Official UK procurement notice
Internal Audit Services (Apex Framework)
Authority: London Borough of Croydon (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe Council is tendering for provision of an internal audit services (single supplier) framework for the London Borough of Croydon and for shared services work at other public sector organisations.
Tender documents are available through the Council e-procurement portal at in-tendhost.co.uk/croydontenders/aspx/… ↗
The internal audit service will be based on the Institute of Internal Auditor’s (IIA) Global Internal Audit Standards (GIAS) subject to the Application Note Global Internal Audit Standards in the UK Public Sector (Application Note) and the CIPFA Code of Practice for the Governance of Internal Audit in UK Local Government (Code of Practice). The Service should use a risk-based approach to audit activity and hence Internal Audit will be involved in corporate governance and risk management.
The scope of the service will comprise all activities necessary to ensure an independent appraisal of the affairs of Croydon Council. The scope includes the whole system of internal controls, financial and otherwise as established by the Council.
The contractor will be responsible for ensuring that Croydon Council meets all of the requirements as set out in the tender documents. All areas of Croydon Council’s activities should be audited on a risk based approach and/or at frequencies set out by Croydon Council.
The audit areas to be undertaken and included in the scope of the service are:
- systems (including computer audit) and compliance audits;
- probity audits;
- contract and project management audits;
- risk management and governance reviews, and
- specialist and ad-hoc audits.
CPV: Auditing services · Financial auditing services · Internal audit services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Type
- Open framework
- Call-offs
- call-offs are awarded directly to appointed suppliers, without further competition
- Places
- up to 1 suppliers · 1 bids received (1.0 per place) · 1 appointed (full)
- Framework period
- 4 yrs · up to 6 yrs from 1 Apr 2026
- Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
- A nominal admin fee is charged to users of the framework.
Who may buy through it
All public sector authorities
Published description of the framework
Unit prices/day rates. Single supplier framework.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedRenewalPublished value£13,500,000
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
- Quality
- Price
- Social Value
- “Internal Audit Services (Apex Framework)” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, up to 1 suppliers, not a single contract, and call-offs are awarded directly: getting appointed is the whole game.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- All public sector authorities
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 20 May 2025, 16:35 BST
- Last source update
- 1 Apr 2026, 14:53 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 28 Feb 2026
- Authority reference
LBC/TN/630- FTS notice number
2025/S 000-077840- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-051969Find a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 8 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 19 Dec 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
- Supplier levy on call-offs (max %)
- call-off levy · A nominal admin fee is charged to users of the framework.
Timeline
20 May 2025 → 14 Apr 2026 · 10 dates- Planning notice published20 May 2025, 16:35 BST
- Next notice expected359 days ago1 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published333 days ago27 Nov 2025, 16:25 GMT
- Clarification questions by311 days ago19 Dec 2025, 12:00 GMT
- Admission / appointment period ends291 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown8 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by240 days ago28 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Assessment summaries sent214 days ago27 Mar 2026
- Contract starts209 days ago1 Apr 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published208 days ago1 Apr 2026, 14:53 BST
- Standstill ends195 days ago14 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
Notice history
15 events · 7 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 May 2025- Pipeline notice published20 May 2025, 16:35 BSTUK1
- Pipeline notice published22 May 2025, 11:37 BSTUK1
- Pipeline notice published26 Aug 2025, 12:35 BSTUK1
- Pipeline notice published26 Aug 2025, 12:56 BSTUK1
- Published value updated26 Aug 2025, 12:56 BST
- Tender notice published27 Nov 2025, 16:25 GMTUK4
- Published value published: £13,500,00027 Nov 2025, 16:25 GMT
- Status changed to active27 Nov 2025, 16:25 GMT
- Procurement method changed27 Nov 2025, 16:25 GMT
- Deadline published: 5 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT27 Nov 2025, 16:25 GMT
- Tender notice published10 Dec 2025, 10:14 GMTUK4
- Deadline moved to 8 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT10 Dec 2025, 10:14 GMT+3 days · was 5 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Contract award notice published1 Apr 2026, 14:53 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete1 Apr 2026, 14:53 BST
- Contract signature expected16 Apr 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Published amendments (4)
Note scope of services is Audit Services only Anti-fraud has been removed
Changes to the notice set out scope and contract term. It is the intention to procure a single supplier framework for provision of audit services to the Council. The framework will be open to other public sector bodies to use. A 4 year term with an optional 2 year extension is proposed as there will be TUPE implications.
Framework value updated to reflect estimated usage.
Submission deadline extended until 08/01/2026 12:00
Routine re-releases (7)
- 2025-08: 2 releases · 26 Aug 2025, 26 Aug 2025
- 2025-05: 2 releases · 20 May 2025, 22 May 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mazars LLP17 Apr 2026 – 16 Apr 2030 | £13,500,000 | 27 Mar 2026standstill to 14 Apr 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1final-stage tenders · 4 at stage one | 0 | 0 | — |
Who bid
- wonForvis Mazars LLP · Greater London
Bidders as named on the Procurement Act 2023 award notice. “Won” means the bidder holds an award on this notice.
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Framework contractors & participating bidders
1 commercial party on the notice- Forvis Mazars LLPFramework contractor
Official documents & specifications (8)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender