External Assurance Reviews of Local Authorities

{
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    {
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      "items": [
        {
          "additionalClassifications": [
            {
              "description": "Financial consultancy services",
              "id": "66171000",
              "scheme": "CPV"
            }
          ],
          "deliveryAddresses": [
            {
              "country": "GB",
              "countryName": "United Kingdom",
              "region": "UK"
            }
          ],
          "id": "1",
          "relatedLot": "1"
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      ],
      "mainProcurementCategory": "services",
      "relatedLots": [
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      "status": "active",
      "suppliers": [
        {
          "id": "GB-COH-02376684",
          "name": "CIPFA BUSINESS LIMITED"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PWCX-8281-CLPR",
    "name": "Ministry of Housing, Communities \u0026 Local Government"
  },
  "contracts": [
    {
      "aboveThreshold": true,
      "agreedMetrics": [
        {
          "description": "Supplier Cost remains within agreed parameters - frequency will be per commission/invoice",
          "id": "1",
          "title": "Cost"
        },
        {
          "description": "Quality of reviews must provide assurance and expert analysis to support robust credible decisions by the authority on Exceptional Financial Support taking interventionist steps to ensure VfM/reduce Council\u0027s risk. \nFrequency will be per review/commission.",
          "id": "2",
          "title": "Quality"
        },
        {
          "description": "A draft of each in-depth assessment must be submitted within 5 weeks of commissioning (unless agreed by exception) \nFrequency will be per assessment.",
          "id": "3",
          "title": "Time - In Depth Assessment"
        },
        {
          "description": "A draft of each rapid review must be submitted by the end of week 2 from commissioning. \nFrequency will be per review.",
          "id": "4",
          "title": "Time - Rapid Reviews"
        },
        {
          "description": "Final reviews must be delivered within 6 - 8 weeks of commissioning (unless agreed by exception). \nFrequency will be per review.",
          "id": "5",
          "title": "Time - Final Reviews"
        },
        {
          "description": "The supplier must provide fortnightly updates for each ongoing review to keep the authority informed of progress to include progress to date, risks / issues encountered and mitigations, and forecast delivery date. A project management template will be provided. \nFrequency will be fortnightly.",
          "id": "6",
          "title": "Progress Reports"
        },
        {
          "description": "Social Value Theme 3: Resilient, innovative and flexible supply chains: Support economic growth through enabling resilient businesses, opportunities for small businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises. \n3b.  Collaborate in co-design and delivery with communities and anchor partners.\n3bi. Number of engagement activities with the community, community representatives and or anchor institutions.\nDeliver a minimum of 8 workshops across CV writing, job readiness, grant applications, and Procurement Act 2023 awareness, co-designed with local authorities, anchor partners, and community groups to address local skills and organisational needs.",
          "id": "7",
          "observations": [
            {
              "id": "frequency",
              "period": {
                "durationInMonths": 12
              }
            }
          ],
          "title": "Social Value Commitment 1 - Workshops"
        },
        {
          "description": "Social Value Theme 3: Resilient, innovative and flexible supply chains: Support economic growth through enabling resilient businesses, opportunities for small businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises. \n3b.  Collaborate in co-design and delivery with communities and anchor partners.\n3bi. Number of engagement activities with the community, community representatives and or anchor institutions.\nAchieve 128 hours of social value activity through workshops, ensuring that 80% of participants report increased confidence or skills and 50% take practical steps towards employment, grant applications, or community engagement",
          "id": "8",
          "observations": [
            {
              "id": "frequency",
              "period": {
                "durationInMonths": 12
              }
            }
          ],
          "title": "Social Value Commitment 2 - Participant Engagement \u0026 Outcomes"
        }
      ],
      "awardID": "1",
      "dateSigned": "2025-11-25T00:00:00Z",
      "documents": [
        {
          "datePublished": "2025-12-03T13:21:06Z",
          "description": "Contract details notice on Find a Tender",
          "documentType": "contractNotice",
          "format": "text/html",
          "id": "079356-2025",
          "noticeType": "UK7",
          "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079356-2025"
        }
      ],
      "hasRenewal": true,
      "id": "1",
      "period": {
        "endDate": "2026-12-01T23:59:59Z",
        "maxExtentDate": "2028-12-01T23:59:59Z",
        "startDate": "2025-11-28T00:00:00Z"
      },
      "renewal": {
        "description": "There is an optional extension period of two years (+1+1). \nThe financial cap for the initial 12 months will be a maximum of \u00a31,500,000 ex VAT. \nAny extension period would be subject to requirements, a variation process, funding approval and performance of the supplier up to a maximum value of \u00a33,000,000 ex VAT (for the optional extension years). \nThe maximum value of the contract including any extension years is \u00a34,500,000 ex VAT."
