External Audit Service

What the buyer is asking for

Avanti Schools Trust invites offers from suitably qualified audit firms for the provision of external audit, regularity assurance and related statutory reporting services. The Trust is a successful multi-academy trust with 12 schools across London, Leicester, South West and Hertfordshire. It is a company limited by guarantee, an exempt charity and is accountable to the Department for Education (DfE) through its funding agreement. The Trust requires an audit provider with deep academy sector expertise, strong technical audit quality, robust independence arrangements and a practical understanding of the financial, regulatory and governance environment in which multi-academy trusts operate. The Trust expects bidders to comply with the applicable audit legislation, Companies Act requirements, Charity SORP, Financial Reporting Standard 102, the Academies Accounts Direction, the Academy Trust Handbook and relevant Financial Reporting Council standards. How to Participate Organisations wishing to make a tender submission need to go to https://in-tendhost.co.uk/educationportal/aspx/Home. You will be able view and respond to the ITT at the same time, view other attached documents and send questions and queries via the messaging system within the portal. All communications regarding this tender must be via this messaging system. ITT Reference number: AST-AUDIT-2026-135: External Audit, Regularity Assurance and Associated Reporting Services. If you need any assistance using the e-tendering website please call or email: support@in-tend.com or call the support phone number: +44 (0)114 4070065.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 100%qualityAward criteriaSubmissions will be evaluated on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender. Evaluation will be based on: • Academy sector and team experience • Trust accounts, audit and regularity • Team and resourcing • Subsidiaries and tax • Quality and independence 60% Quality and 40% Price will used for ranking and direct award

What you must already have

Conditions of participation. These are pass or fail, so check them before writing anything.

• economic

  • The firm is a registered auditor with a recognised supervisory body and the engagement partner is a responsible individual • Confirm the firm holds professional indemnity insurance and will maintain it for the contract term

• technical

  • The firm can provide every service in the service specification, including the subsidiary audits, corporation tax compliance and iXBRL tagging and filing • Confirm the firm is independent of the Trust and its subsidiaries under the FRC Ethical Standard and has no conflicts of interest (or disclose them in full)

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 290 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

4 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published17 days ago

   20 Oct 2026, 15:04 BST
2. Clarification questions byin 17 days

   23 Nov 2026, 15:00 GMT
3. Submission deadlinein 35 days

   11 Dec 2026, 15:00 GMT
4. Award decision expected byin 119 days

   5 Mar 2027, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

2 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender

1. Pipeline or early engagement notice19 Oct 2026, 17:52 BST098703-2026
2. Tender notice20 Oct 2026, 15:04 BST099095-2026

Documents

• biddingDocuments
• technicalSpecifications
• Tender notice on Find a Tender