Official UK procurement notice
External Audit Services · UK public procurement notice
Authority: Southern Housing (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionSouthern Housing are procuring External Audit Services to undertake an independent audit of Southern Housing and its related
subsidiaries to be carried out in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)).
Southern Housing published a Preliminary Market Engagement notice related to this procurement and have undertaken Preliminary Market Engagement.
The contract will be for a maximum term of 5 years and will be subject to the annual re-appointment of the external auditors by the
Southern Housing Board.
The Client is targeting the following strategic objectives and added value benefits:
a. Deliver work requirements in line with the scope and specified instructions
b. Deliver works within the required timelines
c. Proactive communication – working in partnership
d. Act as a professional and informed sounding board
e. Provide proactive support to the Audit & Risk Committee
f. Being kept informed of forthcoming / potential changes in financial reporting requirements
g. Ideas for how the external audit process could be delivered more efficiently by SH / audit firm each year.
- The authority expects to re-tender this requirement around 11 Jan 2030, 23:59 GMT.
CPV: Auditing services · Financial auditing services · Statutory audit services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1AwardedPublished value£5,000,000
- Economic & financial standing
Legal and financial conditions of participation are as set out in the Volume 6 Conditions of Participation Questionnaire
- Technical & professional ability
Technical conditions of participation are as set out in the Volume 6 Conditions of Participation Questionnaire
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).
Published award criteria (2)
- Quality: As set out in the Invitation to Tender
- Price: As set out in the Invitation to Tender
- Economic & financial standing
Legal and financial conditions of participation are as set out in the Volume 6 Conditions of Participation Questionnaire
- Technical & professional ability
Technical conditions of participation are as set out in the Volume 6 Conditions of Participation Questionnaire
- Price carries 30 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 3 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.
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
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Yes · next expected 11 Jan 2030
- First published
- 20 Nov 2025, 19:43 GMT
- Last source update
- 5 May 2026, 12:43 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 2 Apr 2026
- Authority reference
SH2025043- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-002875- Latest notice
- Contract award notice (UK6)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05e5eeFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
As set out within the Invitation to Tender documentation
- Risks
a) Skilled resource availability
b) Labour cost volatility
c) Change of law/legislation
d) Change of regulation and accounting standards
e) Supplier failure
How it was run
Official notice- Submission deadline
- 23 Feb 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 16 Feb 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Tender documents can be accessed at www.mytenders.co.uk ↗ Please follow the instructions set out in the Invitation to Tender
Timeline
20 Nov 2025 → 1 Oct 2026 · 11 dates- Planning notice published335 days ago20 Nov 2025, 19:43 GMT
- Market engagement321 days ago4 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
This notice is not an invitation for formal expressions of interest. The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement Notice and the questionnaire that we are asking you to complete is to gain some early insight and feedback from the market in relation to this exciting opportunity.
Potential future bidders will not be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this Pre Market Engagement Notice. The procurement of the contracts by Southern Housing will be carried out strictly in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.
This process is being undertaken to share some headline information about the opportunity and also gather knowledge, feedback and insight in the following areas:
- Capacity and resources
- Interest and possible barriers
- Scope and requirements
- Pricing and commercial considerations
- Procurement process and timelines
- Compliance or regulatory factors.
The information gathered will be used:
- to inform the procurement process
- to inform and influence the structure and content of the tender documents and
- to provide feedback in relation to the appetite of the market together with information that will allow the exercise to be shaped to elicit a positive response from providers.
The benefits to your organisation in participating in this process include:
- the chance to assess whether the opportunity will be suitable and of interest to you
- ensuring that the approach is realistic and market-focused
- the chance to raise any risks, concerns or issues regarding the potential opportunity
Your responses will assist us in creating a process which is well-framed, focused, feasible and likely to be of interest to the market.
There is no commercial advantage or disadvantage to your organisation as a result of being involved in this exercise. This process focuses on the market as a whole, rather than on the merits of individual suppliers. It involves no element of supplier selection or bid evaluation.
Finally, please be assured that any commercially sensitive information provided to us as part of this process will be treated in confidence, used only for the purposes of this market engagement exercise, and will not be disclosed to any other organisation, subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Interested companies are to complete the online questionnaire at forms.office.com/e/3CQ1y8SJ1q ↗ by the engagement deadline.
- Next notice expected309 days ago16 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published281 days ago13 Jan 2026, 17:43 GMT
- Clarification questions by247 days ago16 Feb 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Submission deadline240 days ago23 Feb 2026, 17:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by202 days ago2 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
- Assessment summaries sent174 days ago1 May 2026, 00:00 BST
- Latest notice published170 days ago5 May 2026, 12:43 BST
- Standstill ends160 days ago14 May 2026, 23:59 BST
- Contract starts21 days ago1 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
9 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 20 Nov 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published20 Nov 2025, 19:43 GMTUK2
- Tender notice published13 Jan 2026, 17:43 GMTUK4
- Published value updated to £5,000,00013 Jan 2026, 17:43 GMTwas £3,125,000
- Status changed to active13 Jan 2026, 17:43 GMT
- Procurement method changed13 Jan 2026, 17:43 GMT
- Deadline published: 23 Feb 2026, 17:00 GMT13 Jan 2026, 17:43 GMT
- Contract award notice published5 May 2026, 12:43 BSTUK6
- Status changed to complete5 May 2026, 12:43 BST
- Contract signature expected5 Jun 2026, 23:59 BSTscheduled
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BDO LLP1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031Options: Adhoc related services within the scope of the contract, arising from day to day financial services requirements may be instructed. | £3,255,000 | 16 Apr 2026standstill to 14 May 2026 | Standstill |
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5final-stage tenders | 0 | 0 | — |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- BDO LLPAwarded supplier
Official documents & specifications (9)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications Volume 3- External Audit Services - Specification
- Bidding documents and specifications Volume 1 - External Audit Services Price Framework
- Bidding documents and specifications Volume 5 - External Audit Services - Quality Submission Response Document
- Bidding documents and specifications Volume 4 - External Audit Services - KPI Framework
- Bidding documents and specifications Appendix 1 - External Audit Services - Tender Certificate and Appendices
- Bidding documents and specifications Volume 2 - External Audit Services - Contract for Services v1
Notices published for this procedure
- Contract award notice Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender