Official UK procurement notice
Internal Audit · Belfast Harbour (Jun 2026)
Authority: Belfast Harbour (Public body)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionBHC is seeking to enter into a contract with a suitably qualified and experienced professional services provider for the provision of internal audit and related services. The services required comprise:
a. Development of an Internal Audit Strategy and periodic Internal Audit Plan as required for approval by the Audit and Risk Committee.
b. Delivery of Internal Audit work as set out in the Internal Audit Plan, including submission of Internal Audit Reports to the Audit and Risk Committee.
c. Attending at least three Audit and Risk Committee meetings per annum.
d. Attendance at Leadership Team Risk meetings at least twice per year.
e. Availability to meet with Chair of Audit and Risk Committee as required.
f. Availability for periodic progress meetings with the nominated BHC contact for Internal Audit re progress reporting, issues arising and timing of reviews.
g. Keep BHC Management and Audit and Risk Committee informed of best practice; on internal controls, risk management and governance.
h. Risk management - This will include advising on industry practice, commenting on the BHC Corporate Risk Register, internal controls and corporate governance practices.
i. Any other service incidental to the above.
j. Liaison with the external auditors may be required from time to time.
Applicants should note that the successful Applicant must, as a condition of any contract award, possess an appropriate industry qualification to undertake statutory audit and be registered with one of the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB) members.
- How the procedure runs: It is anticipated that the tender process will proceed through the following stages: 1. Tender Notice published and pre-qualification documentation made available. 2. Pre-Qualification submissions evaluated and shortlist of Applicants selected. 3. Invitation to tender and associated documents issued to shortlisted Applicants. 4. Tender submissions evaluated. 5. Optional BAFO stage. 6. BAFO submissions (if requested) evaluated. 7. Issue assessment summaries and publish contract award notice. 8. Standstill period. 9. Contract award finalised. BHC reserves the right at any time to: - reject any or all responses and to cancel or withdraw from this tender process at any time; - award a contract without prior notice; - change the basis of, the procedures and timescales set out or referred to within the tender documents; - require a bidder to clarify any submissions in writing and/or to provide additional information. The costs of responding to this notice and participation in this process will be borne by each bidder. All discussions and correspondence will be deemed strictly subject to contract until a formal contract is entered into. The formal contract shall not be binding until it has been signed and dated by the duly authorised representatives of both parties. If at any time during the tender process or post award it comes to the attention of BHC (by whatever means) that a supplier has become 'excluded' or 'excludable' (as defined by section 57 of the Procurement Act 2023) BHC, after complying with its obligations under the Procurement Act 2023, reserves the right to exclude that supplier from the procurement process or terminate any contract awarded to that supplier. Applicants are advised that BHC has appointed Carson McDowell to act on its behalf in relation to this procurement process. Given their prior involvement in the preparation for and/or during the procurement process, Carson McDowell may not be part of an Applicant's team or advisors in relation to this procurement process. Applicants must not contact Carson McDowell, directly or indirectly, with a view to obtaining information in relation to this procurement process. All requests for clarification must be submitted strictly in accordance with the clarification procedure set out in the PQQ.
CPV: Accounting and auditing services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£450,000
- Economic & financial standing
Conditions of Participation are as stated in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire
- Technical & professional ability
Conditions of Participation are as stated in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire
- Condition of participationshortlisting
Subject to a sufficient number of compliant responses being received, BHC intends (according to the process described in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) to invite a maximum of the five (5) highest ranked compliant Applicants, following evaluation of PQQ responses, to the Invitation to Tender stage of the process, provided that BHC, acting at its discretion, reserves the right to invite less than five (5) Applicants to tender. Where there is a tie for fifth (5th) place, all Applicants in fifth (5th) place will be invited to tender. For the purposes of this exercise, a tie for fifth (5th) place is deemed to occur where two or more Applicants have identical scores.
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
- Price
- Economic & financial standing
Conditions of Participation are as stated in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire
- Technical & professional ability
Conditions of Participation are as stated in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire
- Condition of participationshortlisting
Subject to a sufficient number of compliant responses being received, BHC intends (according to the process described in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire) to invite a maximum of the five (5) highest ranked compliant Applicants, following evaluation of PQQ responses, to the Invitation to Tender stage of the process, provided that BHC, acting at its discretion, reserves the right to invite less than five (5) Applicants to tender. Where there is a tie for fifth (5th) place, all Applicants in fifth (5th) place will be invited to tender. For the purposes of this exercise, a tie for fifth (5th) place is deemed to occur where two or more Applicants have identical scores.
