AgriFutures Australia invites submissions from suitably qualified individuals/organisations for the provision of the Strategic Internal Audit Program 2025/26 – 2027/28.
This Request for Quote closes at 5pm AEST on Friday 21 July 2025.
Background
AgriFutures Australia has a strong commitment to best practice across all business functions, including providing the AgriFutures Audit Committee with the assurance that all legislative, governance and compliance requirements are being met by the organisation.
Internal audit progress reports are included as a standing agenda item at all five Audit Committee meetings held per annum. It is expected that AgriFutures appointed Internal Auditor will attend these meetings.
AgriFutures are looking to develop an ongoing relationship with an Internal Auditor for the most competitive and comprehensive auditing services, with exceptional attention to detail, to fit the current and future needs of the organisation.
The Internal Auditor will develop in conjunction with the Audit Committee a strategic internal audit plan including integration with existing risk management and fraud control frameworks for the period 2025/26 – 2027/28. The plan will be developed once the successful provider is appointed.
The Internal Auditor will also provide recommendations regarding better business practice, including recommendations to assist management in performing its assigned tasks as efficiently as possible whilst retaining an adequate control environment.
Timeline
Activity |
Date |
RFQ – applications open |
27 June 2025 |
Further information via phone/video conference |
As requested to the contact officer |
RFQ – applications close |
5pm AEST on 21 July 2025 |
Completion date of evaluation of reponses |
7 August 2025 |
Presentation to AgriFutures Board for final approval of successful RFQ application |
15-16 September 2025 |
Expected execution of contract or issue of agreement |
26 September 2025 |
Date of commencement of project |
1 October 2025 |
Expected project completion date |
30 June 2028 |
Evaluation criteria
Submissions must address the following evaluation criteria:
- Provide details of the tenderer’s internal audit capability for this engagement (including skills and experience of nominated personnel). Experience in conducting audits for Government agencies or specifically Research and Development Corporations will be highly regarded
- It is expected that the lead auditor will have capacity to, and will commit to, attend each Audit Committee meeting (5x per annum in January/February, April, July, September, October)
- A project budget demonstrating Value for Money
- Professionalism of RFQ application
- Testimonials/references including a sample of an internal audit report prepared by the tenderer.
See the full RFQ document for a full criteria and weighting breakdown.
Submitting an application
Applications for this Request for Quote must be submitted via email to the designated contact officer below before 5pm AEST on Friday 21 July 2025.
It is expected that a contract will be awarded based on how well a respondent addresses the objectives of the RFQ. Selection will be based on the evaluation criteria.
The resultant Contract is expected to commence on 1 October 2025 and conclude on 30 June 2028.
Terms of reference
AgriFutures Australia uses standard form contracts and agreements for projects and research procured by AgriFutures Australia (please refer to https://agrifutures.com.au/contracts-and-agreements/). These contracts and agreements set out the terms on which AgriFutures Australia will engage successful applicants to carry out the project.
Applicants must be familiar with the contracts and agreements before submitting a response, and are advised to seek legal advice beforehand.
These contracts and agreements have been developed to reflect AgriFutures Australia’s statutory and other procurement responsibilities.
If you require any amendments to the standard agreement, please complete the statement of non-compliance for each of the relevant clause. AgriFutures will then assess those requests.
Applicants will be taken to have agreed to all clauses in the Research Agreement that are not referred to in a statement of non-compliance. The extent of any non-compliance will be a factor in AgriFutures Australia’s evaluation of the application.
If you require further information regarding these contracts and agreements, please contact:
Stephanie-Kate Bratton
General Counsel, AgriFutures Australia
Should you have any questions about the Request for Quote, please direct all enquires to the Manager, Governance and Compliance (details below) prior to 12pm AEDT on Thursday 20 July 2025.
The Manager will take questions via email. Individual responses to questions relating to the Request for Quote will not be provided. A response, along with the question, will be posted in the Frequently Asked Questions section, below, within 24 hours of receival.
Jessica Grant
Manager, Governance and Compliance
(02) 6923 6904
FAQs
How many internal audits per annum?
Around 2-3.
What is the budget per annum?
Approx. $20,000-30,000 AUD per audit (total spend dependent on number and content of audits).
Could you provide further details on the presence required at Audit Committee meetings?
We have 5 Audit Committee meetings per annum, each of which run for 3 hours. Internal auditors are expected to be present to speak to any reports, progress updates, etc.
While you can dial-in for just that agenda item, we have found it useful to have the internal auditors present for other agenda items, for insights on different topics.
What type of audits have been undertaken historically?
