Frequently Asked Questions

The Public Contracts Regulations (PCR) 2015 apply to the Pension Administration Software Framework, including all call-off contracts let via it.

You will need to pay a joining fee of £6,000 plus VAT to use this Framework. The National LGPS Frameworks are a not-for-profit programme established 'by the LGPS, for the LGPS', and the joining fee helps towards the ongoing support and administration of this Framework.

There is no charge to view the documents before you make your decision on whether or not you wish to use the Framework.

The Framework may 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/188 (as amended);
• The Board of the Pension Protection Fund (http://www.pensionprotectionfund.org.uk)
• Any other Administering Authority or organisation of a public sector pension scheme or any public sector body or that requires pension related services;
• Any common Asset Pool or Collective Investment Vehicle established by or on behalf of an Administering Authority or group of Administering Authorities; or any bodies, organisations or companies established by them for the purpose of operating on a collective basis.

The Pensions Administration Software Framework is available until 30 April 2029.

Please remember that if you are using a Framework, your Order Form must be signed by the expiry date of the Framework - although contracts let under the Framework can be for longer periods.

Contracts can be awarded under the Framework for a maximum contract length of ten years from the Further Competition award date.

The Pensions Administration Software Framework requires that you run a Further Competition. There is no option to Direct Award.

Procurement can take significant time and money both for the awarding Authority and the Service Provider. The National LGPS Frameworks are fully compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. It reduces the time and costs associated with the procurement process by offering a facility that has already been competitively tendered. It aims to deliver access at the best possible price to high-quality, efficient and effective Pensions Administration Software Providers. Benefits include:

• Shortened timescales
• Reduced procurement and legal costs
• Robust and transparent process with high level of due diligence and specialist support
• Agreed Terms and Conditions of contract with providers
• Enable access to specialist providers whose experience and quality has been tested
• Comprehensive user documentation and support from Frameworks team
• Provider ceiling prices established
• Possibility to benefit from cumulative rebates

The following organisations worked together to establish this Framework, supported by the National LGPS Frameworks team and procurement and legal specialists from Norfolk County Council:

• Cheshire West and Chester Council (as administering authority of the Cheshire Pension Fund)
• City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (as administering authority of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund)
• City of Wolverhampton Council (as administering authority of the West Midlands Pension Fund)
• Essex County Council (as administering authority of the Essex Pension Fund)
• Kent County Council (as administering authority of the Kent Pension Fund)
• Norfolk County Council (as administering authority of the Norfolk Pension Fund)
• Northern Ireland Local Government Officers' Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC)
• Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (as administering authority of the Greater Manchester Pension Fund)

In order to be appointed to the Pensions Administration Software Framework, the Providers have met the quality thresholds in the tender for the Framework and have demonstrated they have the expertise to provide the services detailed within the Specification of Requirements.

While each Provider successfully passed a minimum quality threshold, they are not all the same. It is important that you focus clearly on what your organisation requires in your Further Competition to ensure that it helps you select the Provider best suited to your requirements.

No, the Pensions Administration Software Framework requires that you run a Further Competition, due to the length of contracts and the complexity of the services provided via this Framework.

Any additional requirements can be added to the Specification of Requirements, as long as these fall within the overall scope of the Framework and are services you could reasonably expect a Provider on this Framework to provide. You may want to request that Providers give specific examples in their answers to questions you ask about requirements that are added to the Specification.

Providers are not ranked within the Framework. All Providers appointed to the Framework are deemed to be capable, and therefore should all be treated in the same way. The Framework does not oblige you to use any specific Provider. If you wish to make an appointment through the Framework, you will need to run a Further Competition.

This depends on the nature of your requirements. When you run a Further Competition, it is best practice to invite all capable Providers to take part. By nature of their place as a Provider on the Framework, all Providers on the Pensions Administration Software Framework are deemed capable. You would need a clear and justifiable reason in order to exclude any Provider from your Further Competition.

Please see the Guide to Call-off for more information.

