Provision of External Audit and Corporation Tax Compliance for Council Companies

Part IV: Selection Criteria - A: Professional & Trade Registers - Question 4A.1 and 4A.2

The specification states the appointed Supplier must ensure their organisation and, where applicable, staff members are registered as an auditor with a relevant professional body. Please use the questions 4A.1 and 4A.2 to confirm and provide details of compliance with this criteria.

Where a Tenderer’s response is of a less than the acceptable standard, the Council may exclude the Tenderer from the competition or may apply discretion seeking supporting evidence to determine the Tenderer’s suitability to proceed in the competition.

Part IV: Selection criteria - B: Economic and financial standing – Question 4B.1 - Tenderers are required to have a minimum “general” annual turnover of 180,000 GBP for the last two financial years. Where a Tenderer does not have an annual turnover of this value, the Council may exclude the Tenderer from the competition or may apply discretion seeking supporting evidence to determine the Tenderer’s suitability to proceed in the competition.

Part IV: Selection criteria - B: Economic and financial standing – Question 4B.4 - Tenderers will be required provide the following information in response to 4B.4:

• Current ratio for Current Year: 1.10
• Current ratio for Prior Year: 1.10

The formula for calculating a Tenderer’s current ratio is current assets divided by current liabilities. The acceptable range for each financial ratio is greater than 1.10. Where a Tenderer’s current ratio is less than the acceptable value, the Council may exclude the Tenderer from the competition or may apply discretion seeking supporting evidence to determine the Tenderer’s suitability to proceed in the competition.

Part IV: Selection criteria - B: Economic and financial standing – Question 4B.5 - Tenderers are required to hold, or commit to obtaining prior to the commencement of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:

• Employers (Compulsory) Liability Insurance - 5m GBP
• Professional Indemnity Insurance - 5m GBP

Part IV: Selection criteria – C: Prompt Payment – Question 4C.4 – It is a mandatory requirement of this Contract that a prompt payment clause is present in all Contracts used in the delivery of the requirements. This ensures payment of sub-contractors at all stages of the supply chain within 30 days and includes an obligation to provide a point of contact for sub-contractors to refer to in the case of payment difficulties. This will require active monitoring of payment performance as well as the provision of evidence and reports to the Council on request or as contractually scheduled. Bidders should confirm that this condition will be met within the response to this question. Please note that tenderers who fail to answer “Yes” to this question may not have their tender considered further or proceed to the Price/Quality ratio calculation.

Part IV: Selection criteria – C: Living Wage Payment – Question 4C.4 – Tenderers are asked to confirm that they will pay staff that are involved in the delivery of the contract (including any agency or sub-contractor staff directly involved in the delivery of the contract), at least the real Living Wage. Bidders should confirm that this condition will be met within the response to this question. Please note that tenderers who fail to answer “Yes” to this question may not have their tender considered further or proceed to the Price/Quality ratio calculation.

Part IV: Selection criteria - C: Environmental Management Measures – Question 4C.7 – B…

Section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006

An individual or firm is eligible for appointment as a statutory auditor if the individual or firm—

a) is a member of a recognised supervisory body, and

b) is eligible for appointment under the rules of that body.