Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd: DPS for audit services for opted-in eligible bodies in England

UK-London: Accounting, auditing and fiscal services.
Section I: Contracting Authority
      I.1) Name and addresses
             Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd
             18 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HZ, United Kingdom
             Tel. +44 7818562920, Email: ap2@psaa.co.uk
             Contact: Julie Schofield
             Main Address: www.psaa.co.uk
             NUTS Code: UK
      I.2) Joint procurement
      The contract involves joint procurement: No.
      In the case of joint procurement involving different countries, state applicable national procurement law: Not provided       
      The contract is awarded by a central purchasing body: No.
      I.3) Communication
      The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-London:-Accounting%2C-auditing-and-fiscal-services./UVC29QV984
      Additional information can be obtained from: the abovementioned address
      Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to the abovementioned address       
      Electronic communication requires the use of tools and devices that are not generally available. Unrestricted and full direct access to these tools and devices is possible, free of charge, at: Not provided
      I.4) Type of the contracting authority
            Body governed by public law
      I.5) Main activity
            Economic and financial affairs

Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
      II.1.1) Title: DPS for audit services for opted-in eligible bodies in England       
      Reference Number: 631349170
      II.1.2) Main CPV Code:
      79200000 - Accounting, auditing and fiscal services.

      II.1.3) Type of contract: SERVICES
      II.1.4) Short description: The procurement will establish a dynamic purchasing system to appoint auditors to cover the audits of the accounts (as per the Code of Audit Practice) of eligible bodies across England that opt in for the purposes of the appointment of auditors under the provisions of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the requirements of the Local Audit (Appointing Person) Regulations 2015. Eligible entities include local councils, combined authorities, police and crime commissioners, police, fire and crime commissioners, chief constables, fire and rescue authorities, waste authorities, passenger transport executives and national park authorities.       
      II.1.5) Estimated total value:
      Value excluding VAT: 80,000,000       
      Currency: GBP
      II.1.6) Information about lots:
      This contract is divided into lots: No       
   
II.2) Description
      
      II.2.2) Additional CPV codes:
      79210000 - Accounting and auditing services.
      79212000 - Auditing services.
      79212100 - Financial auditing services.
      79212300 - Statutory audit services.
      
      II.2.3) Place of performance:
      UK UNITED KINGDOM
      
      II.2.4) Description of procurement: PSAA is establishing a dynamic purchasing system from which to appoint auditors to audit the accounts (as per the Code of Audit Practice) of one or more eligible bodies that opt in to the appointing person scheme. Eligible bodies include local councils, combined authorities, police and crime commissioners, police, fire and crime commissioners, chief constables, fire and rescue authorities, waste authorities, passenger transport executives and national park authorities. Individual call-off competitions undertaken may be for either: one or more named audits, or for a volume of work where the eligible bodies are not named. The scope of each call-off competition will be described in its ITT documentation.

It is anticipated that the DPS may be used to procure an auditor appointment to an eligible body:
•when a new body requests to join the scheme, for example in the event of local government reorganisation, or if an existing body requests to join the scheme after the main procurement process is complete;
•where an existing auditor appointment from 2018/19 or 2023/24 needs to be replaced for reasons such as the identification of an independence conflict, the breakdown of auditor-audited body relationship, or as a result of a supplier’s poor performance in line with agreed contract terms; and
•where one or more of the 2017 audit contracts is extended so we need to make auditor appointments from 2025/26.
      II.2.5) Award criteria:
            Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents            
      II.2.6) Estimated value:
      Value excluding VAT: 80,000,000       
      Currency: GBP       
      II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system:
      Duration in months: 98       
      This contract is subject to renewal: No       
      Description of renewals: Not provided
      II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited:
             Envisaged minimum number: 9
             
      Objective criteria for choosing the limited number of candidates: Under Section 7 of Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 relevant authorities must appoint a "local auditor" to audit their accounts. Only providers that are already registered as local auditors on the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales ("ICAEW") list or that are currently proceeding through the registration process are eligible to participate in this procurement process. Where a submission is being made by a consortium or other form of joint working arrangement at least one constituent firm must be registered with the ICAEW or going through the registration process. Where a Potential Supplier is a sole supplier in the process of seeking accreditation at the time of applying to join the DPS, they must have achieved accreditation prior to submitting a response to a tender (call-off competition). A Potential Supplier considering the submission of an application for registration is strongly encouraged to have an early discussion with the Recognised Supervisory Body.
      II.2.10) Information about variants:
      Variants will be accepted: No
      II.2.11) Information about options:
      Options:       No             
      Description of options: Not provided
      II.2.12) Information about electronic catalogues:
      Tenders must be presented in the form of electronic catalogues or include an electronic catalogue: No
      II.2.13) Information about European Union funds:
      The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No       
      Identification of the project: Not provided             
      II.2.14) Additional information: To respond to this opportunity please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/UVC29QV984       