You should tailor any questions to your Specification of Requirements. We have ensured that the Providers are able to deliver all of the services in the Specification at a generic level, and in your Further Competition you are testing how they meet your organisation's specific requirements.

You will need to assign weightings to each question based on how important each question is to your organisation's requirements. Please see the Guide to Call-off for more information.

Before you finalise your approach, you should read through the Specification of Requirements, the M2 and Optional Proposals document, and the Provider Catalogues to understand each Provider's service offering.

Providers invited to take part in your Further Competition will submit responses directly to you in response to your Specification of Requirements and Quality and Service questions, for you to score. 

We suggest that you review the information provided in the Specification of Requirements, the M2 and Optional Proposals document, and the Provider Catalogues to understand the Providers' capability and experience, then ask questions that probe for more detail in your Further Competition.

We have built a certain amount of flexibility into the evaluation criteria so that you can adjust these to best fit your organisation. This could include further defining the award criteria, inserting sub-criteria, and adjusting weightings. You must declare all of your evaluation criteria within your Invitation to Further Competition.

No, there is no obligation to do so. Regardless if you do so or not, you must declare your scoring mechanism up front in your Invitation to Further Competition. However, you may find it helpful to use the scoring mechanism provided.

When running a Further Competition, it is best practice to observe a formal standstill period, although this is not mandatory. If you are applying a standstill period, this begins the day after you send out your notifications and is for a minimum of ten days.

Voluntarily applying a standstill period and debriefing unsuccessful Providers generally represents good practice and should improve the quality of tenders received in future exercises.

The Call-off Terms and Conditions contain a number of clauses and schedules that you are required to complete so the terms fit your organisation. You are also able to make non-material changes to fit your organisation's specific requirements.

However, the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (the regulations the Pensions Administration Software Framework was let under) specifically state that the parties should not substantially amend the terms laid down in a Framework Agreement.

We would suggest that you involve legal and procurement specialists when reviewing the Call-off Terms and Conditions.

If you decide to include scored interviews as part of your Further Competition process, you will need to invite all Providers who have a realistic chance of winning the tender.

Alternatively, you may choose to use interviews only for clarification and to ratify the scores you have awarded as part of the Quality and Service section of your Further Competition.

Whichever approach you take, you must clearly state your intentions up front in your Invitation to Further Competition. Please try to avoid carrying our unnecessary interviews for Providers who have no realistic chance of being awarded a contract.

The templates are designed to help you as much as possible in your procurement, but are not compulsory. However, if you decide not to use them, you may lose a lot of the benefit and value of the Framework, in particular the Specification of Requirements document which will allow you to set the right criteria to meet your own specific needs.

You must use the Order Form for all contracts awarded through the Framework, as this has been agreed with Providers along with the Call-off Terms and Conditions. These documents will form the contract between your organisation and the successful Provider.

If you have any questions about any of the templates or guides, or if you would like the National LGPS Frameworks team to have a look through any of your documentation before you issue your Further Competition, please contact us at NationalLGPSFrameworks@norfolk.gov.uk, or call 01603 306846.

This was carried out as part of the tender when the Pensions Administration Software Framework was set up, therefore there is no requirement for you to repeat this as part of your Further Competition.

You will need to publish a Contract Award Notice for any contract you let via the National LGPS Frameworks if its value is over £30,000 (including VAT) via Contracts Finder. This is free to use and is available here: www.gov.uk/contracts-finder. Your procurement team should be able to assist you with this.

Please note: If you are a central government authority, the threshold at which you must publish a Contract Award Notice is lower. The requirements also differ for Framework users in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Please speak to your procurement and legal team to understand the requirements for these areas.

Providers are required to pay Norfolk County Council, as the letting authority of the National LGPS Frameworks, a flat rebate of 0.75% of all contracts let under this Framework.

The National LGPS Frameworks are a not-for-profit programme 'By the LGPS, for the LGPS'. This rebate is used to cover the administration costs of the Frameworks.