02_26-AST External Audit Service

Avanti Schools Trust (the Trust) invites offers from suitably qualified audit firms for the provision of external audit, regularity assurance and related statutory reporting services. The Trust is a successful multi-academy trust with 12 schools across London, Leicester and other locations outside London. It is a company limited by guarantee, an exempt charity and is accountable to the Department for Education (DfE) through its funding agreement. The Trust requires an audit provider with deep academy sector expertise, strong technical audit quality, robust independence arrangements and a practical understanding of the financial, regulatory and governance environment in which multi-academy trusts operate. The procurement will be conducted as a competitive tendering procedure using the open procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 and the Procurement Regulations 2024. Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to the tender notice and associated procurement documents, subject to the conditions of participation and other requirements stated in those documents. The Trust expects bidders to comply with the Procurement Act 2023, the Procurement Regulations 2024, the published procurement documents, applicable audit legislation, Companies Act requirements, Charity SORP, Financial Reporting Standard 102, the Academies Accounts Direction, the Academy Trust Handbook 2026 and relevant Financial Reporting Council standards.