Target Professional Services

What Target Professional Services does

Target Professional Services (UK) Ltd is a UK-based specialist data-tracing and verification firm serving pension schemes, financial institutions, and government authorities. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Selsey, West Sussex, the company delivers a suite of services branded as Trace (locating lost or untraceable members and beneficiaries), Screen (fraud identification and prevention, including anti-money laundering checks), and Cleanse (data accuracy and verification), with a dedicated Child Trust Funds service line. Service delivery is anchored on encrypted, role-segregated client portals - a generic Client Login, a Member Login, and Datasafe 2.0 - and is supported by the mypensionID biometric data-passport app, launched in 2019, which enables cross-provider data updates and international mortality screening to reduce overseas pension fraud.

The business operates as a B2B professional-services firm targeting three primary segments: occupational and public-sector pension schemes (including over 50 LGPS funds, the Pension Protection Fund, and corporate schemes such as HSBC Bank UK and Legal & General), investment and insurance companies, and individual beneficiaries. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, with active presence and sponsorship at PLSA, PASA, LGPS, Professional Pensions LIVE, Counter Fraud, and LAPF events, complemented by content marketing and gated client portals for service delivery. Commercial momentum is supported by ISO 9001 (2017), ISO 27001 (2016), FSQS (Hellios, 2020), GDPR-compliance status, and BSI PAS 156:2015 involvement, plus recent ESG credentials (FuturePlus Gold 2026, EcoVadis Silver 2024, Living Wage Employer 2025).

Revenue is generated through bespoke project engagements under professional-services commercial terms; pricing is not publicly disclosed and the firm does not use third-party resellers or distributors, instead relying on direct enterprise relationships and a small set of channel partners (e.g., First Actuarial, Hymans Robertson) who route tracing work to Target on behalf of trustees. In 2026, founder Lisa Lyon completed a four-year transition of ownership into an Employee-Owned Trust, locking in continuity while distributing financial participation to employees; the company continues to operate independently with management and a non-executive director drawn from the UK pensions ecosystem.

Name

Target Professional Services

Legal name

Target Professional Services (UK) Ltd

Website

https://targetprofessional.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Target Professional Services is a UK-based specialist tracing and data verification firm, founded in 1988, that locates pension scheme members, screens for fraud, and cleanses records for LGPS funds, the PPF, financial institutions, and beneficiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pension Tracing and Data Verification Services

NAICS

Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611), Pension Funds (525110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Benefit Eligibility, Identity Verification & Fraud/Overpayment Recovery (BPAIAKAL)

Keywords

• Pension tracing services
• Fraud screening solutions
• Data cleansing services
• Member verification solutions
• Biometric pension app

Headquarters

HQ city

Selsey

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tracing Services: Professional tracing services for pension schemes, investment companies, insurance providers, and individuals. Services include locating lost members, verifying current addresses, and maintaining accurate member records for scheme administrators.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Target Professional Services provides specialist tracing, screening, and data cleansing services for UK and international pension schemes, financial institutions, government authorities, and individuals. The company locates lost pension scheme members, verifies member addresses, performs fraud screening and mortality screening, and supports clean member data through its proprietary mypensionID biometric verification app and Datasafe 2.0 secure document platform. Encrypted service delivery is offered as standard across engagements.

Product overview

Target Professional Services offers a suite of pension tracing and data verification services. The core offerings include Trace (people tracing), Screen (fraud elimination), and Cleanse (data accuracy), supported by the mypensionID biometric verification app and Datasafe 2.0 secure document platform. The company provides encrypted tracing services to pension schemes, investment companies, insurance providers, and government authorities, helping reduce liability from inaccurate records while saving time and costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• mypensionID: Biometric data passport app that empowers members to take control of their pension data, providing a single interface to update information across providers.

