What the buyer needs
AI summaryThe Community College System of New Hampshire seeks proposals from independent qualified public accounting firms to provide annual financial and compliance audits and single audits of federal funds. The scope encompasses unrestricted, restricted, auxiliary, student activity, and capital project funds, as well as benefit and retirement plans, covering at least the fiscal years ending June 30, 2027, 2028, and 2029. The initial contract term is three years with an option to extend for an additional two years. Eligible onshore United States organizations must submit proposals by email to [email protected] by November 27, 2026, while written questions must be submitted to the same address by November 20, 2026. Proposals must include a statement of understanding, higher education experience and references, staff qualifications, and a dollar cost bid broken down by segment and fiscal year. Written proposals are evaluated on higher education experience and qualifications (40%), with the top three firms delivering oral presentations; final scores combine the written proposal (80%) and the oral presentation (20%).
Scope of work
- Financial and compliance audits
- Annual A-133 Uniform Guidance single audit of federal funds
- Perkins Loan closeout audits
- Audits of unrestricted, restricted, auxiliary, student activity, capital project funds, and benefit/retirement plans
- Preparation of audit reports and management letters
- Presentation of audit reports and management letters to Board of Trustees Finance Committee and full Board
- Retention of working papers for not less than three years
How proposals are evaluated
| Criterion | Weight / scoring |
|---|---|
| Higher education experience and qualifications | 40% |
| Costs | 20% |
| Workplan | 20% |
| References | 20% |
| Written Proposal Score (Final Score) | 80% |
| Oral Presentation Score (Final Score) | 20% |
| Ability to Demonstrate Understanding of CCSNH & its Audit Requirements (Presentation) | 33% |
| Completeness and Succinctness of Responses to Committee Questions (Presentation) | 33% |
| Communication & Professionalism (Presentation) | 33% |
Minimum qualifications
- Qualified independent public accounting firm
- Licensed to practice in New Hampshire
- For prior firms used by CCSNH, the managing partner must be different from the past
- Not debarred, suspended or otherwise prohibited from professional practice by any federal, state or local agency
Documents to include with your response
- Signed proposal with statement of 60-day validity from due date
- Affirmative statement that the firm is independent and has no conflict of interest with CCSNH
- Affirmative statement that the firm is licensed to practice in New Hampshire
- Statement of firm's understanding of services and deliverables
- Firm profile including staffing, office experience, peer/regulatory review results, and assigned staff bios
- Workplan with time estimates, staff levels, and specialist requirements
- List of client references with audit details, hours, and staff levels
- Dollar cost bid broken down by significant segment, fiscal year, hourly rates, and out-of-pocket expenses
- Identification of potential audit problems and approach to resolving them
How to submit
- Method
- Instructions
- Delivered via email to [email protected], clearly identified with proposal title, name of firms, and date of proposal deadline, signed by an authorized individual.