✓Tender information last checkedLast checked 5 Oct 2026, 18:21.
Opportunity overview
First Garden Cities Homes (FGCH), a Registered Provider of Social Housing based in Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, intends to appoint a firm to act as its outsourced internal audit function from 1 April 2027. The current contract reaches its natural end on 31/03/2027.
The appointed firm will report to FGCH's Audit & Risk Committee and provide independent, objective assurance over governance, risk management and internal control. The services include a risk-based strategic and annual internal audit plan, delivery of the agreed programme of reviews, follow-up of agreed actions through a recommendation tracker, attendance at Audit & Risk Committee meetings as required, support to counter-fraud arrangements, and an annual internal audit opinion timed to inform the Board's annual assurance to the Regulator of Social Housing.
The contract will run for three years, with an option to extend once by a further two years. It will be a rate-based engagement: FGCH will appoint a team at a single composite day rate, with the volume of work commissioned annually by the Audit & Risk Committee. Following the regulatory judgement issued to FGCH in 2025, the Committee has set an elevated assurance requirement. The programme will therefore be broader in the next three years than is typical for a Registered Provider of FGCH's size, but it is expected to reduce in years 4 and 5 if an extension is agreed.
The Procurement Act 2023 requires that consideration be given to dividing all contracts into lots. This contract will not be divided into lots. Internal audit must produce a single, integrated opinion on FGCH's framework of governance, risk management and control, from one audit provider.
FGCH intends to use the Competitive Flexible Procedure as defined in s.20 of the Act comprising a written tender stage open to all suppliers, followed by a scored presentation to the selection panel, made up of Audit & Risk Committee members, for the highest-ranked tenderers. There will be no negotiation.
Classification
CPV79212200 — Internal audit services
Lots
Lot 1Value not stated
Documents and notices
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a TenderOpen source ↗
Published notice details
Additional information from the published procurement release. Fields appear only when supplied by the source; check the original notice and tender documents before acting.
Suitably qualified firms with a proven track record of internal audit for registered providers of social housing are invited to contact First Garden Cities Homes via the email address in this notice to arrange an informal discussion about the opportunity.
Due
21 Oct 2026, 00:59
Status
scheduled
Documents
Entry 1
Id
094003-2026
Document Type
marketEngagementNotice
Notice Type
UK2
Description
Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Buyer location · Letchworth Garden City · UKH23 · SG6 1NY · United Kingdom
Delivery location · UKH23 · United Kingdom
Notice and amendment history
1 published notice version reviewed by ProcuraAxis.
1 VERSION
1
094003-2026Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ·
PROCURAAXIS ANALYSIS
ProcuraAxis Analysis
Our approved analysis of the opportunity appears below the official tender information.
ANALYSIS PREVIEW
Opportunity intelligence at a glance
Early-stage planned procurement for an outsourced internal audit provider for First Garden Cities Homes (FGCH). The provider will deliver independent assurance on governance, risk management and internal controls, including audit planning, audit reviews, action tracking, committee support, counter-fraud support and an annual internal audit opinion. Bidding is not yet open.
Who this may suit
Suitable for firms that provide outsourced internal audit services to social housing providers and can support an elevated assurance programme. The proposed engagement is rate-based and requires a single integrated internal audit opinion from one provider.
Key points identified
Core serviceAct as FGCH's outsourced internal audit function and provide independent, objective assurance over governance, risk management and internal control.Evidence: "appoint a firm to act as its outsourced internal audit function" and "provide independent, objective assurance over governance, risk management and internal control."
Audit planningProvide a risk-based strategic and annual internal audit plan.Evidence: "The services include a risk-based strategic and annual internal audit plan"
Integrated audit providerOne provider must produce a single, integrated opinion on the governance, risk management and control framework.Evidence: "Internal audit must produce a single, integrated opinion... from one audit provider."
97% approved-analysis confidence7 supplier criteria identified4 risks or unknowns
ProcuraAxis structures information found in published procurement records, checks the result for consistency and publishes only approved analysis. Confidence describes the completeness and consistency of the available source information; it is not a guarantee of eligibility or contract award.
Early-stage planned procurement for an outsourced internal audit provider for First Garden Cities Homes (FGCH). The provider will deliver independent assurance on governance, risk management and internal controls, including audit planning, audit reviews, action tracking, committee support, counter-fraud support and an annual internal audit opinion. Bidding is not yet open.
Who this may suit
Suitable for firms that provide outsourced internal audit services to social housing providers and can support an elevated assurance programme. The proposed engagement is rate-based and requires a single integrated internal audit opinion from one provider.
Key deliverables
Risk-based strategic and annual internal audit plan
Agreed programme of internal audit reviews
Follow-up of agreed actions using a recommendation tracker
Attendance at Audit & Risk Committee meetings as required
Support to counter-fraud arrangements
Annual internal audit opinion for Board assurance to the Regulator of Social Housing
SUPPLIER REQUIREMENTS
7 criteria identified
Core service
99% confidence
Act as FGCH's outsourced internal audit function and provide independent, objective assurance over governance, risk management and internal control.
