Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice
Published 17 Sept 2026, 12:57 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Research Services: Unlocking Barriers to Audit Technology

Authority: THE FINANCIAL REPORTING COUNCIL LIMITED (Central government)

Below threshold - limited competition
Awarded value £74,850published contract · exc. VAT
Awarded 17 Sept 2026
Awarded to IFF Research Limited

What is being bought

Published requirement description

THIS 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 published
Lot #1Lot 1Awarded
Delivery: North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West
73000000 Research and development services and related consultancy services

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
North East (UKC)North West (UKD)Yorkshire & Humber (UKE)East Midlands (UKF)West Midlands (UKG)East of England (UKH)London (UKI)South East (UKJ)+1 more
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-077453

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics — not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £74,8501 contract exc. VAT
Contracts signed 1latest 17 Sept 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
IFF Research LimitedSMEAwarded

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
  1. Contract details notice published
    17 Sept 2026, 12:57 BSTUK7

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

THE FINANCIAL REPORTING COUNCIL LIMITED

Contracting authorityPublic authority - central government GB-COH: 02486368 · GB-PPON: PLRG-2717-VPBY 13th Floor, Exchange Tower, 1 Harbour Exchange Square, London, London, E14 9GE [email protected]
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Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

Official documents & specifications (1)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender