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Find a TenderAwarded without competitionContract details notice
Published 20 Mar 2026, 15:35 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

McCloud RSS Administration Service Continuation

Official notice

Authority: NHS Business Services Authority (Central government)

Direct awardSME suitable
Sectors: Financial and insurance services (66) Delivery: UK
Awarded value£6,500,000published award · exc. VAT
Awarded 20 Mar 2026no call for competition
Awarded to Paymaster (1836) Limited, EQ Paymaster2 awards

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The scope of this contract covers pensions administration support services to process manual benefits calculations relating to the McCloud Judgement. These calculations will allow NHSBSA to produce a Remedial Service Statement (RSS). NHS Pensions has statutory obligations to communicate RSS's to its members, allowing them to make an informed decision as to whether to remain on current pension benefits or elect to receive the alternative benefits now available to them under McCloud.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published
Lot #1AwardedSME
Delivery: UKEligibility: SME eligible
66141000 Pension fund management services

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Direct award
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Notice status
Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Direct award (no call for competition)
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
20 Mar 2026, 15:35 GMT
Last source update
22 May 2026, 09:39 BST
Authority reference
W216047
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-047531
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0670a2 Find a Tender
Why no open competition
Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
Published justification

See UK5 Transparency Notice here: www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/025904-2026 ↗.

Review and risk notes
Risks

The below known unknown risks have been identified, which may require modification of the contract under paragraph 5 of Schedule 8 to the Procurement Act 2023 if one of the below identified risks materialise.

Risk 1:

This contract is let on a time and materials basis for a time-bound period. Due to the novel nature of the work and unknowns in the processing times of future cases, it is only possible to estimate the value of the contract. Supplier resources may therefore be required to flex to meet the demand, potentially resulting in higher or lower spend accordingly.

How the risk may impact on the performance of the contract:

Should there be an increase in time taken to process cases, then the current estimated resource levels to deliver the case volumes specified in the contract may no longer be sufficient.

Why it is not possible to address the potential impact of the risk in the contract:

As this is a novel caseload, the true complexity, and hence processing time, of each individual case can only be known for certain at the point of processing.

Risk 2:

There is a risk that changes could be made by other government authorities that could impact on the calculation process or other elements of McCloud delivery. This could lead to contract modifications to respond to any changes.

How the risk may impact on the performance of the contract:

Any dictated changes could result in the members' benefits calculated incorrectly if there were no changes to the administration service, meaning that the RSS's may not align with the new rules.

Why it is not possible to address the potential impact of the risk in the contract:

NHSBSA are not currently aware of any potential changes.

Risk 3:

The estimated contract value has been based on an assumed level of automation within the McCloud cases. There is a risk that future cases, which have not previously been worked, have differentiation in their characteristics that results in the assumed automation levels not being possible.

How the risk may impact on the performance of the contract:

It will not be possible to complete the RSS for those members. The contract may therefore require modification for the supplier to undertake the additional non-automated calculations and complete the case.

Why it is not possible to address the potential impact of the risk in the contract:

As this is a novel caseload, the true characteristics of each individual case can only be known for certain at the point of processing.

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

31 Mar 2026 → 22 May 2026 · 2 dates
  1. Standstill ends198 days ago
    31 Mar 2026, 23:59 BST
  2. Notice published147 days ago
    22 May 2026, 09:39 BST

Notice history

4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 Mar 2026
  1. Transparency notice published
    20 Mar 2026, 15:35 GMT
    UK5
  2. Contract award notice published
    20 Mar 2026, 16:09 GMT
    UK6
  3. Contract signature expected
    2 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
  4. Contract details notice published
    22 May 2026, 09:39 BST
    UK7

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 2some still in standstill
Awarded value £6,500,0001 award exc. VAT
Contracts signed 1latest 10 Apr 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Paymaster (1836) Limited2 Apr 2026 – 30 Jun 2027£6,500,00020 Mar 2026standstill to 31 Mar 2026Standstill
EQ Paymaster——Awarded

Contracts

  • C431543 · EQ Paymaster

    Signed
    10 Apr 2026
    Value
    £6,500,000
    Period
    17 Apr 2026 – 30 Jun 2027 · up to 30 Sept 2027 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    The contract allows for an optional extension of a period up to 3 months, in the event that the £6.5m Cap has not been fully utilised and services are still required. The extension is limited to the £6.5m Cap.
    3 agreed KPIs: KPI1 Processing Accuracy · KP2 Processing Efficiency · KPI3 Capacity Management
    • KPI1 Processing Accuracy, Number of Completed Cases that have zero errors. KPI Target => 95%.
    • KP2 Processing Efficiency, Number of Completed Cases that are processed within the Target Case Handling Time. KPI Target: =>95%
    • KPI3 Capacity Management, Number of cases allocated to the Provider during that Month that are completed. KPI Target =>98%

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

NHS Business Services Authority

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-PPON: PRLZ-1599-JGTT Stella House, Goldcrest Way, Newburn Riverside, Newcastle upon Tyne, North East, NE15 8NYContact name, email

Bidders & participating suppliers

2 commercial parties on the notice
  • EQ PaymasterAwarded supplierGB-PPON: PDQT-7344-BNRP Sutherland House, Russell Way, Crawley, West Sussex, South East, RH10 1UHContact email
  • Paymaster (1836) LimitedAwarded supplierGB-COH: 03249700 Sutherland House, Russell Way, Crawley, South East, RH10 1UHContact email

Official documents & specifications (4)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender