Official UK procurement notice
Central Digital Architecture & Associated Services
Authority: MONEY AND PENSIONS SERVICE (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP), set up by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), has responsibility for designing and implementing the ecosystem which will make pensions dashboards work.
This contract will deliver the major components of the digital architecture, including the pension finder service (PFS), the consent and authorisation service, and the governance register.
CPV: Software programming and consultancy services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1The Government is delivering pensions dashboards through the Pension Schemes Act 2021,…Awarded
The Government is delivering pensions dashboards through the Pension Schemes Act 2021, the Pensions Dashboards Regulations 2022 (as amended) and related legislation. This framework requires pension providers and schemes to connect to the pensions dashboards ecosystem and empowers the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to provide the Central Digital Architecture (CDA). The statutory connection deadline is 31 October 2026. MaPS' CDA Contract with Capgemini UK plc delivers the core components of the pensions' dashboards ecosystem, including the Pension Finder Service, Consent and Authorisation Service and Governance Register.
The Contract was awarded through the Technology Services 2 Framework (RM3804), commenced on 3 September 2021, and includes two optional one-year extension periods beyond the initial term ending on 2 September 2026.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- 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
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 2 May 2025, 07:49 BST
- Last source update
- 21 Sept 2026, 18:29 BST
- Authority reference
21-38C- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-089379- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-050be4Find a Tender
- Why no open competition
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive
- Published justification
This contract was awarded as a call off via a mini-competition from Crown Commercial Service framework RM3084 (Technology Services 2). Therefore awarding without a public call for competition is compliant with the Public Contract Regulations 2015.
Publisher note: Explanatory text for VII.2.2.1 Reason for modification: The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) considers that this modification is necessary to ensure continuity of critical Central Digital Architecture services, support delivery of statutory programme obligations, maintain service stability and enable an orderly transition to future operating arrangements. The modification supports completion of activities necessary to achieve public beta and live service readiness and to facilitate transition planning associated with the future operating model for the Pensions Dashboards Programme. MaPS has actively managed the proposed modification to ensure continued value for money and that the uplift represents the minimum level of expenditure considered necessary to support delivery of the Pensions Dashboards Programme. MaPS has undertaken commercial negotiations, benchmarking, open-book review and detailed scrutiny of proposed costs throughout the process. While the final position reflects the operational and delivery requirements of the Programme, the modification is considered a proportionate and commercially managed response to maintain service continuity, support statutory delivery obligations and enable an orderly transition to future operating arrangements. MAPS considers that the modification does not alter the overall nature of the Contract and is justified through reliance on: Regulation 72(1)(a) in respect of the exercise of the Contract Year 6 extension option and continuation of in-scope services; Regulation 72(1)(b) in respect of additional technical services that have become necessary and were not included in the original procurement; and Regulation 72(1)(e) as further support that the modification is not substantial within the meaning of Regulation 72(8). MAPS is satisfied that the modification is necessary, proportionate and represents value for money whilst avoiding disproportionate cost, operational disruption, programme delay and risks to delivery of statutory obligations.
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capgemini | £56,979,971 †same award published again · counted once | — | Awarded |
| Capgemini | £71,979,971 †same award published again · counted once | — | Awarded |
| Capgemini | £78,919,971 † | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Central Digital Architecture & Associated Services · Capgemini
- Signed
- 3 Aug 2021
- Value
- £56,979,971
- Status
- active
Central Digital Architecture & Associated Services · Capgemini
- Signed
- 3 Aug 2021
- Value
- £71,979,971
- Status
- active
- Change Additional services are being added to the Contract, resulting in total contract value being uplifted by £15,000,000, a percentage increase of approximately 26%., Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire: See VI.3) Additional information for full text.
Central Digital Architecture & Associated Services · Capgemini
- Signed
- 3 Aug 2021
- Value
- £78,919,971
- Status
- active
- Change The Contracting Authority has modified the Central Digital Architecture and Associated Services Contract to: (1) Contract Year 6 Extension - Existing In-Scope Services Exercise the first contractual extension option already clearly provided for within the original Contract, extending the Contract from 3 September 2026 to 2 September 2027 and enabling continued delivery of existing Central Digital Architecture services that remain within the original scope and nature of the Contract. This element of the modification has a value of £4.01 million (excluding VAT). (2) Additional Technical Services Introduce additional technical services required to support completion of the Pensions Dashboards Programme, including activities necessary for public beta and live service readiness, service stabilisation and transition planning. These services were not included within the original procurement and represent a further phase of programme delivery activities following the contract modification published on 2 May 2025. This element of the modification has a value of £2.93 million (excluding VAT)., Need for additional works, services or supplies by the original contractor/concessionaire: Extension of existing services (Regulation 72(1)(a)) Exercise of the first contractual extension option to continue delivery of existing in-scope Central Digital Architecture services during Contract Year 6. The extension is clearly, precisely and unequivocally provided for within the Contract and does not alter its overall nature. Additional technical services (Regulations 72(1)(b) and 72(1)(e)) Additional technical services have become necessary to support delivery of the Pensions Dashboards Programme, including live service readiness, service stabilisation and transition activities. The services were not included within the original procurement and are a continuation of programme requirements underpinning the modification published in May 2025. The modification does not alter the overall nature of the Contract and MaPS satisfied that Capgemini(as the incumbent supplier) is the only provider who can undertake these additional services without incurring disproportionate cost, delay and operational risk. This is due to technical reasons due to the requirements of interoperability with the existing ecosystem equipment and installations. Introducing an alternative provider for the additional services would require: • knowledge transfer and upskilling, over a relatively short timescale, of the existing technology build that they would be doing additional development work on; • a period of dual running of personnel during onboarding to enable knowledge transfer between roles; and • additional management overhead, due to managing multiple suppliers for delivery. MaPS is therefore satisfied that any change of contractor would cause significant inconvenience, delay and additional cost to the programme and would put the successful connection of pension schemes and providers by the Statutory Deadline at substantial risk. Further, MaPS does not consider the modification to be "substantial" within the meaning of regulations 72(1)(e) and 72(8). This is because the modification: • does not render the Contract materially different from when it was concluded; • in relation to the original call-off competition, does not introduce conditions which would have allowed for the admission of different suppliers, attracted different or additional suppliers to take part, or changed the outcome of the competition; • does not change the economic balance of the Contract in favour of CG; and • does not extend the scope of the Contract considerably.
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1bids | — | — | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Dispute resolution & review bodies
- Royal Courts of JusticeReview body
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- CAPGEMINI UK PLCAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications
Official links; attachments are not copiedNo document links were published on the notice.