---
title: "Staff Benefits Scheme External Audit Services"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000789481"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000789481"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000789481.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000789481.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH"
published: "2025-06-30"
---

# Staff Benefits Scheme External Audit Services

Buyer: UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000789481

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## Summary

The University of Edinburgh, serving as the contracting authority, has recently completed the procurement process for the provision of "Staff Benefits Scheme External Audit Services." This contract falls under the education category, focusing on services within the UK region, specifically Edinburgh. The procurement utilized an open procedure, indicative of a transparent and competitive tendering process. Key milestones include the initial tender issuance on 3rd February 2025, with a submission deadline of 6th March 2025. The contract, valued at GBP 120,000, was awarded to RSM UK Audit LLP on 24th June 2025, and covers a three-year period, offering the potential for a three-year extension, ensuring long-term collaboration and growth opportunities.

This procurement offers significant opportunities for businesses specializing in audit and financial services to demonstrate expertise in handling complex financial statements and compliance with international standards. Firms that excel in delivering innovative solutions and have personnel experienced in the nuances of public sector pensions auditing are well-positioned to compete. The scale of the University of Edinburgh's Staff Benefits Scheme, with assets valued at approximately GBP 410 million and a substantial membership, provides an expansive scope for business growth and the establishment of a portfolio within the educational sector. Businesses aiming to enhance their reputation through public sector partnerships may find this tender particularly beneficial.

## Notice

To design and deliver an audit programme to assess the annual report and financial statements for the Staff Benefits Scheme.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The University of Edinburgh Staff Benefits Scheme (SBS) is the Defined Benefit pension arrangement based on career average revalued earnings (CARE) for support staff within the University of Edinburgh. Established in 1966, the current market value of the Scheme's assets is circa GBP 410,000,000 and has approximately 1,700 active, 2,300 deferred and 2,400 pensioner members. Although the University of Edinburgh is the principal employer sponsoring the scheme, the scheme is set up under trust and is governed independently according to its trust deed and rules by a sole corporate trustee, the directors of which are appointed in accordance with the trust deed and articles of the Trustee to run the scheme. Both the University and members contribute to the scheme and the amount of pension payable is dependent upon: - the length of time served in the scheme (known as pensionable service); - career averaged earnings; - the scheme's accrual rate. The accrual rate is the proportion of salary that is received for each year of service. The contract is for the provision of external audit services in connection with the annual report and financial statements of the scheme. The supplier is expected to audit the annual report and financial statements for SBS in accordance with all statutory responsibilities, as set out in the International Standards in Auditing (UK) and PA95.

Options: Three year initial period followed by the option to extend for a further three years.

Renewal: Three year initial period followed by the option to extend for a further three years.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUN533569 |
| Notice type | PCS Notice - Website Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 30 Jun 2025 |
| Submission deadline | 6 Mar 2025 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 24 Jun 2025 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £150,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £120,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH |
| Locality | EDINBURGH |
| Post town | Edinburgh |
| Postcode | EH1 1HT |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM1 East Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM13 City of Edinburgh |
| Local authority | City of Edinburgh |
| Electoral ward | City Centre |
| Westminster constituency | Edinburgh East and Musselburgh |
| Delivery location | TLM75 City of Edinburgh |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | RSM UK AUDIT |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

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

### Codes

- 79212000 - Auditing services

## Release History

- 30 Jun 2025 at 00:00 - Award - PCS Notice - Website Contract Award Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUN533569
- 3 Feb 2025 at 00:00 - Tender - PCS Notice - Website Contract Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=FEB523037

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=FEB523037
  Staff Benefits Scheme External Audit Services - To design and deliver an audit programme to assess the annual report and financial statements for SBS. Tenderers are required to describe how the programme will be delivered including any innovative solutions applied in monitoring and reporting, detailing methodologies, personnel involved and duration of the visits.
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUN533569
  Staff Benefits Scheme External Audit Services - To design and deliver an audit programme to assess the annual report and financial statements for the Staff Benefits Scheme.

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.ed.ac.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000789481
- https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/
- https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/esop/pts-host/public/pts/web/login.html?VISITORID=b00bf88c-8f28-485d-87cf-5a33b56e5fa8&VISITORID=b00bf88c-8f28-485d-87cf-5a33b56e5fa8

## 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-r6ebe6-0000789481. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000789481.json.