--- title: "External Audit Services - Pre-Market Engagement" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-d5a01dc6-375b-47e7-b364-d20e10fe825a" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-d5a01dc6-375b-47e7-b364-d20e10fe825a" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d5a01dc6-375b-47e7-b364-d20e10fe825a.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d5a01dc6-375b-47e7-b364-d20e10fe825a.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER" published: "2024-07-12" --- # External Audit Services - Pre-Market Engagement Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-b5fd17-d5a01dc6-375b-47e7-b364-d20e10fe825a [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-d5a01dc6-375b-47e7-b364-d20e10fe825a) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d5a01dc6-375b-47e7-b364-d20e10fe825a.json) ## Summary 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. ## Notice 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 ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/38dace27-1341-418f-b61a-afa6e1c80ce7 | | 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 | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 12 Jul 2024 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 1 Oct 2024 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Jan 2025 - 31 Dec 2031 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £800,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF CHESTER | | Locality | CHESTER | | Post town | Chester | | Postcode | CH1 4BJ | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) | | ITL 2 | TLD6 Cheshire | | ITL 3 | TLD63 Cheshire West and Chester | | Local authority | Cheshire West and Chester | | Electoral ward | Chester City & the Garden Quarter | | Westminster constituency | Chester North and Neston | | Delivery location | TLD North West (England) | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security ### Codes - 79212000 - Auditing services ## Release History - 12 Jul 2024 at 14:43 - Planning - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/38dace27-1341-418f-b61a-afa6e1c80ce7 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/38dace27-1341-418f-b61a-afa6e1c80ce7 12th July 2024 - Future opportunity notice on Contracts Finder ## Notice URLs - http://in-tendhost.co.uk/universityofchester ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-d5a01dc6-375b-47e7-b364-d20e10fe825a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-d5a01dc6-375b-47e7-b364-d20e10fe825a.json.