External Audit for the I-FOREST Project

Overview

Objective

Provide central audit services for the I-FOREST Project financial reports for:

• FY2025–2026
• FY2026–2027

Start date

7 December 2026

Assignment location

Cambodia

Assignment type

External, independent and qualified auditor/audit firm.

Purpose of this Contract

The organization in Cambodia seeks the services of an audit firm to audit “Investing and Financing Outcomes in Regional Ecosystems and Sustainable Trade (I-FOREST)”, as stipulated in the agreement between NIRAS GROUP UK LIMITED (NIRAS) for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and Oxfam Great Britain.

The audit shall be carried out in accordance with international audit standards issued by IAASB.

Responsibilities / Scope of Work

• Audit the financial report according to ISA 800.
• Verify compliance with FGMC2 Grant Agreement conditions.
• Use risk-based procedures and sampling (rather than exhaustive testing).

Reporting requirement from auditor

• The report shall be signed by the auditor responsible (not only the audit firm).
• The report shall include the title of the auditor responsible.

Deliverables

For detailed scope of work, deliverables, and expected tasks, refer to the full Terms of Reference (Annexes).

Tentative Timeline (FY2025–2026 Audit)

• 23–27 Nov: Sharing the FY25–26 financial report with the auditor; obtaining the sample list
• 7–11 Dec: Preparing supporting documents and sharing with the auditor
• 14–18 Dec: Auditor reviews documents (conducted virtually with digitized documents—scanned copies)
• 13 Jan: Auditor shares the final draft of reports
• 26 Jan: Auditor shares the signed reports
• 26 Jan–4 Feb: Submit the package for the project Steering Committee’s and CORE’s sign-off
• 5 Feb: Submit the report package to the donor

Key Assignment

• Separately audit the financial reports for FY25–26 and FY26–27 according to ISA 800.

Payment Schedule

• Applicants must propose a payment schedule in the proposal.
• The financial proposal must provide an estimated cost for 1 unit of each type of deliverable.
• It is recommended to structure the financial proposal according to deliverables.

Requirements

Profile requirements

For detailed profile requirements, refer to the full Terms of Reference (Annexes).

Application language

• English

Administrative compliance (documents to be submitted)

• Incomplete applications will not be assessed.
• Only quotations that meet the administrative criteria will be assessed.

Quotation validity

• The quotation shall be valid for 90 days from 17 Nov 2026.
• If not possible, the bidder may propose a different timeframe.

Submission deadline

• 19 November 2026, by 23:59 GMT +7

Application process

• Quotations and applications must reach the organization no later than 19 November 2026.

Clarifications

• Any questions, remarks, or requests for clarification can be submitted in writing up to 7 days before the submission deadline.
• Questions (including anonymised questions) will be answered to all applicants.

Evaluation and Award Criteria

• Award decisions will be based on best value for money criteria covering both technical quality and price.
• For detailed evaluation criteria, refer to the full Terms of Reference (Annexes).

Interviews

• Interviews may be conducted with one or more potential suppliers before an award decision is made, to seek clarification and learn more about background and previous experience of potential suppliers and their teams.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation is based on the proposal’s submitted payment schedule and unit costs for deliverables.

Other Conditions

• Issuance of these Terms of Reference does not constitute an award commitment, nor does it commit the organization to pay costs incurred in preparing and submitting a bid.
• Annexes are an integral part of this Request for Proposals.
• The organization may contact bidders to confirm contacts, addresses, bid amount, and that the bid was submitted for this solicitation.

Compliance, Integrity, and Governance

• Bidders must provide full, accurate and complete information as required by this solicitation and Annexes.
• False statements in bids are grounds for immediate termination.
• Bidders must disclose any past, present or future relationships with parties associated with the issuance, review, or management of this solicitation and anticipated award.

Right to Select/Reject and Reserved Rights

• The organization reserves the right to select and negotiate with firms it determines, in its sole discretion, to be qualified.
• The organization also reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received without explanation.
• The organization may disqualify offers for failure to follow solicitation instructions, waive immaterial defects, extend submission time, terminate or modify the process, issue an award based on initial evaluation without discussion, award only part of activities, or issue multiple awards.

Code of Conduct and Reporting

• Applicants must adhere to the organization’s Consultant Code of Conduct.
• Individuals (including consultants) must sign the organization’s Non Staff Code of Conduct.
• Fraud or unethical behavior concerns may be reported through the organization’s available reporting and whistleblowing mechanisms.

Document References

• Full Terms of Reference are available in the Annexes.