      },
      "status": "active",
      "title": "External Assurance Reviews of Local Authorities",
      "value": {
        "amount": 4500000,
        "amountGross": 5400000,
        "currency": "GBP"
      }
    }
  ],
  "date": "2025-12-03T13:21:06Z",
  "id": "079356-2025",
  "initiationType": "tender",
  "language": "en",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-0551fe",
  "parties": [
    {
      "address": {
        "country": "GB",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "London  United Kingdom",
        "postalCode": "SW1P 4DF",
        "region": "UKI32",
        "streetAddress": "2 Marsham Street"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "commercial@communities.gov.uk"
      },
      "details": {
        "classifications": [
          {
            "description": "Public authority - central government",
            "id": "publicAuthorityCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE"
          }
        ]
      },
      "id": "GB-PPON-PWCX-8281-CLPR",
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PWCX-8281-CLPR",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "name": "Ministry of Housing, Communities \u0026 Local Government",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ]
    },
    {
      "additionalIdentifiers": [
        {
          "id": "PDXT-3827-YNGN",
          "scheme": "GB-PPON"
        }
      ],
      "address": {
        "country": "GB",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "locality": "London",
        "postalCode": "E1 8AN",
        "region": "UKI42",
        "streetAddress": "77 Mansell Street"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "trackernotices@cipfa.org"
      },
      "details": {
        "publicServiceMissionOrganization": false,
        "scale": "sme",
        "shelteredWorkshop": false,
        "url": "http://www.cipfa.org",
        "vcse": false
      },
      "id": "GB-COH-02376684",
      "identifier": {
        "id": "02376684",
        "scheme": "GB-COH"
      },
      "name": "CIPFA BUSINESS LIMITED",
      "roles": [
        "supplier"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "tag": [
    "award",
    "contract"
  ],
  "tender": {
    "coveredBy": [
      "GPA"
    ],
    "description": "To appoint an external Supplier that can quickly mobilise resources to coordinate and conduct external assurance reviews of local authorities where those local authorities are identified as carrying significant risk and / or exhibiting evidence of failure. The reviews may cover a range of subject areas that include but are not limited to: governance processes, financial management, financial sustainability, commercial and companies, and procurement and contract management. Reviews will include recommendations on appropriate steps local authorities could take to address the issues / risks identified.\nIt is expected that the areas of focus for each review will not be mutually exclusive, and the Supplier is expected to consider the interdependencies across the different areas as required. There may be additional focuses for specific local authorities that may be included in review scopes, for instance, specific demand pressures or investments / companies that are driving financial pressures.\nExternal Assurance Reviews will be categorised as either (but not limited to)\n\"in depth assessment (finance and governance)\" - will encompass a wide scope across a range of subject areas\n\"in depth assessment (finance)\" - scopes which are principally focused on financial management \u0026 sustainability and/ or capital / debt \u0026 investments / assets, and improvement only\n\"in depth assessment (governance)\" - reviews focused on the governance, culture and leadership of organisation or service delivery (and improvement) - with only limited focus on financial elements of the authority under view\n\"rapid review\" (which could be financial or governance focused in nature)\nUnder this contract the Supplier will be expected to deliver against the following objectives:\nObjective 1 - Delivering Reviews: To deliver to MHCLG completed external assurance reviews of local authorities to an agreed timeframe to enable timely actions to be taken in response to their findings;\nObjective 2 - Consistency and Quality: To ensure consistency of quality, depth, and presentation of external assurance reviews, and that all reviews meet a good standard of written English;\nObjective 3 - Constructive Working Relationships: To work constructively with local authorities subject to an external assurance review to ensure review analysis and findings are robust, and maintain as far as possible a collaborative working relationship between local authority, Supplier and MHCLG;\nObjective 4 - Due Diligence to Reduce Legal Risk: To ensure that conflicts of interest are managed appropriately, and that the Supplier undertakes due diligence to reduce legal risk in all respects, this includes ensuring appropriate due diligence where a review implicates an identifiable individual.\nObjective 5 - Resource Capacity: To ensure resource capacity and flexibility is provided so that reviews can continue to be delivered to the agreed timeframes, particularly where reviews are occurring concurrently.\nObjective 6 - Expertise: To ensure Supplier reviewers / review teams have the necessary experience, expertise, qualifications and understanding of the local authority sector, reflecting the review scope may flex subject to the issues identified in individual local authorities.",
    "documents": [
      {
        "description": "Not published",
        "documentType": "conflictOfInterest",
        "id": "conflictOfInterest"
      }
    ],
    "id": "CPD4128021",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "scheme": "UKPGA",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents"
    },
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "status": "complete"
      }
    ],
    "procurementMethod": "open",
    "procurementMethodDetails": "Open procedure",
    "status": "complete",
    "title": "External Assurance Reviews of Local Authorities"
  }
}