Please see below a detailed list of audits undertaken by AgriFutures over the last 10 years:
2015-16
- Review of Communications Processes with External Stakeholders: Reviewed the effectiveness of AgriFutures’ communications processes with external stakeholders, including the identification of external stakeholders and both formal and informal channels of communication (including the use of social media).
- Review of Compliance with Funding Agreement Requirements: Assessed AgriFutures’ compliance with the requirements of the Funding Agreement 2015-19 between the Department of Agriculture and AgriFutures.
2016-17
- Spot Checks: Reviewed finance functions including adequacy of procedures, compliance with mandatory requirements, compliance with policies and procedures, due process, and the responsibility of custodians and their managers.
- Review of the R&D For-Profit Program: Reviewed the management of projects within the R&D For-Profit Program to ensure they were appropriately managed and aligned with AgriFutures’ outcomes.
- Review of Microsoft SharePoint: Reviewed compliance with policies and procedures surrounding the utilisation of SharePoint, including the assessment of AgriFutures’ use of the system in comparison to its functionality.
2017-18
- Review of Procurement Policies and Processes: Reviewed the new procurement/tendering policies and processes for new research projects, assessing the level of compliance with Whole-of-Government procurement guidelines.
- Payments Review: Reviewed payment processes and identified opportunities for improvement.
2018-19
- Enterprise Risk Management Review: Assessed the design and implementation of the AgriFutures Australia Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Framework and identified opportunities for improvement.
- ICT & Privacy Review: Assessed the design of AgriFutures Australia IT policies and procedures and the extent to which AgriFutures managed its ICT system security and privacy risks, identifying opportunities for improvement.
2019-20
- Review of Procurement: Assessed AgriFutures’ non-research related procurement activities against its policies and relevant legislation, examined whether the procurement framework was fit for purpose, and reviewed management’s response to relevant findings from the 2019 ANAO Probity Audit.
2020-21
- Conflict of Interest: Reviewed the effectiveness of, and compliance with, AgriFutures’ conflict of interest policies, procedures and systems, including processes, controls, and training, to ensure they were implemented appropriately and were fit for purpose for the organisation.
- Data Storage and Use: Provided an overall assessment of the appropriateness of existing data storage and use practices across AgriFutures, including:
- verification that both whole-of-government and internal policies relating to data storage and use were complied with consistently across AgriFutures,
- assessment of the completeness of AgriFutures’ checklist of requirements under the National Archives Act 1983, and
- assessment of the framework from a performance perspective to ensure data storage and use practices were fit for purpose.
2021-22
- Project Approval Processes: Provided an overall assessment of the project approval/procurement process to determine whether it was efficient and effective and supported by the necessary governance structures to manage risks associated with initiating and approving projects, including:
- assessment of the appropriateness of internal guidance, including AgriFutures policies and advisory/selection panel advice relating to project approval and initiation,
- consideration of whether K2 (the project management information system) and any external contract management systems were fit for purpose and ensured key compliance requirements were met, and
- review of a sample of projects approved in the previous two financial years to confirm they were initiated and approved in accordance with internal guidance, including procurement and conflict-of-interest policies.
- Review of Cyber Security: Provided a maturity assessment of AgriFutures’ cyber security framework against the Essential Eight and applicable criteria from the Australian Government’s Digital Transformation Agency – Digital Service Standard.
2022-23
- Workforce Planning: Examined AgriFutures’ strategic workforce planning and its alignment with business goals, analysed workforce gaps and growth opportunities, and assessed capability maturity across key processes, policies, and procedures to ensure effective delivery of business goals through its workforce.
- Contract Management: Assessed the contract management process, including negotiation and initiation, to ensure contracts were managed consistently and actively throughout their duration, including research and other contracts.
2023-24
- Cyber / Essential Eight: Assessed AgriFutures Australia’s cyber security maturity against the Essential Eight framework, including the implementation of recent recommendations and a consideration of fraud risks.
- Risk Management: Assessed AgriFutures’ risk maturity, including how systematic risk management was embedded in business processes, and reviewed readiness to meet new requirements to prevent, detect, and address fraud and corruption, following amendments to Section 10 of the PGPA Rule 2018.
2024-25
- Procurement: Evaluated the design and operating effectiveness of AgriFutures’ procurement practices, including alignment with the CPRs, assessing effectiveness in achieving value for money, promoting competition, using resources efficiently, ensuring ethical operations, and maintaining compliance while building long-term supplier partnerships.
- Project Management: Assessed the adequacy and appropriateness of project management practices, artefacts, and approaches at AgriFutures in line with better practice project management principles and relevant standards.