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The appointment of Internal Auditors

First Garden Cities Homes

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

05 Oct 2026 at 17:06

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

First Garden Cities Homes intends to appoint an outsourced internal audit provider for its social housing organisation, which is based in Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. The provider will give independent assurance on governance, risk management and internal controls. Work includes developing a risk-based strategic and annual audit plan, carrying out agreed reviews, tracking follow-up actions, supporting counter-fraud arrangements and attending Audit & Risk Committee meetings when required. The provider will also give an annual internal audit opinion to inform the Board’s assurance to the Regulator of Social Housing. The service is delivered to First Garden Cities Homes in Hertfordshire and must produce an integrated view of the organisation’s assurance framework.

The process is at planning: First Garden Cities Homes has stated its intention to procure, but has not yet invited tenders. It expects to publish the next procurement notice on 2 November 2026. The buyer invites suitably qualified firms with relevant registered-provider social housing internal audit experience to arrange an informal discussion by 20 October 2026. The anticipated procedure is a competitive flexible process, with an open written tender followed by scored presentations for the highest-ranked tenderers; negotiation is not planned. The contract is expected to run from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2030, with one possible two-year extension. It will be a single, rate-based engagement, with annual work volumes set by the Audit & Risk Committee. There will be no lots.

This work is suited to established internal audit firms with a proven record serving registered providers of social housing. Suppliers should be able to provide an independent, suitably qualified team across governance, risk management and internal control, and deliver a risk-based programme of reviews with effective action tracking. The buyer’s requirement is for a single provider to form an integrated assurance view, rather than separate providers for different parts of the service. The team will need to support counter-fraud arrangements, contribute to Audit & Risk Committee meetings and produce an annual opinion that supports the Board’s regulatory assurance. The Committee has set an elevated assurance requirement following a regulatory judgement, so firms should be prepared for a broader-than-typical programme for an organisation of this size.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

The appointment of Internal Auditors

Notice Description

First Garden Cities Homes (FGCH), a Registered Provider of Social Housing based in Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, intends to appoint a firm to act as its outsourced internal audit function from 1 April 2027. The current contract reaches its natural end on 31/03/2027. The appointed firm will report to FGCH's Audit & Risk Committee and provide independent, objective assurance over governance, risk management and internal control. The services include a risk-based strategic and annual internal audit plan, delivery of the agreed programme of reviews, follow-up of agreed actions through a recommendation tracker, attendance at Audit & Risk Committee meetings as required, support to counter-fraud arrangements, and an annual internal audit opinion timed to inform the Board's annual assurance to the Regulator of Social Housing. The contract will run for three years, with an option to extend once by a further two years. It will be a rate-based engagement: FGCH will appoint a team at a single composite day rate, with the volume of work commissioned annually by the Audit & Risk Committee. Following the regulatory judgement issued to FGCH in 2025, the Committee has set an elevated assurance requirement. The programme will therefore be broader in the next three years than is typical for a Registered Provider of FGCH's size, but it is expected to reduce in years 4 and 5 if an extension is agreed. The Procurement Act 2023 requires that consideration be given to dividing all contracts into lots. This contract will not be divided into lots. Internal audit must produce a single, integrated opinion on FGCH's framework of governance, risk management and control, from one audit provider. FGCH intends to use the Competitive Flexible Procedure as defined in s.20 of the Act comprising a written tender stage open to all suppliers, followed by a scored presentation to the selection panel, made up of Audit & Risk Committee members, for the highest-ranked tenderers. There will be no negotiation.

Planning Information

Suitably qualified firms with a proven track record of internal audit for registered providers of social housing are invited to contact First Garden Cities Homes via the email address in this notice to arrange an informal discussion about the opportunity.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078123
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/094003-2026
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
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

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

CPV Codes

79212200 - Internal audit services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Oct 2026Yesterday
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
2 Nov 20264 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 1 Apr 2030 3-4 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
First Garden Cities Homes
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LETCHWORTH GARDEN CITY
Postcode
SG6 1NY
Postcode Area
Stevenage
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH26 North and East Hertfordshire
Delivery Location
TLH23 Hertfordshire CC
Local Authority
North Hertfordshire
Electoral Ward
Letchworth South West
Westminster Constituency
North East Hertfordshire

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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