Official UK procurement notice
Research Services: Unlocking Barriers to Audit Technology
Authority: THE FINANCIAL REPORTING COUNCIL LIMITED (Central government)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionTHIS IS A CONTRACT AWARD
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) regulates auditors, accountants and actuaries and sets the UK's Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes. As the Competent Authority for audit in the UK, we set auditing and ethical standards and monitor and enforce audit quality.
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is committed to supporting a resilient audit market which delivers high-quality services and outcomes.
FRC research and stakeholder engagement highlight that the largest audit firms are making significant advances in the use of technology. Mid-tier audit firms are also experimenting and adopting new tools, with varying levels of maturity in their approaches. Smaller audit firms, however, often face greater barriers to adoption, including limited time, resource constraints, technical expertise, and perceived need. As a result, they may be less able to invest in audit technology and are more likely to rely on off-the-shelf third-party solutions.
FRC via further competition under the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) framework agreement - CCS Research & Insights - GCA have commissioned an independent research provider to undertake qualitative research into the factors influencing the adoption and usage of audit technology across the UK audit market.
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · no lot value publishedLot #1Lot 1Awarded
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Below threshold - limited competition
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- No (one-off requirement)
- First published
- 17 Sept 2026, 12:57 BST
- Last source update
- 17 Sept 2026, 12:57 BST
- Authority reference
FRC2026-071- Latest notice
- Contract details notice (UK7)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077453
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics — not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFF Research LimitedSME | — | — | Awarded |
Contracts
Research Services: Unlocking Barriers to Audit Technology · IFF Research LimitedSME
- Signed
- 17 Sept 2026
- Value
- £74,850
- Period
- 24 Sept 2026 — 27 Mar 2027 · up to 24 Sept 2027 with extensions
- Status
- active
- Extensions
- A further 6 months .
- Options
- Additional Services of the same / similar nature.
Notice history
1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender- Contract details notice published17 Sept 2026, 12:57 BSTUK7
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Bidders & participating suppliers
1 commercial party on the notice- IFF Research LimitedAwarded supplierView supplier profile →
Official documents & specifications (1)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Contract details notice Contract details notice on Find a Tender