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Audit Qualification Literature Review

Tender Overview

LOCATION

North East England, United Kingdom

VALUE

£54,000

DEADLINE

February 06, 2026 at 12:00

CATEGORY

Other

CPV CODE

73000000

REFERENCE

007271-2026

Project Timeline

Contact Information

View Original

Original Tender Description

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) regulates auditors, accountants, and actuaries, setting UK Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes. As the UK's Competent Authority for audit, FRC establishes auditing and ethical standards, monitoring and enforcing audit quality. Its purpose is to serve public interest and support UK economic growth through high standards in corporate governance, reporting, audit, and actuarial work. This requirement is for an Audit Qualification Literature Review. Purpose: To gather, synthesise, and analyse existing evidence, including academic research, on the pre-qualification education, training, and assessment of UK statutory auditors. This involves summarising current thinking on changes in financial auditors' roles and their training needs, examining technology and AI's influence on auditor knowledge and skill requirements, identifying challenges for pre-qualification education and assessment, identifying topics for monitoring the audit qualification landscape, exploring responses from other jurisdictions and professions, and presenting a consolidated view of insights. Scope: UK and comparable jurisdictions (e.g., EEA, US, Australia, Canada, Singapore). Sources: Academic literature, professional bodies, corporate/consultancy reports, regulatory documents, and comparative insights. Suggested approach: Literature search using databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, SSRN), professional sources (ICAEW, ACCA, IFAC, IAASB, PCAOB), and grey literature. Inclusion Criteria: Recently published, focus on pre-qualification audit education, training, technology, and professional qualification reform, and comparative studies. Thematic synthesis will cover role evolution and skill gaps, professional training responses in other jurisdictions, technology-driven competency requirements, and cross-professional lessons. A workshop will be held at FRC offices (London or Birmingham) to discuss a full draft of the Review with the appointed team, independent experts, and FRC's internal policy team. Authors will revise the draft based on workshop insights. PLEASE REFER TO THE INVITATION TO TENDER FOR FULL DETAILS. IMPORTANT: Register interest by emailing procurement@frc.org.uk. FRC will share all tender queries and answers with registered parties. Submit your tender by email to procurement@frc.org.uk within the deadline.
⚠️

MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS

  • No mandatory exclusion grounds are explicitly stated in the provided tender information. Bidders should refer to the full Invitation to Tender for complete details.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • No specific eligibility requirements are explicitly stated in the provided tender information. Bidders should refer to the full Invitation to Tender for complete details.
🔧

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

  • Ability to conduct a comprehensive literature review on the pre-qualification education, training, and assessment of UK statutory auditors.
  • Expertise to summarise current thinking on changes in the role of financial auditors, specifically regarding their education and training needs.
  • Capability to examine evidence on how technology and AI influence auditor knowledge, skill requirements, and qualification pathways.
  • Ability to identify challenges these changes pose for pre-qualification education, training, and assessment mechanisms.
  • Capacity to identify specific topics, proxies, and sources for monitoring the audit qualification landscape and the impact of any changes.
  • Expertise to explore how other jurisdictions (e.g., EEA countries, US, Australia, Canada, Singapore) and professions (e.g., the legal profession) are responding or changing their qualification pathways.
  • Ability to present a consolidated view of academic, professional, and industry insights.
  • Proficiency in conducting literature searches using specified databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, SSRN) and professional sources (e.g., ICAEW, ACCA, IFAC, IAASB, PCAOB, IIA).
  • Experience in utilizing grey literature, including company/consultancy analyses, government/regulator briefings, and think tank publications.
  • Capability to apply inclusion criteria focusing on recently published material (post-pandemic and tech-driven changes), pre-qualification audit education/training/technology/professional qualification reform, and comparative studies/case examples from other professions.
  • Ability to perform thematic synthesis across four dimensions: role evolution and skill gaps; professional training and educational responses in other jurisdictions; technology-driven competency requirements; and cross-professional lessons.
  • Commitment to participate in a review workshop at the FRC offices (London or Birmingham) part way through the research, involving the contract team, independent expert discussants, and the FRC's internal policy team.
  • Willingness to revise and extend the draft Review to incorporate insights and address comments arising from the workshop.
  • Ability to complete the entire project within the specified 3-month contract duration.
💰

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • The proposed solution and pricing should align with the estimated contract value of 54,000 EUR.
📋

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • Register interest by emailing the FRC's procurement team at procurement@frc.org.uk.
  • Submit the tender within the deadline by email to procurement@frc.org.uk.
  • Adhere to the submission deadline of 2026-02-06T12:00:00+00:00.
  • Be prepared to receive and consider all tender queries and answers shared by the FRC with registered parties.
  • Acknowledge that full details and potentially further requirements are contained within the Invitation to Tender (ITT).

