Arboreum in September 2026 launched a multi-employer, whole-of-life collective defined contribution (CDC) pension plan in the U.K. designed to give members a target-based income for life. The firm, owned by Collective Pensions and majority backed by the Vestey and Timpson family businesses, developed the scheme with Hymans Robertson and CMS.

The launch follows The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) decision to begin accepting applications for multi-employer CDC schemes on 31 July 2026. Arboreum will act as proprietor, allowing multiple unrelated employers to participate through a single arrangement rather than establishing separate pension structures.

The scheme pools investment and longevity risk across its membership, reducing the burden on individuals to manage retirement savings and draw-down decisions alone. Arboreum positions this as a middle path between traditional DC arrangements, which place most risk on individual savers, and DB pensions, which have become largely unavailable in the private sector.

Arboreum managing director Adrian Boulding said the model aims to help more workers achieve better retirement outcomes through collective risk-sharing. Hymans Robertson partner Paul Waters called the launch “an important milestone” for CDC development in the UK, noting its potential to offer employers a genuine alternative to conventional DB and DC provision.

As more multi-employer CDC applications reach TPR following this landmark launch, the scheme’s early performance will be closely watched as a test case for wider adoption across the U.K. pensions market.