Products and services

• Trace Identifying the right data — locating and tracing pension scheme members, beneficiaries, and individuals on behalf of pension schemes and financial services companies.
• Screen Helping eliminate fraud — fraud prevention and detection services including anti-money laundering checks, identity verification, and mortality screening for pension schemes and financial services organisations.
• Cleanse Providing more accurate data — data cleansing and verification services to ensure pension scheme records are accurate and up-to-date.
• mypensionID A biometric data passport app that empowers pension scheme members to control their data, update information across providers, verify identity, and enable international mortality screening. Designed to eliminate fraudulent payments abroad and reduce tracing costs.
• Datasafe 2.0 Secure document management and data storage platform for handling sensitive pension member information with encrypted processing.
• Child Trust Funds Tracing and verification services specifically for Child Trust Fund members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Target successfully traces members deemed 'untraceable' by other respected trace agencies

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lisa Lyon (Founder)coreOthers · 1 January 2022Lisa Lyon, founder of Target, transitioned the business into an Employee-Owned Trust in 2022, completing the four-year transition. She remains committed to the business and local Selsey community.
• Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Target appointed by LPPA for the provision of screening and tracing services. LPPA is one of the largest providers of pensions administration in the UK with 17 LGPS schemes under their services. A significant, forward-thinking and client-focused services provider.
• Michael Watkins (Non-Executive Director)coreOthers · 1 January 2018Michael Watkins appointed as non-executive Director. Currently Head of Proposition Development at Smart Pension, Chair of PASA DC Governance Working Group, and Founder and Chair of NextGen Committee. Brings pension industry experience and shared vision to modernise the industry.
• Pension Protection Fund (PPF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTarget associated with PPF helping them ensure pension members data is correct and up-to-date. PPF partners with Target from pilot launch of mypensionID and continues collaboration including joint beach cleans and industry events.
• First ActuarialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst Actuarial employs professional tracing agencies on behalf of the trustees they work for, using Target for finding beneficiaries of pension plans. Represents Target's services to their client base.
• Hymans RobertsoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHymans Robertson undertakes pensions administration on behalf of pension schemes and manages the relationship with Target on a pension scheme's behalf.
• PASA (Pensions Administration Standards Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTarget is a proud sponsor of PASA events including inaugural PASA Edinburgh Conference, contributing to industry standards development and networking within pensions administration.
• PLSA (Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerTarget exhibits annually at PLSA Annual Conference, the pensions industry's biggest exhibition, building connections with current clients and new industry relationships.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Computershare: Global transfer agency, employee share plans, and corporate trust services firm. Provides member recordkeeping and verification solutions for pension and employee benefit schemes at a much larger scale than Target.
• GBG Group: Global identity verification and location data provider. Competes with Target in the identity verification, AML, and mortality screening space, but is a horizontally scaled technology vendor rather than a specialist pension tracer.
• XPS Pensions Group: UK pensions consulting and administration firm listed on AIM. Provides tracing, records, and data quality services to UK pension schemes, intersecting with Target's customer base in the LGPS and corporate scheme markets.
• Link Group: Global provider of transfer agency, fund administration, and wealth management services. Competes with Target in member recordkeeping and verification for large pension and superannuation schemes.
• Equiniti: Major UK share registration, transfer agency, and pension administration firm. Offers member verification, AML, and data cleansing services to pension schemes as part of a much broader portfolio, competing with Target on enterprise mandates.
• Diligenta: Large UK pensions and life insurance administration services provider, subsidiary of Tata Consultancy Services. Offers tracing and member verification as part of full-service pension administration, competing on enterprise outsourcing deals.
• Capita Pension Solutions: Major UK pension administration and software provider. Provides tracing, screening, and data cleansing capabilities as part of a broader pension administration offering, competing with Target for mid-to-large LGPS and corporate schemes.

Direct peers

• Hymans Robertson: UK actuarial and pension administration consultancy that manages client relationships with tracing providers on behalf of trustees. Confirmed partner/customer of Target and operates in the same LGPS and corporate scheme market.
• ITC (International Tracing Services): UK-based tracing and member verification firm serving pension schemes, insurance providers, and financial institutions. Operates a similar product portfolio of trace, screen, and identity verification services competing head-to-head with Target.
• First Actuarial: UK actuarial and pension services firm that uses professional tracing agencies on behalf of trustees. First Actuarial is a confirmed channel partner/referral source for Target, dealing with the same pension scheme clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TargetProfServ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/target-professional-services-uk-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Target Professional Services