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HTM
Attachment A-10011
OtherA-10011.html
Summary:
The Financial Reporting Council seeks a literature review on UK statutory auditor pre-qualification education, training, and assessment, including technology's impact and comparative international practices.
HTM
Attachment A-10013
Tender ConditionsA-10013.html
Summary:
This document, titled "Bidding Documents - Attachment A-10013", is currently unavailable as the page was not found, preventing analysis of its specific requirements or qualifications.
DOC
OCDS Record
OCDS Data007271-2026_ocds_record.json
Summary:
The Financial Reporting Council seeks a literature review to analyze pre-qualification education, training, and assessment for UK statutory auditors, considering evolving roles, technology, and international practices.
DOC
OCDS Release Package
OCDS Data007271-2026_ocds_release.json
Summary:
The Financial Reporting Council seeks a literature review on UK statutory auditor pre-qualification education, training, and assessment, considering evolving roles, technology, and international comparisons.
PDF
Official PDF Version
Technical Specifications007271-2026_official.pdf
Summary:
The Financial Reporting Council seeks a literature review to analyze the pre-qualification education, training, and assessment of UK statutory auditors, considering the impact of technology, AI, and comparative international practices.
HTM
Tender Notice
Technical Specifications007271-2026.html
Summary:
The Financial Reporting Council seeks a literature review to analyze the pre-qualification education, training, and assessment of UK statutory auditors, considering the impact of technology, AI, and changes in the auditor's role, drawing insights from comparable jurisdictions and other professions.

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69
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender provides a clear project description and technical requirements but suffers from significant gaps in transparency regarding evaluation criteria and relies on outdated submission methods. While the project scope is well-defined, the overall procurement process lacks modern best practices and full disclosure within the provided information.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance75/100

The tender defines the procedure type and CPV code appropriately, and the submission period (10 days) is reasonable. However, the provided information lacks explicit mandatory exclusion and eligibility grounds, requiring reference to a full Invitation to Tender (ITT), which is a gap in immediate disclosure. The missing reveal date is a minor administrative oversight.

Missing explicit mandatory exclusion grounds in provided information
Missing explicit eligibility requirements in provided information
Clarity80/100

The project description, scope, and technical requirements are exceptionally clear, detailed, and unambiguous. However, the complete absence of specified evaluation criteria is a critical flaw, as bidders cannot understand how their proposals will be assessed, significantly impacting the overall clarity of the tender process.

No evaluation criteria specified
Completeness70/100

Basic information such as title, organization, value, duration, and technical requirements are well-defined. Nevertheless, the tender is incomplete without the full Invitation to Tender (ITT), as indicated by repeated references to it, the missing evaluation criteria, and the unavailability of one listed document.

No evaluation criteria specified
One listed tender document (Attachment A-10013) is unavailable
Fairness60/100

The estimated value is disclosed, and technical requirements appear generic, not tailored. However, the absence of evaluation criteria creates a significant transparency issue, hindering fair competition. The lack of a formal e-submission platform and the unavailability of a listed document also detract from equal access and fairness.

No evaluation criteria specified
No e-submission platform, reliance on email
Practicality65/100

Key practical details like contract start date and duration are clearly specified. However, the reliance on email for tender submission and queries, rather than a dedicated e-procurement platform, is less practical and efficient for managing a competitive process. A direct document URL for all materials is also not explicitly provided.

No e-submission platform, reliance on email for submission and queries
No explicit document URL provided for all tender materials
Data Consistency80/100

Most critical data fields are populated, and dates (submission, contract start, duration) are logical and consistent. There are no reported disputes or suspensions. Minor inconsistencies include empty fields for 'Liable Person' and procedure codes, and the unavailability of one listed document.

Empty 'Liable Person' field
Empty code fields for 'Type' and 'Procedure'
Sustainability40/100

The tender does not explicitly incorporate green procurement, social considerations, or innovation criteria within the procurement process itself. While the subject matter involves technology and AI, this does not translate into sustainability aspects of the tender's execution or selection criteria.

No explicit green procurement criteria
No explicit social criteria

Strengths

Clear and detailed project description and technical requirements
Estimated value, duration, and contract start date are well-defined
CPV code and procedure type are clearly assigned
No indication of tailored requirements for a specific company

Concerns

Absence of specified evaluation criteria
Reliance on email for tender submission and queries, lacking a formal e-procurement platform
One listed tender document is unavailable
Lack of explicit mandatory exclusion/eligibility criteria in the provided summary
No explicit green, social, or innovation criteria in the procurement process

Recommendations

1. Publish comprehensive evaluation criteria to ensure transparency and fairness for all bidders.
2. Implement a dedicated e-procurement platform for submissions and document access to enhance practicality and auditability.
3. Ensure all tender documents are accessible and complete, providing full disclosure upfront.

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B
Tender Quality Score
69/ 100 · Good

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