After extensive market engagement carried out ahead of an update to the Hub’s Statutory Audit and Multi-Specialty Audit and Advisory Consultancy Services framework, our Corporate Services team is pleased to share some useful tips for procuring for external audit services.

The following suggestions summarise the overarching messages we gleaned from suppliers about ways you could help them to help you.

1.  The most obvious yet impactful message is plan well ahead if possible.

• Start thinking about your external audit requirements 18 months before Year 1 of the contract commencing.
• To give suppliers enough time to plan their resources and personnel, you should be looking to award a contract to your chosen supplier 12 months before Year 1 of the contract starting.

2.  Consider the contract length as a longer term could be beneficial.

• Cost savings and added value investment by suppliers may be possible through longer term procurement contracts (of four years or more) for external audit.

3.  Being mindful of suppliers’ workloads at mini-competition stage could boost the level of your responses.

• Suppliers can be overwhelmed by the number and complexity of questions at mini-competition stage. So, to mitigate this, include as many yes/no questions as possible to reduce suppliers’ workloads which in turn should maximise the responses you receive.

4.  At ICB level, look for commonalities within systems and processes.

• Choosing the same suppliers could save you time and money.

The updated Statutory Audit and Multi-Specialty Audit and Advisory Consultancy Services framework, which includes two new lots for Assurance Reviews and Digital, and Information Management and Technology, is due to go live this November.

Please see the marketing sheet on our website for more information about our current Statutory Audit and Multi-Specialty Audit and Advisory Consultancy Services framework.

If you have any other enquiries, please contact corporate.services@eoecph.nhs.uk.