EXCELLENCE & INNOVATION AWARDS

WINNING ENTRIES

Excellence & Innovation Awards Winners

We are proudly presenting the winning entries in 3 categories: 

COMMUNICATION & ENGAGEMENT

Winner: Real World Financial Literacy Initiative, LifeGoals Financial Services Ltd

The LifeGoals Real World Financial Literacy Initiative is a Cypriot program that looks to transform traditional financial education by immediately connecting learning with practical implementation. 

Unlike traditional programs that teach concepts without application tools, participants can instantly implement every concept learned, from opening emergency fund accounts to enrolling in retirement plans with tax benefits. 

According to the judges, the initiative combines financial education, technology and employer partnerships to improve the financial understanding and savings of members, which is an effective approach that extends beyond heavy reliance on technology alone. The model can also be easily replicated in many other countries. 

Runner-up: Innovative Pension Options and Decision Support for AZPF Members, AstraZeneca Pension Fund, U.K.

Judges’ Choice award: The Biggest Vacation of Your Life, Swedbank Investicijų Valdymas, UAB, Lithuania

 

INVESTMENTS

Winner: Mobilizing Pension Assets in Real Sector and Infrastructure, C-Quadrat Ampega Asset Management Armenia

This initiative from C-Quadrat Ampega Asset Management Armenia seeks to address two issues. Firstly, that the growth of pension assets is outpacing the supply of investable local currency assets, constrained by underdeveloped capital markets and regulatory limitations. Second, that the Armenian economy faces an increased need for investment in infrastructure, human capital, and innovation. 

The initiative comprises three key components. The first is the establishment of a Strategic Investment Fund, a privately managed investment vehicle that mobilizes long-term private capital, including pension assets, to finance infrastructure projects and real sector companies.

According to judges, this was an innovative initiative and completely makes senses considering the limitations to invest in the Armenian markets.

Runner-up: KWAP Dana Perintis (Pioneer Fund), Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) [KWAP], Malaysia

Judges’ choice award: The expansion of the investment regime in the Retirement Savings System, National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR), Mexico

 

PLAN DESIGN & REFORM

Winner: Your Employee Saver, HAYAH Insurance Company P.J.S.C., UAE

Your Employee Saver by HAYAH has been designed to be the Middle East's first comprehensive digital pension ecosystem designed specifically for expatriate workforces. This voluntary contribution platform integrates end of service benefits with flexible voluntary savings mechanisms for both employers and employees. 

YES operates as a dual-purpose solution that transforms static end of service benefit arrangements into actively managed investment portfolios while simultaneously offering voluntary contribution capabilities. YES also looks to address the unique needs of an internationally diverse workforce.

According to judges, the innovation is ambitious and moves pension design to a new level based on the concept of an ecosystem, including an advanced technological platform, corporate integration complexity and an ambition of user centric experience. 

Runner-up: Innovation with purpose: CAAT's DBplus with GROWTHplus Investment Account, CAAT Pension Plan, Canada

Runner-up: Contributory Pension - Digital Transformation and Lifecycle-Based Pension Services Reform, Employees Provident Fund, Nepal

Judges’ choice award: Axis Pension Plan, Axis Pension Trust LTD, Ghana

NOMINATED FINALISTS

Here is the full list of nominated finalists for the 2025 P&I WorldPensionSummit Excellence & Innovation Awards in 3 categories: 

  • Communication & Member Engagement
  • Investments 
  • Pension Fund Reform & Design

SHORTLISTED INITIATIVES

Difficult times require out-of-the-box thinking and can inspire organisations to become creative solution finders. The urge to make a change and tireless efforts to improve, creates outperformers that lead by example in our industry — organisations and thinkers that can inspire others and help boost reform and outcomes around the globe.  We are therefore recognising and rewarding those organisations that are using excellence or innovation to drive their pensions forward through innovative investment, new plan design, excellent technology and participant communication or any way that may help to drive successful outcomes for plan participants.

Past winners were selected for their cutting-edge ideas and projects.  And with a record number of entries this year we are happy to share all the nominated finalists here:

COMMUNICATION & MEMBER ENGAGEMENT

SELFIES as benefits for employees | Ambix -JPC&M | Brazil

Spreading awareness of 3rd pillar matching contributions | | Artea Asset Management | Lithuania

Innovative Pension Options and Decision Support for AZPF Members | AstraZeneca Pension Fund (AZPF) | United Kingdom

Youth Outreach for Pension Awareness | C-Quadrat Ampega Asset Management Armenia | Armenia

Live in the Present, Build Your Future | Desjardins Group | Canada

GSIS Touch Mobile App | Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) | Philippines

HOOPP Survivor Benefits Guidance Tool | Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) | Canada

Enhancing the financial well-being and retirement preparedness for KZN local government employees | KwaZulu-Natal Joint Municipal Pension/Provident Funds | South Africa

Real World Financial Literacy Initiative | LifeGoals Financial Services Ltd | Cyprus

AforeWeb Portal | National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) | Mexico

AFOREs Fair | National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) | Mexico

CONSAR’s most impactful social communication campaigns in recent years | National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) | Mexico

Statistical Information of the Retirement Savings System on the CONSAR Website | National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) | Mexico

Retirement and savings calculators | National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) | Mexico

Enhanced Member-Focused Communication | Pensions Caixa 30, F.P. | Spain

Continuous digitalization upgrade, communication at hand: electronic signatures and payments & mobile application | Sava pension company a.d. Skopje | Macedonia

Pension Literacy from the Inside Out: The "Never Alone" Blog Story | Sava pension company a.d. Skopje | Macedonia   

20 for 20: A Digital Campaign for a Secure Retirement Future | Sava pension company a.d. Skopje | Macedonia

The Biggest Vacation of Your Life | Swedbank Investicijų Valdymas, UAB | Lithuania

 

INVESTING

Mobilizing Pension Assets in Real Sector and Infrastructure | C-Quadrat Ampega Asset Management Armenia | Armenia

Enabling Pension Fund Access to Venture Capital: An Institutional Engagement Model | C-Quadrat Ampega Asset Management Armenia | Armenia

Faysal Islamic Pension Fund | Faysal Asset Management Limited | Pakistan

Fondoposte's Guaranteed Subfund: excellence and innovation in supplementary pension | FONDOPOSTE | Italy

ESG and AI implementation in Investment strategy | KB First Pension Company AD Skopje | Macedonia

KWAP Dana Perintis (Pioneer Fund) | Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) [KWAP] | Malaysia

KWAP Dana Pemacu | Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) [KWAP] | Malaysia       

Real World Financial Literacy Initiative | LifeGoals Financial Services Ltd | Cyprus

The expansion of the investment regime in the Retirement Savings System | National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) | Mexico

ESG Elements in the Investments of the Retirement Savings System | National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) | Mexico

From Purpose to Portfolio: Our ESG Commitment as a Pension Company | Sava Pension Company a.d. Skopje | Macedonia

Swedbank 1975–1981: Setting New ESG Benchmarks and Powering Baltic Alternatives | Swedbank Asset Management Lithuania | Lithuania

 

PENSION FUND DESIGN & REFORM

Axis Pension Plan | Axis Pension Trust LTD | Ghana

Offering Guaranteeing Real Retirement Income via Gift Cards | Brazil Tesouro Nacional | Brazil

Innovation with purpose: CAAT's DBplus with GROWTHplus Investment Account | CAAT Pension Plan | Canada

From Gig to Golden Years: Extending Social Security Coverage to Platform Workers in Singapore | Central Provident Fund Board | Singapore

Contributory Pension | Employees Provident Fund | Nepal

Contributory Pension | Employees Provident Fund | Nepal

A new solution for members: Fondoposte comes up with its Lyfe-Cycle profile | FONDOPOSTE | Italy

DB or DC Optional Retirement System | Government of Guam Retirement Fund | United States

Your Employee Saver | HAYAH Insurance Company P.J.S.C. | United Arab Emirates

­Enhancing Retirement Security for Incorporated Physicians and their Staff in Ontario | Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) | Canada

Real World Financial Literacy Initiative | LifeGoals Financial Services Ltd | Cyprus

The migration of the Retirement Savings System to the Target Date Funds (TDFs) scheme | National Commission of the Retirement Savings System (CONSAR) | Mexico

Lifetime Pension | Plannera Pensions & Benefits | Canada

Revolutionizing social protection: Digital leap towards inclusive services for people with disabilities in Azerbaijan | State Social Protection Fund of Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan

We congratulated all nominated finalists on their nomination and look forward to seeing you in The Hague. May the best entry win!

The awards recognise excellence and innovation as a team effort, so we are rewarding the organisation (read: pension fund), not the individual. We allow pension funds to be nominated by their own employees or by an external organisation. Receiving recognition for their ingenuity can help and inspire others!

Entries are accepted from organisations from around the world and there are 3 awards to be handed out per category. The winners, runners-up  and Judges' Choice Awards will be announced and recognised at the 2025 Pensions & Investments WorldPensionSummit during the Excellence & Innovation Awards Ceremony, to be held on 6 November 2025.

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HONOURING EXCELLENCE

The P&I WorldPensionSummit Excellence & Innovation awards are evolving. What innovation means for one organisation may be considered as standardised for another. Innovations also differ regionally, with less developed pension systems, for example, needing different forms of innovation vs. more mature systems. It is important to recognise and honour these differences, so we can further learn from them, be inspired and encourage future developments. Therefore, we have decided to add outperformers to our long-list of innovators — and hence our new name: Excellence & Innovation Awards.