Financial Advisory Framework
Framework Description
The National Framework Partnership (NFP) Financial Advisory Framework gives public sector clients a route to specialist financial advisers through a ranked list of appointees. It runs from 15 November 2024 to 14 November 2028 under contract notice 2024/S 000-023668, with an award notice of 2025/S 000-005523. Clients can award by direct selection or mini-competition. Applications for this framework are closed (it is not a Dynamic Purchasing System).
Context & Use Case
Public bodies use it for advice on financial procedures, accounting standards and public sector legislation, and for hands-on work such as budgets, forecasts, management accounts and funding bids. Direct selection usually goes to the top-ranked firm unless the client can justify another, for example through an existing relationship or urgency. Mini-competitions are evaluated 70% quality and 30% cost, with a 10% tolerance either way.
Scope of Services
Financial procedures, accounting and legislation advice Activity-based costing and benchmarking Funding applications and grants Forecasting and budgeting Social value modelling Management accounts, subsidiary and project reporting
Lots
See framework link
Who Can Apply
Suits accountancy and financial advisory firms with public sector clients and the insurance cover NFP requires, including professional indemnity of at least £2 million per claim. Applications for the appointee list are closed, so new firms cannot join until the framework is re-tendered, likely around November 2028.
Buyer Benefits
Buyers can commission specialist finance advice without running their own tender, and the ranking gives them a defensible basis for a direct award. When a requirement is larger or more specialist, a short mini-competition lets them test method and rates. There is no access fee, and clients can set the call-off contract length to suit the work.
Next Steps
Appointees should focus on mini-competitions, where 70% of the marks go to quality, and on giving clients clear reasons to select them directly. Other firms should plan for the replacement procurement ahead of 14 November 2028: check the NFP framework page for the contract notice and build public sector case studies in budgeting, funding bids and reporting.
How Athena Can Help
Because mini-competitions here are weighted 70% to quality, the written response decides most awards. Athena's bid writing support shapes answers to the evaluation criteria, builds win themes with our F.V.D. model and checks your schedule of rates against likely competitor pricing.
If you are not yet appointed, we can map the 2028 re-tender into a pipeline plan through our framework application support, and our help with public sector bids covers the social value and compliance answers this kind of finance tender tends to ask for.
