Audit and Financial Services
Framework Description
Crescent Purchasing Consortium's Audit and Financial Services framework covers internal audit, external audit and financial services for education members and other public bodies. It has 29 lots: 14 regional internal audit lots, 14 regional external audit lots and one financial services lot. It replaced CPC's separate audit and financial services routes. It runs from 5 December 2024 to 4 December 2027, with a 12-month extension option to 5 December 2028.
Context & Use Case
Academies, schools, colleges and universities use it to appoint auditors whose work meets the SORP, the Post-16 Audit Code of Practice and the Academies Financial Handbook. It is DfE-recommended. CPC members award contracts directly or by mini-competition through CPC's MultiQuote portal, and wider public sector bodies can use it through Crescent Services.
Scope of Services
Lots 1–14: Internal audit, by region Lots 15–28: External audit, by region Lot 29: Financial services
Lots
Lots 1-14 Internal Audit (regional); Lots 15-28 External Audit (regional); Lot 29 Financial Services
Who Can Apply
Audit firms and financial advisers with education sector clients, regional or national. Suppliers were appointed through the original tender and applications are now closed, so others must wait for the re-tender, likely around 4 December 2027, or 2028 if extended.
Buyer Benefits
DfE recommendation gives trusts and colleges confidence that the route is compliant. Regional lots help them find auditors close by who know local providers. Audit firms are already vetted against sector codes, so appointments run more smoothly, and direct award saves time when an audit appointment is due.
Next Steps
Appointed firms should follow up members whose auditor appointments are due for renewal, and keep sector credentials current. Others should watch CPC's contracting pipeline and Find a Tender for the re-tender, and choose target regions now. Gather academy and college audit references, team CVs and quality review results.
How Athena Can Help
Regional audit lots attract strong local competition, so a re-tender bid needs a clear story for each region. Athena's bid writers for professional services can build that story, score your bid against likely competitors and check the submission.
For appointed firms, we write MultiQuote mini-competition responses and set fees. For firms not yet on it, our framework pipeline planning covers the CPC re-tender and other public sector audit frameworks, and our public sector pricing advice keeps your fees competitive.
