External Auditing Tender for Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is seeking the provision of external audit services with effect from January 2016.
United Kingdom-Manchester: Financial auditing services
2015/S 094-170366
Contract notice
Services
Directive 2004/18/EC
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)
Manchester Metropolitan University
All Saints Building, Oxford Road
Contact point(s): Procurement
For the attention of: Jenny Moore
M15 6BH Manchester
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 1612471883
E-mail: j.moore@mmu.ac.uk
Internet address(es):
General address of the contracting authority: www.mmu.ac.uk
Address of the buyer profile: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/aspx/home
Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)
I.2)Type of the contracting authority
I.3)Main activity
I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities
Section II: Object of the contract
II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:
II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance
Service category No 9: Accounting, auditing and bookkeeping services
NUTS code UKD3,UKD4
II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)
II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)
The contract length will be for three years with an option to extend for up to two more years.
The firms participating in the tender process will be required to submit their proposals against a set of criteria. The criteria will include the following areas:
— Organisation and capability – experience, scope of service, technical expertise and support, culture and independence assurance;
— Audit approach and delivery – including knowledge of the sector, audit planning process, quality of accounting judgements, liaison
with and reliance upon Internal Audit, timely resolution of audit issues and transition experience
— Audit quality – including quality assurance, audit effectiveness, audit reporting, integrity, independence, objectivity, process
improvement and added value;
— Resourcing and engagement team – including quality of proposed audit team, skills and personal qualities of audit partners and
leadership, team structure, and responsiveness; Fees and terms.
II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
79212100, 79212000
II.1.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
II.1.8)Lots
II.1.9)Information about variants
II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:
The University has a total student population in excess of 34 000 studying in the UK and is one of the most popular universities in the UK with strong application numbers. MMU had a turnover of 249 000 000 GBP in 2013/14, generating a surplus of 14 000 000 GBP, and has 443 000 000 GBP total fixed assets.
We employ approximately 4 400 staff comprising of 1 400 full time teaching staff, 800 part time teaching and casual staff and 2 200 support staff.
The Board of Governors of the Manchester Metropolitan University constitutes a higher education corporation; established under the provisions of the Education Reform Act 1988. As a higher education corporation, the University is not registered with Companies House and does not have a company registration number.
It enjoys charitable status as an exempt charity under Schedule 2 to the Charities Act 1993 (amended by the Charities Act 2006).
The Requirements:
Manchester Metropolitan University is seeking the provision of external audit services with effect from January 2016. The term of office for the current external auditors ends on completion of the audit of the 2014/15 financial statements.
In following the requirements of the Higher Education SORP and the Audit Code of Practice from HEFCE, the University prepares financial statements and requires these to be audited for presentation to the Board of Governors each November.
The primary role of the external auditor will be to report on the financial statements of the University and its subsidiaries, and to carry out whatever examination of the statements and underlying records and control systems is necessary to reach an opinion on the financial statements.
The external auditor should also examine whether, in all material respects, recurrent and specific grants and income from the HEFCE (and other bodies and restricted funds) have been properly applied for the purposes provided and in accordance with the Memorandum of Assurance and Accountability between HEFCE and MMU. The work will specifically include the audit of the National College for Teaching and Leadership Grant and the US Loans Compliance Report. It will also include any subsidiary companies that require auditing. The contract length will be for three years with an option to extend for up to two more years.
The firms participating in the tender process will be required to submit their proposals against a set of criteria. The criteria will include the following areas:
— Organisation and capability – experience, scope of service, technical expertise and support, culture and independence assurance;
— Audit approach and delivery – including knowledge of the sector, audit planning process, quality of accounting judgements, liaison with and reliance upon Internal Audit, timely resolution of audit issues and transition experience
— Audit quality – including quality assurance, audit effectiveness, audit reporting, integrity, independence, objectivity, process improvement and added value;
— Resourcing and engagement team – including quality of proposed audit team, skills and personal qualities of audit partners and leadership, team structure, and responsiveness; Fees and terms.
II.2.2)Information about options
II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:
III.1.2)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:
III.1.4)Other particular conditions
Description of particular conditions:
III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: In order to be considered for participation, firms must complete and return one electronic copy of the pre-qualification questionnaire, which can be downloaded from the University”s e-tendering system, Intend, wed link below:
http://in-tendhost.co.uk/mmu/aspx/home
The pre-qualification questionnaire must be completed and submitted electronically via Intend by 12:00 noon Monday 22.6.2015.
III.2.2)Economic and financial ability
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: In order to be considered for participation, firms must complete and return one electronic copy of the pre-qualification questionnaire, which can be downloaded from the University”s e-tendering system, Intend, wed link below:
http://in-tendhost.co.uk/mmu/aspx/home
The pre-qualification questionnaire must be completed and submitted electronically via Intend by 12:00 noon Monday 22.6.2015.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: In order to be considered for participation, firms must complete and return one electronic copy of the pre-qualification questionnaire, which can be downloaded from the University”s e-tendering system, Intend, wed link below:
http://in-tendhost.co.uk/mmu/aspx/home
The pre-qualification questionnaire must be completed and submitted electronically via Intend by 12:00 noon Monday 22.6.2015.
III.2.3)Technical capacity
In order to be considered for participation, firms must complete and return one electronic copy of the pre-qualification questionnaire, which can be downloaded from the University”s e-tendering system, Intend, wed link below:
http://in-tendhost.co.uk/mmu/aspx/home
The pre-qualification questionnaire must be completed and submitted electronically via Intend by 12:00 noon Monday 22.6.2015.
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:
In order to be considered for participation, firms must complete and return one electronic copy of the pre-qualification questionnaire, which can be downloaded from the University”s e-tendering system, Intend, wed link below:
http://in-tendhost.co.uk/mmu/aspx/home
The pre-qualification questionnaire must be completed and submitted electronically via Intend by 12:00 noon Monday 22.6.2015.
III.3.1)Information about a particular profession
Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision: As per the HEFCE Audit Code of Practice the qualifications required for external auditors of higher education corporations are as set out in paragraph 59(b) of Schedule 8 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. For other entities, the requirements are the same as under the Companies Acts. Auditors should be registered with one of the appropriate professional bodies.
III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
IV.1.2)Limitations on the number of operators who will be invited to tender or to participate
Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: PQQ”s will be assessed to determine which firms provide the best evidence of their experience, in delivering contracts of a similar nature to the contract advertised.
IV.2.1)Award criteria
IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction
IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:
IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract
IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document
Payable documents: no
IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
IV.3.5)Date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates
IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up
IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders
Place:Manchester Metropolitan University.
Please note that this date relates to the opening ceremony for the PQQ Stage only.
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1)Information about recurrence
Estimated timing for further notices to be published: 2 years.
VI.2)Information about European Union funds
VI.4.1)Body responsible for appeal procedures
Manchester Metropolitan University
All Saints Building, Oxford Rd
M15 6BH Manchester
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail: j.moore@mmu.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 1612471883
Internet address: www.mmu.ac.uk
Body responsible for mediation procedures
Manchester Metropolitan University
All Saints Building, Oxford Rd
M156BH Manchester
UNITED KINGDOM
E-mail: j.moore@mmu.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 1612471883
Internet address: www.mmu.ac.uk
VI.4.2)Lodging of appeals
The notification will provide full information on the award decision and provides for unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision prior to the contract being entered into.
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice: