Please note: this programme is subject to change
Welcome to the Defined Contribution Conference Manchester, hosted by Professional Pensions.
The Pension Schemes Act 2026 received Royal Assent this year, marking the most significant overhaul of DC pensions legislation since the introduction of pension freedoms in 2015. From mega fund scale requirements and small pot consolidation to value for money and guided retirement, schemes now face a sweeping implementation agenda stretching to 2030 and beyond.
This opening keynote will explore the key developments shaping the market, providing an overview of what the Act requires, the challenges still to be addressed, and what trustees, employers and providers should be prioritising right now.
Guided retirement is a central pillar of the Pension Schemes Act 2026. DWP consultation on the detailed policy is expected in Q2–Q3 2026. New FCA targeted support rules are already live from April 2026. With 30% of members withdrawing their pot as early as possible and half withdrawing everything in full, the stakes could not be higher.
This session examines how to design guided retirement pathways that balance simplicity, appropriate defaults and genuine member protection.
This session will address:
- How guided retirement is expected to interact with targeted support and financial advice
- Designing default decumulation: drawing on auto-enrolment's behavioural lessons
- The role of CDC as a potential guided retirement vehicle
- Liability, responsibility and governance: who is accountable when the default goes wrong?
Schemes are increasingly exploring the role private markets can play in supporting long-term investment objectives. Alongside these opportunities, they introduce new challenges and considerations.
This session aims to provide a practical overview of how private markets work in a DC context, the key risks around liquidity, cashflow management and exit constraints involved and how these can be managed in practice. It will look at the governance frameworks required to support illiquid assets and how capabilities may need to evolve as allocations increase.
This session will address:
- The key risks associated with private markets and how they can be managed
- How liquidity, exits and cashflow profiles affect portfolio design
- The governance frameworks needed to support private market investing
- How governance capabilities evolve as portfolios become less liquid
Value for Money (VFM) is moving up the agenda, and as frameworks develop, significant discussion remains around consistency, comparability and how it will operate across the wider market.
At the centre of the debate is how value should be assessed. While frameworks seek to combine past outcomes with forward-looking expectations, questions remain around how these should be balanced and weighted. Past data is robust but limited; future projections are necessary but rely on assumptions. This session will explore this tension and the potential impact of VFM on different scheme models.
This session will address:
- How do you fairly assess VFM using past data and future expectations?
- How the industry expects VFM to operate across the wider market, including single employer trusts
- What an effective and credible approach looks like in practice
Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) has long been positioned as a potential middle ground between traditional DB and individual DC provision. As multi-employer arrangements move closer to market and retirement-only CDC continues to gather momentum, attention is turning from policy development to practical adoption.
This session will explore how CDC is evolving in the UK, what collective models could offer employers and members, and the considerations schemes must weigh as the market begins to develop. Drawing on emerging propositions and industry experience, it will examine where momentum is building, where challenges remain, and what organisations should be watching over the next few years
This session will address:
- How CDC is developing as a new option within the UK pensions landscape
- What collective approaches could mean for retirement outcomes and investment strategy
- Where employer and provider interest is emerging across the market
- How multi-employer and retirement CDC models are expected to evolve
- The key considerations for schemes assessing CDC opportunities
Innovation in DC is increasingly being applied in targeted areas. From AI-enabled data cleansing and automated processes to more personalised communications and decision-support tools, schemes are beginning to adopt new approaches where they can deliver measurable improvements.
This session will explore where innovation is being used in practice, what these tools are enabling, and where they are genuinely improving efficiency and outcomes. It will also consider how strategies can be simplified and future-proofed, and how schemes can adopt new technologies while maintaining appropriate governance and risk controls.
This session will address:
- Where innovation is being applied in practice, including AI in administration, data and member communications
- What current tools and technologies are enabling
- Where innovation is improving efficiency, engagement and decision-making
- How to balance innovation with simplicity, governance and risk
With increasingly diverse member populations, growing retirement responsibilities and new forms of support emerging across the market, effective engagement has become more important than ever.
This session will look at how engagement strategies are evolving across the industry, exploring practical examples of what is working, how schemes are adapting to the needs of different generations and life stages, and what approaches are proving most effective in encouraging meaningful action.
This session will address:
- How engagement needs differ across generations and life stages
- The role of personalisation, digital tools and behavioural insights
- Strategies for supporting members through key financial and retirement decisions
- Lessons from successful member engagement initiatives
- How schemes can assess the impact of engagement activity on member outcomes