View supporting evidence
"appoint a firm to act as its outsourced internal audit function" and "provide independent, objective assurance over governance, risk management and internal control."
Audit planning
99% confidence
Provide a risk-based strategic and annual internal audit plan.
View supporting evidence
"The services include a risk-based strategic and annual internal audit plan"
Integrated audit provider
99% confidence
One provider must produce a single, integrated opinion on the governance, risk management and control framework.
View supporting evidence
"Internal audit must produce a single, integrated opinion... from one audit provider."
Assurance workload
96% confidence
Support a broader-than-typical programme during the first three years because of an elevated assurance requirement.
View supporting evidence
"The programme will therefore be broader in the next three years than is typical for a Registered Provider of FGCH's size"
Supplier certifications or accreditations
98% confidence
Unknown; none are explicitly stated in the supplied notice.
View supporting evidence
No certification or accreditation is named in the supplied opportunity data.
Supplier access
98% confidence
The planned written tender stage will be open to all suppliers.
View supporting evidence
"a written tender stage open to all suppliers"
Other selection requirements
98% confidence
Unknown at this preliminary market engagement stage.
View supporting evidence
The supplied notice does not state financial, insurance, experience, company-size or other selection criteria.
COMMERCIAL AND DELIVERY
Contract intelligence
Commercial
Pricing model
99% confidence
Rate-based engagement using a single composite day rate for the appointed team.
View supporting evidence
"It will be a rate-based engagement: FGCH will appoint a team at a single composite day rate"
Work volumes
99% confidence
Work volume will be commissioned annually by the Audit & Risk Committee.
View supporting evidence
"the volume of work commissioned annually by the Audit & Risk Committee."
Initial term
99% confidence
Three years.
View supporting evidence
"The contract will run for three years"
Extension
99% confidence
One optional extension of a further two years.
View supporting evidence
"with an option to extend once by a further two years."
Contract value
99% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No value, budget or estimated volume is supplied.
Delivery
Buyer location
97% confidence
Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire (SG6 1NY); FGCH is also based in Welwyn Garden City.
View supporting evidence
Buyer location is listed as Letchworth Garden City, SG6 1NY; description states FGCH is "based in Letchworth Garden City and Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire."
Delivery region
99% confidence
UKH23.
View supporting evidence
The supplied delivery location lists region "UKH23".
Service commencement intention
97% confidence
FGCH intends for the outsourced internal audit function to commence from 1 April 2027.
View supporting evidence
"intends to appoint a firm to act as its outsourced internal audit function from 1 April 2027."
PROCEDURE
How to respond
Opportunity status
99% confidence
Upcoming preliminary market engagement / planning-stage procurement; bidding is not yet open.
View supporting evidence
Display status is "upcoming", stage is "planning", and notice type is "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender".
Planned procedure
99% confidence
Competitive Flexible Procedure under section 20 of the Procurement Act 2023.
View supporting evidence
"FGCH intends to use the Competitive Flexible Procedure as defined in s.20 of the Act"
Planned stages
99% confidence
Written tender stage, followed by a scored presentation for the highest-ranked tenderers to an Audit & Risk Committee member selection panel.
View supporting evidence
"a written tender stage open to all suppliers, followed by a scored presentation to the selection panel... for the highest-ranked tenderers."
Negotiation
99% confidence
No negotiation is planned.
View supporting evidence
"There will be no negotiation."
Lots
99% confidence
No lots; a single contract is planned.
View supporting evidence
"This contract will not be divided into lots."
Submission deadline
99% confidence
Unknown.
View supporting evidence
No tender start date or submission deadline is supplied.
RISKS AND UNKNOWNS
Points requiring attention
Early-stage procurement
99% confidence
The opportunity is a preliminary market engagement notice. Final tender documents, timetable, evaluation detail and submission requirements are not yet stated.
View supporting evidence
Notice type is "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender"; tender and submission dates are null.
Elevated assurance demand
98% confidence
The first three years are expected to require a broader audit programme than usual for an organisation of this size.
View supporting evidence
"The Committee has set an elevated assurance requirement" and the programme will be "broader in the next three years than is typical".
Variable annual workload
99% confidence
Annual work volume is not fixed and will be commissioned by the Audit & Risk Committee.
View supporting evidence
"the volume of work commissioned annually by the Audit & Risk Committee."
Potential reduction after year three
96% confidence
If the extension is exercised, the programme is expected to reduce in years four and five.
View supporting evidence
"it is expected to reduce in years 4 and 5 if an extension is agreed."
ProcuraAxis analysis supplements, but does not replace, the original notice and tender documents. Always verify eligibility, deadlines and commercial terms with the issuing authority.
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