Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Liverpool Road
Chester
CH2 1UL
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKD63 - Cheshire West and Chester
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.1) Name and addresses
The eligible users of the proposed dynamic purchasing system are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: www.nhssourcing.co.uk
UK
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - UNITED KINGDOM
Internet address(es)
Main address
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Ministry or any other national or federal authority
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Audit and Assurance Services Dynamic Purchasing System
Reference number
DPS/07/AUD/20/IB
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79200000 - Accounting, auditing and fiscal services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The proposed DPS will include all forms of independent audit for UK public sector bodies, including statutory external audit requirements.
Also in scope are are governance requirements including counter-fraud services and other independent assurance such as:
• Assurance over non-financial information including but not limited to strategy, risk and corporate governance
• Assurance over KPIs including but not limited to environmental reporting, sustainability reporting and workforce reporting
• Compliance monitoring and risk management
• Grant funding assurance including but not limited to programme reviews and impact assessments
• Service auditor reports including but not limited to ISAE 3402 standards
• Special purpose reviews and investigations
• Tax compliance
• Third party risk management including supply chain assurance
• Well led governance reviews
• Workforce audit services including but not limited to temporary, fixed term or permanent staffing (clinical and non-clinical)
two.1.5) Estimated total value
Value excluding VAT: £2,000,000
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
Tenders may be submitted for all lots
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot No
Lot 1 Internal audit & assurance
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79212200 - Internal audit services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - UNITED KINGDOM
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Lot 1 Core Services
• Advice on governance, risk management and controls including but not limited to
o IT
o Finance
o Human resources; and
o Facilities management
• Benchmarking and quality assurance review of internal audit performance including external quality assessment
• Development of internal audit strategy and/or methodologies
• Outsourced, co-sourced or one-off internal audit services
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £2,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
48
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: Yes
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot No
Lot 2 External audit
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79212000 - Auditing services
- 79212300 - Statutory audit services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - UNITED KINGDOM
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Lot 2 Core Services
• External statutory audit to provide an independent assessment of financial statements
• Advice on financial statements and related documents
• Grant audits and certification
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £2,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
48
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: Yes
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot No
Lot 3 Counter-fraud & investigation
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79212400 - Fraud audit services
- 79700000 - Investigation and security services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - UNITED KINGDOM
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Lot 3 Core Services
• Advice and/or assessment of:
o fraud awareness training and/or changes to legislation
o fraud risk plan and/or support in improving risk management
o fraud prevention and detection strategy
o whistleblowing policies and procedures
o approach to proactive testing in high risk areas
• Fraud risk assessment and fraud maturity matrix
• Use of technology including but not limited to data analytics to support the delivery of proactive counter-fraud services including fraud detection
• Counter-fraud investigation
Optional non-core Services in addition to the Core Services:
• Corporate intelligence techniques
• Financial irregularity investigations
• Investigation of non-financial irregularities incl. regulatory breaches & misconduct
• Investigation of suspected fraud, bribery or corruption
• Investigation of whistleblower allegations and tip offs
• Forensic extraction and review of structured and unstructured digital evidence
• Support to deliver criminal investigations in counter-fraud including capability to conduct interviews that are compliant with police & criminal evidence legislation
• Expert witness services
• Use of data analytical technology tools and techniques to investigate fraud
• Upskilling of new technology and techniques of fraud detection
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £2,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
48
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: Yes
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot No
Lot 4 Other independent assurance
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - UNITED KINGDOM
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Lot 4 Core Services
• Assurance over non-financial information including but not limited to strategy, risk and corporate governance
• Assurance over KPIs including but not limited to environmental reporting, sustainability reporting and workforce reporting
• Compliance monitoring and risk management
• Grant funding assurance including but not limited to programme reviews and impact assessments
• Service auditor reports including but not limited to ISAE 3402 standards
• Special purpose reviews and investigations
• Tax compliance
• Third party risk management including supply chain assurance
• Well led governance reviews
• Workforce audit services including but not limited to temporary, fixed term or permanent staffing (clinical and non-clinical)
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £2,000,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
48
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: Yes
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Restricted procedure
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the setting up of a dynamic purchasing system
The dynamic purchasing system might be used by additional purchasers
four.1.6) Information about electronic auction
An electronic auction will be used
Additional information about electronic auction
Electronic auctions may be used in further competitions.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Originally published as:
Date
8 March 2021
Local time
11:59pm
Changed to:
Date
23 February 2029
See the change notice.
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
How to express interest and apply to this DPS:
1) browse to the esourcing portal https://www.nhssourcing.co.uk and click on view current opportunities.
2) select the title of the DPS.
3) review the Introduction and instructions, outline specification, pre-requisites and list of eligible users (you may do this without registering).
4) register your organisation on the eSourcing portal (this is only required once).
5) accept the portal terms and conditions and click ‘continue’, enter your organisation and user details; note the username you chose and click ‘Save’ when complete.
You will shortly receive an email with your unique password (please keep this secure).
6) login to the portal with the username/password.
7) click the ‘PQQs/ITTs Open To All Suppliers’ link. (These are pre-qualification questionnaires or invitations to tender open to any registered supplier).
8) click on the relevant PQQ/ITT to access the content.
9) click the ‘Express Interest’ button at the top of the page. This will move the PQQ/ITT into your ‘My PQQs/My ITTs’ page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only). You can now access any attachments by clicking ‘Buyer Attachments’ in the ‘PQQ/ITT Details’ box.
10) Responding to the PQQ. Click ‘My Response’ under ‘PQQ/ITT Details’, you can choose to ‘Create Response’ or to ‘Decline to Respond’ (please give a reason if declining).
You can now use the messages function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification. Note the deadline for completion, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the PQQ. There may be a mixture of online and offline actions for you to perform (there is detailed online help available). You must then submit your reply using the ‘Submit Response’ button at the top of the page. If you require any further assistance please consult the online help, or contact the eTendering help desk.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Royal Courts of Justice
London
Country
United Kingdom