Charities SORP tender result
The Charity Commission and OSCR award the SORP contract to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
Currently, the Charity Commission and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator as the joint SORP-making body also provide the secretariat support involved in developing the SORP. This has included preparing the technical briefing papers for the SORP committee and drafting the text of the revised SORP for input from the SORP committee.
As a result of declining resources at the Charity Commission, it can no longer provide the secretariat to the committee. The decision was taken by the joint SORP-making body to sub contract the secretariat and publication of the new SORPs to a third party. The subcontract was put out to tender on 4 June 2014.
CIPFA, the leading accountancy body for the public services, were awarded the contract in July and are due to begin the role in September 2014 with the subcontract lasting for three years, with an option to extend for a further two years. CIPFA were also awarded a related subcontract to provide a printing, publication, and distribution service for the SORPs as part of an integrated service.
The Charity Commission and OSCR will continue to be the SORP-making body as recognised by the Financial Reporting Council and the SORP will still be made freely downloadable from the regulators’ websites. The SORP committee will continue to review drafts as well as provide advice, technical input, and assistance to the development of the SORP.
In a statement from the joint SORP-making body, the regulators said:
The outsourcing of the SORP’s secretariat and publication demonstrates our continued focus on efficiency and best use of resources. We’re delighted to work with CIPFA, a recognised and respected professional body.
Rob Whiteman, CIPFA’s Chief Executive, said:
As a registered charity ourselves, we put the highest priority on promoting the public interest. This is great opportunity for CIPFA to use its financial expertise and experience to further develop financial assurance and probity in the third sector and to provide advice and guidance on accounting best practice.
Ends
PR 74/14
For press enquiries to the Charity Commission, please contact pressenquiries@charitycommission.gsi.gov.uk / 0300 065 2126.
For enquiries to OSCR please contact communications@oscr.org.uk / 01382 220446.
For enquiries to CIPFA please contact matthew.patterson@cipfa.org / 020 7543 5787.
Notes to Editors
- The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. Our mission is to be the independent registrar and regulator of charities in England and Wales, acting in the public’s interest, to ensure that: * charities know what they have to do * the public know what charities do * charities are held to account
- The Scottish Charity Regulator is the independent regulator and registrar of Scotland’s 23,500 charities and publishes the Scottish Charity Register at www.oscr.org.uk. Our vision is for charities in which the public has confidence and which provide public benefit.
- CIPFA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, is the professional body for people in public finance. Their 14,000 members work throughout the public services, in national audit agencies, in major accountancy firms, and in other bodies where public money needs to be effectively and efficiently managed. As the world’s only professional accountancy body to specialise in public services, CIPFA’s portfolio of qualifications are the foundation for a career in public finance. Globally, CIPFA shows the way in public finance by standing up for sound public financial management and good governance.
- The SORP Advisory Committee is a sector-based expert committee that advises the joint SORP-making body in its development of the SORP. The Committee includes charity finance directors, charity auditors as well as members reflecting broader charity sector and academic interests.
- The invitation to tender can be viewed in full online.
- The tender process was opened on 4 June 2014 and CIPFA were informed of their successful on 28 July 2014.
- The successful bidder was decided upon by the joint SORP-making body and CIPFA was selected out of 8 bids for either one or both parts of the work.
- CIPFA do not charge for taking on this work as it is an integrated package. They will receive money through sales of the hard copy SORP.