- 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
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Closed
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Utilities
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA, CPTPP)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 26 Jun 2026, 14:06 BST
- Last source update
- 26 Jun 2026, 14:06 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 30 Oct 2026
- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-060376- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-06be4eFind a Tender- Contract terms summary
Payment terms will be set out in the contract.
The contract value stated above includes all potential contract extensions. The total value therefore represents the upper end of BHC's best estimate of the total potential value of the contract.
Applicants should note that:
- BHC reserves the right to require bonds, deposits, guarantees or other forms of security to ensure proper contractual performance.
- Subject to the status and involvement of the parties, BHC may require the parties to commit to joint and several liability in respect of the contract. Alternatively, BHC may require the lead operator to take total responsibility or a consortium to form a legal entity before entering into any contract.
- How it runs
It is anticipated that the tender process will proceed through the following stages:
- Tender Notice published and pre-qualification documentation made available.
- Pre-Qualification submissions evaluated and shortlist of Applicants selected.
- Invitation to tender and associated documents issued to shortlisted Applicants.
- Tender submissions evaluated.
- Optional BAFO stage.
- BAFO submissions (if requested) evaluated.
- Issue assessment summaries and publish contract award notice.
- Standstill period.
- Contract award finalised.
BHC reserves the right at any time to:
- reject any or all responses and to cancel or withdraw from this tender process at any time;
- award a contract without prior notice;
- change the basis of, the procedures and timescales set out or referred to within the tender documents;
- require a bidder to clarify any submissions in writing and/or to provide additional information.
The costs of responding to this notice and participation in this process will be borne by each bidder. All discussions and correspondence will be deemed strictly subject to contract until a formal contract is entered into. The formal contract shall not be binding until it has been signed and dated by the duly authorised representatives of both parties.
If at any time during the tender process or post award it comes to the attention of BHC (by whatever means) that a supplier has become 'excluded' or 'excludable' (as defined by section 57 of the Procurement Act 2023) BHC, after complying with its obligations under the Procurement Act 2023, reserves the right to exclude that supplier from the procurement process or terminate any contract awarded to that supplier.
Applicants are advised that BHC has appointed Carson McDowell to act on its behalf in relation to this procurement process. Given their prior involvement in the preparation for and/or during the procurement process, Carson McDowell may not be part of an Applicant's team or advisors in relation to this procurement process. Applicants must not contact Carson McDowell, directly or indirectly, with a view to obtaining information in relation to this procurement process.
All requests for clarification must be submitted strictly in accordance with the clarification procedure set out in the PQQ.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 24 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 24 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
- Clarification deadline
- 17 Jul 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Not allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Requests to participate (i.e. completed Pre-Qualification Questionnaires) must be submitted by email to [email protected] in accordance with the instructions specified in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.
The pre-qualification documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at www.belfast-harbour.co.uk/corporate/tenders ↗
Applicants who wish to participate in this tender process will be required to provide their contact details before downloading the pre-qualification documents. Applicants who fail to provide their details to BHC or register in this manner will not receive any clarifications or updated information provided by BHC during the tender process.
Applicants are advised not to include marketing information, brochures or links to other documents within their Pre-Qualification Questionnaire responses. Emails which contain suspicious contents or links to third party servers or websites may be quarantined or rejected by the BHC email filtering systems.
It is the Applicant's responsibility to ensure that a delivery receipt is received for Pre-Qualification Questionnaire submissions. BHC does not accept any responsibility for the premature opening or mishandling of PQQ documents that are not submitted in accordance with these instructions.
Timeline
26 Jun 2026 → 1 Jan 2027 · 5 dates- Tender notice published118 days ago26 Jun 2026, 14:06 BST
- Clarification questions by97 days ago17 Jul 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline90 days ago24 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
- Today22 Oct 2026
- Award decision expected byin 9 days30 Oct 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 71 days1 Jan 2027
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Tender notice published26 Jun 2026, 14:06 BSTUK4
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire is available at the above website.
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender