Planning

External Audit Services - Pre-Market Engagement

UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

12 Jul 2024 at 14:43

Planned Procurement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The University of Chester is planning a tender for External Audit Services, aiming to engage with potential suppliers to understand the marketplace dynamics. The contract includes auditing the University's financial statements and other specific audits, starting in 2025 and ending in 2031. The tender is open, with a minimum value of £600,000 and an estimated value of £800,000. The procurement stage is planned, with a future notice date of 1st October 2024 and a closing date of 5th November 2024 in North West, United Kingdom.

This tender by the University of Chester for External Audit Services presents an opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to participate. Businesses in the auditing services industry, particularly those familiar with higher education requirements and financial regulations, would be well-suited to compete. The procurement method is an open procedure with an above-threshold value. Interested suppliers can register via the In-Tend e-tendering portal to express interest and gain more information about this opportunity.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

External Audit Services - Pre-Market Engagement

Notice Description

The University is looking to tender, in the near future, for a supplier to provide external audit services and would like to engage with the marketplace by means of discussions via individual virtual meetings on Teams, or in person if this would be preferred, with our Chief Financial Officer to help enable the University to understand the dynamics of the current marketplace. This will also enable the opportunity for potential suppliers to ask us any questions or raise any issues directly with the University. This exercise is not a call for competition but engagement with the market to help inform our procurement approach. The University envisages that the scope of the contract will include the following: The primary role of the external auditors will be to report on the financial statements of the University of Chester and to carry out whatever examination of the statements and underlying records and control systems is necessary to reach an opinion on the statements. You will be required to report to the University Council by means of a management letter. University financial statements and auditor's management letter are submitted to Office for Students (OfS) five months after the 31st July year end. They are scrutinised by the Audit and Risk Management Committee in November and approved by University Council at the end of November. The on-site work usually takes place during mid-September to mid-October. The scope also includes audits of annual returns for the Teachers Pension Scheme and the US Department of Education, as well as individual project audits as required. The successful tenderer will also be required to demonstrate they can provide a comprehensive service which will satisfy the University's requirement for an External Audit Service, as detailed in the OfS Terms and conditions of funding for higher education institutions Annex C: Audit Code of Practice. The auditor must be aware of developments within Higher Education particularly where these may have mandatory applications to institutions and/ or potentially have significant financial effects. Full details of the requirements will contained within the tender procurement documents and the tender will be advertised via FTS and Contracts Finder notices. The current estimated timescale for the tender is for a single stage Open tender to begin on 1st October 2024, close on 5th November 2024 and for a potential short list of tendering suppliers to attend a clarification meeting with University Audit and Risk Management Committee on 21st November 2024. For more information and to arrange an appointment for a discussion, please Express Interest in the Pre-Market Engagement and then register your details by sending a correspondence with your organisation's contact details via the In-Tend e-tendering portal - http://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofchester Registration to this site is free for suppliers. Additional information: http://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofchester

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-d5a01dc6-375b-47e7-b364-d20e10fe825a
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/38dace27-1341-418f-b61a-afa6e1c80ce7
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planned Procurement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Not specified
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure (above threshold)
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79212000 - Auditing services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£800,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Jul 20241 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Oct 2024Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2025 - 31 Dec 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CHESTER
Postcode
CH1 4BJ
Post Town
Chester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD6 Cheshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD63 Cheshire West and Chester
Delivery Location
TLD North West (England)
Local Authority
Cheshire West and Chester
Electoral Ward
Chester City & the Garden Quarter
Westminster Constituency
Chester North and Neston

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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