Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department of Finance
303 Airport Road West
BELFAST
BT3 9ED
ssdadmin.cpd@finance-ni.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/
Buyer's address
https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/topics/procurement
one.2) Information about 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
https://etendersni.gov.uk/epps
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted to the above-mentioned address
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
ID 5537570 - DoF - Provision of Internal Audit Services
Reference number
ID 5537570
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 79212000 - Auditing services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Internal Audit Services (IAS) intends to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of internal auditors to carry out risk-based Internal Audit assignments which will contribute towards the completion of agreed Internal Audit Strategies and associated Internal Audit Plans on a call-off as required basis. The Framework Agreement will contain 2 (two) Lots: Lot 1 – General Internal Audit Services and Lot 2 – ICT Internal Audit Services. Full details of requirements are set out in the Specification document (ID 5537870 – Specification).
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 maximum number of lots
2
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 1 – General Internal Audit Services
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79212200 - Internal audit services
- 79212300 - Statutory audit services
- 79212400 - Fraud audit services
- 79200000 - Accounting, auditing and fiscal services
- 79210000 - Accounting and auditing services
- 79212100 - Financial auditing services
- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 79212110 - Corporate governance rating services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Internal Audit Services (IAS) intends to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of internal auditors to carry out risk-based Internal Audit assignments which will contribute towards the completion of agreed Internal Audit Strategies and associated Internal Audit Plans on a call-off as required basis. The Framework Agreement will contain 2 (two) Lots: Lot 1 – General Internal Audit Services and Lot 2 – ICT Internal Audit Services. Full details of requirements are set out in the Specification document (ID 5537870 – Specification).
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: £1,500,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
12
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Framework Agreement shall commence on award (expected to be 1 April 2025) and will continue until the end of the Initial Term (31 March 2026), with three options to extend for any period of up to and including 12 months each.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
Following the initial term, there are 3 options to extend for any period of up to and including 12 months each.
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.2.14) Additional information
This is a demand driven Framework, there is no guarantee of work given. The figure indicated in Section II.1.5 represents an estimated value. This value reflects the potential scale and takes into account potential optional extension periods and the uptake of potential optional services as detailed in the tender documents. This figure does not however take into account the application of indexation. Neither CPD nor the Authority can provide any guarantee as. to the level of business under this Framework. The Contracting Authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender. Economic Operators remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from the Economic Operator in connection with taking part in this procurement process regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence, directly or indirectly of any amendments made to the procurement documents by the Contracting Authority at any time. No legally binding contract shall arise (and an Economic Operator shall have no legitimate expectation that a contract will be entered into) until such time as entry into the Contract has been confirmed by the Contracting Authority. Economic Operators should note that all dates, time periods and figures in relation to values and volumes specified in this notice and the procurement documents are approximate only and the Contracting Authority reserves the right to change any or all of them.
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 2 – ICT Internal Audit Services
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 79212200 - Internal audit services
- 79212300 - Statutory audit services
- 79212400 - Fraud audit services
- 79200000 - Accounting, auditing and fiscal services
- 79210000 - Accounting and auditing services
- 79212100 - Financial auditing services
- 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
- 79212110 - Corporate governance rating services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKN - Northern Ireland
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Internal Audit Services (IAS) intends to establish a Framework Agreement for the provision of internal auditors to carry out risk-based Internal Audit assignments which will contribute towards the completion of agreed Internal Audit Strategies and associated Internal Audit Plans on a call-off as required basis. The Framework Agreement will contain 2 (two) Lots: Lot 1 – General Internal Audit Services and Lot 2 – ICT Internal Audit Services. Full details of requirements are set out in the Specification document (ID 5537870 – Specification).
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: £500,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
12
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The Framework Agreement shall commence on award (expected to be 1 April 2025) and will continue until the end of the Initial Term (31 March 2026), with three options to extend for any period of up to and including 12 months each.
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
Following the initial term, there are 3 options to extend for any period of up to and including 12 months each.
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.2.14) Additional information
This is a demand driven Framework, there is no guarantee of work given. The figure indicated in Section II.1.5 represents an estimated value. This value reflects the potential scale and takes into account potential optional extension periods and the uptake of potential optional services as detailed in the tender documents. This figure does not however take into account the application of indexation. Neither CPD nor the Authority can provide any guarantee as to the level of business under this Framework. The Contracting Authority does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender. Economic Operators remain responsible for all costs and expenses incurred by them or by any third party acting under instructions from the Economic Operator in connection with taking part in this procurement process regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence, directly or indirectly of any amendments made to the procurement documents by the Contracting Authority at any time. No legally binding contract shall arise (and an Economic Operator shall have no legitimate expectation that a contract will be entered into) until such time as entry into the Contract has been confirmed by the Contracting Authority. Economic Operators should note that all dates, time periods and figures in relation to values and volumes specified in this notice and the procurement documents are approximate only and the Contracting Authority reserves the right to change any or all of them.
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria
As per Tender documentation.
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
As per Tender documentation.
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.1) Information about a particular profession
Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession
Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision
As per Tender documentation.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
Framework agreement with several operators
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 5
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
Date
10 March 2025
Local time
3:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Tender must be valid until: 8 June 2025
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
10 March 2025
Local time
3:30pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.3) Additional information
Contract Monitoring - The successful supplier’s performance on the Framework will be regularly monitored in line with the tender. documentation. Suppliers not delivering on contract requirements is a serious matter. It means the public purse is not getting what it is paying for. If a supplier fails to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance they will be given a specified time to improve. If, after the specified time, they still fail to reach satisfactory levels of contract performance, the matter will be escalated to senior management in CPD for further action. If this occurs and their performance still does not improve to satisfactory levels within the specified period, it may be regarded as an act of grave professional misconduct and they may be issued with a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance and the contract may be terminated. The issue of a Notice of Unsatisfactory Performance can result in the supplier being excluded from all procurement competitions being undertaken by Centres of Procurement Expertise on behalf of bodies covered by the Northern Ireland Procurement Policy for a period of three years from the date of issue. The Authority expressly reserves the rights: (I). not to award any contract as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; (II). to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering Competition; (III). to award (a) contract(s) in respect of any part(s) of the services covered by this notice; and (IV). to award contract(s) in stages. In no circumstances will the Authority be liable for any costs incurred by candidates. This project will be used to progress the Government’s wider social, economic and environmental objectives.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The UK does not have any such bodies with responsibility for appeal/mediation procedures. Instead; any challenges are dealt with by the High Court, Commercial Division, to which proceedings may be issued regarding alleged breaches of the PCR 2015 as amended.
Belfast
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
CPD will comply with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and, where appropriate, will incorporate a standstill period (i.e. a minimum of 10 calendar days) at the point information on the award of contract is communicated to tenderers. That notification will provide full information on the award decision. This provides time for the unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision before the contract is entered into.