Section III: Legal, Economic, Financial And Technical Information
   III.1) Conditions for participation
      III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
      List and brief description of conditions:          
      Not Provided       
      III.1.2) Economic and financial standing          
      Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents       
      List and brief description of selection criteria:       
      Not Provided    
      Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :       
      Not Provided    
      III.1.3) Technical and professional ability    
      Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents
      List and brief description of selection criteria:       
      Not Provided      
      Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required (if applicable) :          
      Not Provided   
      III.1.5) Information about reserved contracts (if applicable)   
      The contract is reserved to sheltered workshops and economic operators aiming at the social and professional integration of disabled or disadvantaged persons: No       
      The execution of the contract is restricted to the framework of sheltered employment programmes: No    
      
   III.2) Conditions related to the contract
      III.2.1) Information about a particular profession          
      Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession    
      Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision:          
      Under Section 7 of Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 relevant authorities must appoint a "local auditor" to audit their accounts. Only providers that are already registered as local auditors on the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales ("ICAEW") list or that are currently proceeding through the registration process are eligible to participate in this procurement process. Where a submission is being made by a consortium or other form of joint working arrangement at least one constituent member must be registered with the ICAEW or going through the registration process. Where a Potential Supplier is a sole supplier in the process of seeking accreditation at the time of applying to join the DPS, they must have achieved accreditation prior to submitting a response to a tender (call-off competition). A Potential Supplier considering the submission of an application for registration is strongly encouraged to have an early discussion with the Recognised Supervisory Body.    
      III.2.2) Contract performance conditions       
      A provider may be required to actively participate in the achievement of social and/or environmental policy objectives.          
      III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
      Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract: Yes    

Section IV: Procedure
   IV.1) Description RESTRICTED
      IV.1.1) Type of procedure: Restricted   
   
   IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system    
         The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement - NO        
         The procurement involves the setting up of a dynamic purchasing system          
         In the case of framework agreements justification for any duration exceeding 4 years: Not Provided    
   
   
   IV.1.6) Information about electronic auction:
      An electronic auction will be used: No
      Additional information about electronic auction: Not provided
   IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
      The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes       
   IV.2) Administrative information
      IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure:
         Notice number in the OJ S: Not provided       
      IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
       Date: 18/03/2022 Time: 12:00
      IV.2.3) Estimated date of dispatch of invitations to tender or to participate to selected candidates: Not Provided       
      IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: English,       
      IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender: Not Provided      
      

Section VI: Complementary Information
   VI.1) Information about recurrence
   This is a recurrent procurement: No    
   Estimated timing for further notices to be published: Not provided
   VI.2) Information about electronic workflows
   Electronic ordering will be used No       
   Electronic invoicing will be accepted No       
   Electronic payment will be used No       
   VI.3) Additional Information: The dynamic purchasing system will run for up to 8 years, expected to commence in May 2022.

Potential bidders should seek independent legal and commercial advice in relation to the potential value of the opportunity as a whole.

PSAA reserves the right to disqualify potential bidders where there is an actual or potential conflict of interest. Potential bidders will be required to complete and return the Conflict of Interest Declaration as part of its selection questionnaire response.

Expressions of interest in response to this contract notice may be submitted by a single bidder, a consortium or other form of joint working arrangement providing at least one constituent firm is individually registered with the ICAEW or going through the registration process. Where a Potential Supplier is a sole supplier in the process of seeking accreditation at the time of applying to join the DPS, they must have achieved accreditation prior to submitting a response to a tender (call-off competition). A Potential Supplier considering the submission of an application for registration is strongly encouraged to have an early discussion with the Recognised Supervisory Body.

PSAA cannot guarantee to award any business through this DPS. PSAA expressly reserves the right (i) not to award any DPS agreement as a result of the procurement process commenced by publication of this notice; and (ii) to make whatever changes it may see fit to the content and structure of the tendering competition; and in no circumstances will PSAA be liable for any costs incurred by the suppliers.

PSAA will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period at the point information on the award of the dynamic purchasing system is communicated to potential bidders prior to entering into the dynamic purchasing system, and in the event of an award of an above-threshold call-off contract.

Please contact PSAA if you experience problems with the portal.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-London:-Accounting%2C-auditing-and-fiscal-services./UVC29QV984

To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/UVC29QV984
   VI.4) Procedures for review
   VI.4.1) Review body:
             Royal Courts of Justice
       Strand, London, WC2A 2LL, United Kingdom
   VI.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures:
Not provided
   VI.4.3) Review procedure
   Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures:    
    Not Provided    
   VI.4.4) Service from which information about the lodging of appeals may be obtained:
Not provided
   VI.5) Date Of Dispatch Of This Notice: 03/02/2022

Annex A