Find a TenderAwarded without competitionContract details notice
Published 18 Jun 2025, 10:29 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Professional Corporate Sole Trustee (PCST) services for Aston University Pension Scheme (AUPS)

Official notice

Authority: Aston University (Education)

Direct award
Awarded value£2,630,610published award · inc. VAT
Awarded 18 Jun 2025no call for competition
Awarded to Ross Trustees Services Limited

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Professional Corporate Sole Trustee (PCST) services for the Aston University Pension Scheme (closed to future accrual). This will include Trustee services, pension administration, member communications, actuarial services, audit, governance, legal, covenant, investment management and monitoring advice.

Adopting a Professional Corporate Sole Trustee (PCST) model to administer the Aston University Pension Scheme has been determined to be the most efficient way to manage the legacy Defined Benefit pension scheme going forward while ensuring the integrity of the scheme, including funding position, ongoing administration and compliance with evolving TPR requirements is maintained. This is a relatively new approach in the market but it has been determined that minimising disruption and limiting risk during the current triennial valuation is the optimal outcome and that this was the only option whereby continuity of the current actuarial, investment and professional trustee services could be maintained while achieving efficiencies.

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

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
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
18 Jun 2025, 10:29 BST
Last source update
31 Jul 2025, 13:08 BST
Authority reference
1137
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-044734
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Delivery area
UK
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-054ed2 Find a Tender
Why no open competition
Single Suppliers Technical Reasons
Published justification

Adopting a Professional Corporate Sole Trustee (PCST) model to administer the Aston University Pension Scheme has been determined to be the most efficient way to manage the legacy Defined Benefit pension scheme going forward while ensuring the integrity of the scheme, including funding position, ongoing administration and compliance with evolving TPR requirements is maintained. This is a relatively new approach in the market but it has been determined that minimising disruption and limiting risk during the current triennial valuation is the optimal outcome and that this was the only option whereby continuity of the current actuarial, investment and professional trustee services could be maintained while achieving efficiencies.

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

27 Jun 2025 → 31 Jul 2025 · 2 dates
  1. Standstill ends
    27 Jun 2025, 23:59 BST
  2. Notice published
    31 Jul 2025, 13:08 BST

Notice history

4 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 18 Jun 2025
  1. Transparency notice published
    18 Jun 2025, 10:29 BST
    UK5
  2. Contract award notice published
    18 Jun 2025, 11:11 BST
    UK6
  3. Contract signature expected
    30 Jun 2025, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
  4. Contract details notice published
    31 Jul 2025, 13:08 BST
    UK7

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value (inc. VAT) £2,630,6101 award inc. VAT; no net value published
Contracts signed 1latest 30 Jun 2025
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Ross Trustees Services LimitedSME1 Jul 2025 – 30 Jun 2030£2,630,610 inc. VAT18 Jun 2025Awarded

Contracts

  • Contract 1 · Ross Trustees Services LimitedSME

    Signed
    30 Jun 2025
    Value
    £2,630,610 inc. VAT
    Period
    1 Jul 2025 – 30 May 2028 · up to 30 May 2031 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    3 year extension option

    No agreed KPIs: Not above £5m

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

ASTON UNIVERSITY

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-COH: RC000904 · GB-PPON: PTLB-7496-TPTR Aston Triangle, Birmingham, West Midlands, B4 7ETContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • ROSS TRUSTEES SERVICES LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-COH: 07904277GB-PPON: PGJH-8616-QRJQ 4th Floor , Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street, London, London, EC4N 6HLContact email

Official documents & specifications (3)

Official links; attachments are not copied

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