Pensions Administration Operational Support Service Framework
Framework Description
Norfolk County Council, as administering authority of the Norfolk Pension Fund, is procuring a five-lot, multi-provider framework for specialist operational support to pension administration, mainly for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). The tender, Find a Tender notice 079210-2026 (reference NCCT43384), has an estimated value of £130 million excluding VAT, and the framework is expected to run from 11 January 2027 to 10 January 2031.
Context & Use Case
Norfolk is letting it on behalf of the Cheshire, Essex, Greater Manchester and West Midlands pension funds. Other LGPS administering authorities, police and firefighters' pension schemes, NILGOSC, the Local Government Association and the Pension Protection Fund can also use it. Buyers can award work with or without competition, and call-off contracts can last up to five years.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: Pensions Administration Operational Services Lot 2: Specialist Pensions Communications and Engagement Services Lot 3: Business Change and Transformation Lot 4: Independent Assurance, Risk and Internal Controls Lot 5: Enabling Pension Technology Services
Lots
Lot 1: Pensions Administration Operational Services; Lot 2: Provision of Specialist Pensions Communications and Engagement Services; Lot 3: Business Change and Transformation; Lot 4: Independent Assurance, Risk and Internal Controls; Lot 5: Enabling Pension Technology Services
Who Can Apply
Suits pension administration specialists, pensions communications agencies, change consultancies, assurance and audit firms and pensions technology providers, including SMEs. Tenders closed on 30 September 2026 and the award decision is expected around 23 November 2026, so suppliers that did not bid cannot join this framework.
Buyer Benefits
Pension funds face heavy one-off workloads, from McCloud remedy projects and data quality work to administration system changes and annual benefit statements. A shared framework lets them bring in vetted specialists or interim staff quickly, award directly or by mini-competition, and avoid running their own tender for each project.
Next Steps
If you tendered, prepare for the award decision expected around 23 November 2026 and for call-offs from January 2027: line up LGPS case studies, named staff and lot-specific pricing so you can respond quickly. If you did not, watch Norfolk County Council's In-Tend portal for the next procurement, likely before the framework ends on 10 January 2031.
How Athena Can Help
With tenders closed, the work now is winning call-offs. Once the framework is awarded, Athena's call-off bid writers help appointed suppliers answer mini-competitions with win themes drawn from your LGPS projects, a check on how your answers are likely to score and pricing that protects your margin.
If you missed this tender, our bid/no-bid advice helps you choose which pension fund contracts to pursue directly, and our framework pipeline planning maps other pensions and financial services frameworks due to open over the next 6 to 12 months.
