SSAS Solutions

What SSAS Solutions does

SSAS Solutions (UK) Limited, trading as Mattioli Woods, is a Belfast-based specialist pension consultancy focused exclusively on Small Self-Administered Schemes (SSAS) for owner-managed businesses, directors, and partners, primarily in Northern Ireland. Founded in 2009 by Allison Chambers and Michael Galway, the firm positions itself as Northern Ireland's only independent dedicated SSAS consultancy, distinguishing itself by not using third-party co-trustees, which leaves clients with full control over pension fund investment decisions. Services include scheme establishment and HMRC registration, annual administration and compliance reporting, mandatory trustee/member meetings, and transactional support for activities such as commercial property purchases, loans to sponsoring employers, and other permitted investments.

The company operates a three-element fee model: one-time scheme establishment fees, recurring annual administration charges, and pay-as-you-go transactional fees agreed in advance based on project complexity. Revenue is split between subscription-style annual fees and episodic transactional revenue tied to property acquisitions, loan arrangements, and EPUT (Exempt Property Unit Trust) transactions. A separate in-house EPUT team manages approximately 100 unit trust structures for property investment. Go-to-market is sales-led and referral-driven, relying on cooperative relationships with the clients' existing professional advisors, including IFAs, chartered accountants, actuaries, tax practitioners, RICS surveyors, and legal firms. In March 2019, the firm was acquired by AIM-listed Mattioli Woods plc and rebranded to the Mattioli Woods brand in May 2021, while retaining its legal entity name and Northern Ireland operational focus.

Name

SSAS Solutions

Legal name

SSAS Solutions (UK) Limited

Website

https://ssassolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SSAS Solutions (UK) Limited, trading as Mattioli Woods, is a Belfast-based independent specialist consultancy providing Small Self-Administered Scheme (SSAS) pension establishment, administration, and compliance services to owner-managed businesses, directors, and partners in Northern Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pension Scheme Administration and Consultancy

NAICS

Pension Funds (525110), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

akta.pro primary industry

Employee Benefit & Retirement Plan Trust Services (FSAAANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Retirement Plan Advisory RIAs (ERISA 401(k)/403(b)) (FSAAACAF), Family Wealth & Multi-Generational Planning RIAs (HNW/UHNW-lite) (FSAAACAH)

Keywords

• SSAS pension schemes
• Pension administration services
• Exempt property unit trusts
• Pension compliance consultancy
• Commercial property pensions

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. SSAS Administration and Consultancy Services: Fees structured in three elements: initial scheme establishment and HMRC registration costs, annual administration charges covering ongoing compliance and regulatory reporting, and transactional charges for specific projects such as property purchases or loan arrangements. Annual administration includes mandatory Trustee/member meetings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SSAS Solutions provides bespoke Small Self-Administered Scheme (SSAS) pension consultancy, establishment, administration, and compliance services for business owners, directors, and partners in Northern Ireland. The firm also operates an Exempt Property Unit Trust (EPUT) team managing approximately 100 unit trust structures for property investment via pension funds. Services include scheme set-up with HMRC registration, annual trustee/member meetings, regulatory reporting, and transactional support for commercial property and loan arrangements.

Product overview

SSAS Solutions (now trading as Mattioli Woods) offers a unified SSAS pension product as its core offering, supplemented by administration and compliance services, and an EPUT (Exempt Property Unit Trust) department. The SSAS serves as a bespoke pension trust enabling entrepreneurs to control their retirement investments with flexibility in commercial property, land, loans, and securities. The EPUT module extends property-focused unit trust services under the same advisory umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Self-Administered Scheme (SSAS)

Quantifiable outcome

• 8% yield on property investment generating steady investment return for pension fund
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Doherty PICcoreOthersAffiliated company within the Mattioli Woods group. Doherty PIC team has vast experience developing financial plans to meet client needs. Leanne Butler joined Mattioli Woods from Doherty PIC where she spent seven years attaining her Certificate in Financial Planning.
• FCA Regulated Investment AdvisorscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides investment advice to clients, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Also directs clients to expert advice on pensions, life assurance, investments, and estate planning.
• Qualified ActuariessupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides actuarial services for pension scheme calculations and compliance.
• Qualified Tax PractitionerssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides tax advice services as part of comprehensive pension and business planning.
• Chartered Accountants and Registered AuditorssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides accountancy advice and audit services for clients.
• Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) MemberssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides property surveys and commercial valuations for SSAS property investments.
• Legal Advisory FirmssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides legal advice including corporate and specialist pension legal advice for scheme establishment and operation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ocorian: Global corporate services and pension/fund administration firm that provides SSAS, SIPP, and trust services; directly comparable as a specialist pension administrator competing for the same UK entrepreneurial client base.
• Sufford Life (Aptia Group): UK SIPP/SSAS specialist administrator (now part of Aptia Group) targeting business owners and trustees; comparable in product set, recurring fee model, and emphasis on bespoke client service.
• Pension Works: UK pension administrator offering SSAS and SIPP account management services; a direct competitor with similar product scope and target market of owner-managed businesses and their advisers.
• Mattioli Woods plc: Parent company of SSAS Solutions and direct peer; AIM-listed UK wealth management and SIPP/SSAS provider offering overlapping pension administration, investment, and EPUT services to UK business owners and entrepreneurs.
• Curtis Banks: One of the UK's largest dedicated SIPP and SSAS providers, serving self-employed investors and business owners; comparable scale-up trajectory with the same SSAS product structure and recurring administration fee model.

Regional players

• BDO Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland member of BDO's global accounting network; provides tax, audit, and increasingly SSAS-adjacent advisory services to owner-managed businesses, making it both a referral partner and an indirect competitor.
• Spence & Partners: Northern Ireland-headquartered actuarial and pensions consulting firm offering SSAS administration; the closest local peer competing directly for NI owner-managed business clients.

Broad incumbents

• Barnett Waddingham: UK actuarial and pensions consultancy with SSAS/SIPP administration capability; broader incumbent that overlaps with SSAS Solutions' compliance and scheme administration offerings at greater scale.
• PwC (Northern Ireland): Big Four professional services firm with a NI presence that historically housed key SSAS talent (e.g., Diane Blair, Judith Sloss); a major source of referrals but also a potential competitor for high-end pension advisory work.
• Isio Group: UK pensions advisory and administration firm (formerly Xafinity) offering SIPP/SSAS services; large incumbent with broader consulting footprint competing for the same entrepreneur and trustee segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ssas-solutions-uk-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SSAS Solutions