Service - Find a Tender and Sponsor Bank Service - Find a Tender . - This procurement will be conducted using the new procurement regime - Procurement Act 2023 . - It is currently anticipated that this procurement will follow a two stage Competitive Flexible Procedure: Stage 1 (Compliance with Conditions of Participation) and Stage 2 (Evaluation). ### Planning Information Engagement The date for the group event is 12/05/2026 at 10:00 am– 11:00 am. This will be followed up with One-to-One events, which will take place between 01/06/2026 and 05/06/2026. The above dates are indicative and may be subject to change. Engagement process description General Information The main purpose of this preliminary market engagement is to assist the DWP and potential suppliers to prepare for a procurement process in respect of the SB Service. The DWP will gather information, which it will use to assess the market's capacity, strengthen the procurement strategy and finalise conditions of participation. The engagement aims to: - Communicate objectives, scope, and strategic priorities - Gain a greater understanding of current and emerging market provisions and the supplier database - Gain insight into market, including supplier capabilities, capacity and to identify innovative solutions that could support DWP in protecting customer payments and ensuring timely delivery - Gather insights from suppliers to help with strengthening the procurement strategy  - Identify any potential challenges, risks and commercial considerations for ensuring timely delivery of payments to DWP’s customers - Strengthen commercial strategy and finalise the route to market - Finalise conditions of participation - Finalise business requirements and specifications Please note: - This notice is for market engagement and exploratory purposes and is not a call for competition. - Participation in pre-market engagement is voluntary and will not confer any advantage or disadvantage in any future procurement. The DWP will take steps to ensure fair and equal treatment of all suppliers. - The DWP reserves the right not to enter any formal processes or agreements. - Accordingly, the DWP will not be liable for any expenditure, work, or effort incurred by a provider in acting based on this notice. - DWP reserves the right to add or remove stages throughout the procurement process. - It is mandatory for any interested suppliers to register on the new Central Digital Platform which is part of the enhanced Find a Tender Service in order to participate in any future procurements. - The DWP does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information provided during pre-market engagement, and suppliers should not rely on it when forming any commercial or financial decisions. - Suppliers must not seek to influence the procurement design in a way that would result in an unfair competitive advantage. The authority reserves the right to take appropriate steps to address any risk of distortion of competition. - Suppliers that participate in the PME are deemed to acknowledge and accept the DWP’s approach to confidentiality for each stage of pre-market engagement (as summarised below). Stages: 1) Group Event via Microsoft Teams. Group Event will take place on 12/05/2026 at 10:00 am – 11:00 am. Please note that the Group Event is intended to cover both the STPC and SB procurements. Participation in the Group Event does not require suppliers to express interest in both procurements. Please note that the Group Event will be conducted on a non-confidential basis, and suppliers are advised not to disclose confidential, commercially sensitive or proprietary information during the Group Event. Information from the Group Event (including questions raised and responses given) may be summarised and made available to the wider market to ensure transparency and equal access to information. To register your interest for this event please email  Ewelina Wesolowska – Ewelina.wesolowska@dwp.gov.uk and Shannon Wells – Shannon.wells@dwp.gov.uk Deadline to submit your interest is by midday on 08/05/2026. Please ensure email subject states: “PME SB Procurement” No materials will be shared prior to the events. 2) One to One supplier events via Microsoft Teams. These individual calls will take place between 01/06/2026 and 05/06/2026. Instructions for how to register for these events will be provided on the Group Event. Please note that the One-to-One supplier meetings will be provided only in respect of the procurements for which suppliers have registered an interest. Equal time slots will be arranged for all suppliers interested in the SB procurement. Please note that information exchanged during One-to-One meetings is not confidential by default and suppliers are advised to consider carefully whether to disclose any information that may confidential, commercially sensitive or proprietary during One-to-One meetings. Where a supplier wishes to share information it considers to be confidential, commercially sensitive or proprietary, the supplier must clearly identify that information in advance or at the time it is shared and explain why confidentiality is claimed. In such circumstances, the DWP will consider, at its own discretion, whether such information can be treated as confidential. Participating suppliers acknowledge that any agreement to treat information as confidential is subject always to DWP’s obligations under applicable procurement law, including its duties of transparency, equal treatment and the avoidance of distortion of competition. Information from the One-to-One events (including questions raised and responses given) may be summarised and made available to the wider market to ensure transparency and equal access to information. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053510-2026 | | Notice type | UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Selective | | Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 5 Jun 2026 | | Submission deadline | 23 Aug 2026 | | Future notice date | 27 Jul 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 30 Jun 2027 - 30 Jun 2032 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £1,353,740 | | Lots value | £1,353,740 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR WORK & PENSIONS | | Locality | LONDON | | Post town | South West London | | Postcode | SW1H 9NA | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLI London | | ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West | | ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London | | Local authority | Westminster | | Electoral ward | St James's | | Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 66 - Financial and insurance services ### Codes - 66000000 - Financial and insurance services ## Release History - 5 Jun 2026 at 15:24 - Planning - UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053510-2026 - 1 May 2026 at 12:42 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040520-2026 - 3 Feb 2026 at 16:51 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009643-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053510-2026 5th June 2026 - Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/040520-2026 1st May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009643-2026 3rd February 2026 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0615d4. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0615d4.json.