Planning

Account Payable Audit Solution

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

02 Apr 2026 at 14:43

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Essex County Council is seeking to procure an Account Payable Audit Solution to assist their Transactional Services team in identifying potential duplicate invoices and supplier records, using software that integrates with Oracle Fusion. The project, titled "Account Payable Audit Solution," falls under the industry category of "Software package and information systems" and "Information technology services." The procurement is currently in the planning stage, with a Preliminary Market Engagement exercise scheduled. Interested parties must download and submit the necessary documents by 16:00 on 15 April 2026. The procurement process has been initiated through a tender, with plans for the service to be delivered within the UKH3 region. The contract is scheduled to run from 1 November 2026 through 30 November 2028, with potential renewals extending to 2029. The estimated contract value is £80,000, inclusive of VAT.

This tender presents a promising opportunity for businesses specialising in software solutions and information technology services, particularly those capable of preventing duplicate invoice payments and managing supplier records. It is suitable for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), focusing on innovative systems or software with auditing capabilities. Companies experienced in offering audit solutions and with existing integrations or capabilities to enhance system interoperability with Oracle Fusion will find this tender an excellent opportunity for business growth and development within the public sector, engaging with a prominent public authority, Essex County Council.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Account Payable Audit Solution

Notice Description

Essex County Council Transactional Services is a team made up of circa 110 people, this is split between Compliance, Accounts Payable, Income, Banking and Financial Assessments. Essex County Council Transactional Services are looking for a system or piece of software that can identify potential duplicate invoices or suppliers based on a daily/regular extract from our current software solution Oracle Fusion. This is required to prevent/reduce the risk to ECC by payment of duplicate invoices to our suppliers/providers. We are looking for a system that will identify potential risks prior to the payment being made enabling ECC to be able to investigate and where appropriate prevent the payment being released. The solution also needs to be able to be used to identify potential duplicate supplier records and track changes made to supplier records, what, when and who by.

Planning Information

For this Preliminary Market Engagement exercise, please respond by downloading, completing and submitting the attached document by the deadline of[16:00]on[15/04/2026]. Please register as supplier as response your interest and complete the technical questionnaire via Open Platform (www.open-uk.org). The project is # OPEN2026632. How to register on Open Registration is free, easy and can be done now. To register: • Visit www.open-uk.org • Click the 'get started' button. • On the 'who are you' tab, select supplier. • Select your company type. • Complete the form as directed. Tips for smooth registration and accessing support. • Look out for the email with your temporary password which is only valid for 3 days. If expired, please email open.support@nepo.org to request a new temporary password. • If you don't receive your temporary password, please check your junk/quarantine areas. • Add your Companies House number to populate fields for quicker setup. • Once registered, select Codes & Categories relevant to your business area to receive tender notifications • Add notifications@open-uk.org to your safe sender list. Support for the system is available via the OPEN Hub: https://www.open-hub.org/ The Open Hub has resources to help you get the most out of the system. There's a range of how-to-guides so you can learn about Open at your pace and a Frequently Asked Questions section to answer common questions. You will also find details of the latest news and supplier training sessions for Open (https://www.nepo.org/suppliers/nepo-supplier-partnership-programme).

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-067c2c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031069-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

72222300 - Information technology services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£80,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Apr 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
15 Apr 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Nov 2026 - 30 Nov 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CHELMSFORD
Postcode
CM1 1QH
Post Town
Chelmsford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH36 Heart of Essex
Delivery Location
TLH3 Essex
Local Authority
Chelmsford
Electoral Ward
Moulsham and Central
Westminster Constituency
Chelmsford

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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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