Audit Services for Health
Framework Description
Audit Services for Health (SBS10517) is NHS Shared Business Services' framework for audit, counter fraud and governance specialisms for NHS and wider public sector organisations. It has six lots, from external and internal audit to independent workplace investigations. It runs from 9 September 2025 to 8 September 2029 and is a traditional framework accessed by further competition or direct award.
Context & Use Case
NHS trusts, integrated care boards and other public bodies have ongoing statutory and operational needs for independent audit, counter fraud work and governance reviews. They can commission a single service, such as a well-led governance review, or bundle several, such as internal audit with counter fraud. Call-off documents are available through the NHS SBS Customer Framework Agreement Portal.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: External audit services Lot 2: Internal audit services Lot 3: Counter fraud services Lot 4: Well-led governance review Lot 5: Audit and governance ancillary services Lot 6: Independent workplace investigations
Lots
Lot 1: External audit services Lot 2: Internal audit services Lot 3: Counter fraud services Lot 4: Well-led governance review Lot 5: Audit and governance ancillary services Lot 6: Independent workplace investigations
Who Can Apply
It suits audit firms, counter fraud specialists, governance consultancies and workplace investigation providers with NHS or public sector experience. Suppliers were selected in the initial procurement and applications are not open during the term, so newcomers must wait for the re-tender, likely around 8 September 2029.
Buyer Benefits
Buyers get pre-vetted suppliers on consistent terms, which saves running a full tender for statutory services such as external audit. Bundling lots gives consistent assurance across finance, operations and workforce, and independent workplace investigations give HR teams an impartial option for sensitive cases.
Next Steps
Appointed firms should be ready for further competitions and direct awards, with sector references, team qualifications and fee structures prepared. Firms not on the framework cannot join before it ends on 8 September 2029; use the time to build NHS audit and investigation credentials and watch the SBS10517 page on the NHS SBS site for re-tender notices.
How Athena Can Help
For firms on SBS10517, Athena's bid quality reviewers sharpen further competition responses with win themes on independence, sector knowledge and team quality, and check every submission before it goes.
Firms outside the framework can use our framework targeting support to find other audit and governance frameworks worth targeting, and our public sector tendering support to win direct NHS audit and investigation tenders before the 2029 re-tender, building the NHS references that evaluators will expect.
