Request for Proposal for Financial Audit Services

UW-1225341

Released by University of Washington

July 2, 2026

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Financial Audit Services

Ref # #1225341

The University of Washington is soliciting proposals from potential vendors to provide the above referenced services. Vendors interested in providing the required services must submit proposals per the requirements detailed in this RFP.

This solicitation is open to those vendors that satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein and that are available for work in Washington State.

Contents of this Solicitation I. General Instructions II. Requirements III. Evaluation and Contract Award VI. Exhibits:

A. Statement of qualifications questionnaire – University of Washington Financial Report B. Statement of qualifications questionnaire – UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division and Harborview Medical Center C. Statement of qualifications questionnaire – UW Real Estate Entities D. Certification and Assurances E. UW General Terms and Conditions F. Data Processing Agreement G. Business Associate Agreement H. Confidentiality Statement I. MWBE Participation

J. WIPHE

K. Audited Financial Statements L. Sample Contract

Section I General Instructions

1.1 PURPOSE

The University of Washington (UW) in this Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit qualifications from potential audit firms who have experience is conducting financial audits and issue audit opinions of the University of Washington (University) each year for the four-year period ending June 30, 2030, with options to extend the contract(s) in two-year segments through the fiscal period ending June 30, 2036.

The University intends to evaluate the submissions across three separate components as follows: (1) University Financial Report and related entity reports; (2) UW Medicine Entities: UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division and Harborview Medical Center (the Group and HMC); and (3) Metro Tract / Real Estate Entities. The University reserves the right to determine the awarding of the audit contract to meet the best interests of the University.

The information on the financial reporting entity is included within footnote one to the overall UW Financial Statements; UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division Financial Statements; Harborview Medical Center Financial Statements and the Metro Tract Financial Statements included in Attachment G.

1.2 RFP Coordinator

The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in the University for this Procurement. All communication between the Contractor and the University upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator, in writing, as follows:

Dawn Lake, Senior Contracts Manager Procurement Services dawnlake@uw.edu

1.3 Definition of Terms

“Vendor” “Contractor” “Supplier”, “Proposer” A person, firm, or corporation submitting a proposal

Note- Refer to UW Terms and Conditions Exhibit E for additional definitions

1.4 Timetable - UW reserves the right to adjust the schedule

UW reserves the right to revise the above schedule at any time.

1.5 Workday

Vendors can register for the sourcing event by visiting https://university-of-washington.public-portal.us.workdayspend.com/bid-details/1225341 Search using reference 1225341 Option 1. Select Bid > Register Option 2. Select the title of the sourcing event and select Start Bid > Register

1.6 Submission

Vendors shall submit a proposal in PDF or Word format, via the University’s Workday Strategic Sourcing website. Proposals must be submitted on or before the time specified in 1.4 Timetable. Any proposal received after that date and time may not be considered. All proposals remain valid for a minimum of 180 days following the RFP closing date.

All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of the UW and will not be returned and shall be received in the Workday Strategic Sourcing website on or before 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time August 21, 2026. Any proposals received after the date and time shown above will not be considered.

Proposals shall be clearly marked and delivered in accordance with the instructions. It is the responsibility of the Vendor to see that their proposal is received on or before the due date for proposals

1.7 Inquiries

Depending upon the nature of the inquiry and the response, copies of the question and response may be distributed to all other potential vendors. The closing date for asking of questions is given in Paragraph 1.4. The University may exercise its option not to reply to Vendor inquiries; therefore, Vendors should be prepared to submit a proposal based on the information included in the RFP. Citing the particular RFP section and paragraph number vendors shall submit in Workday Message Center (preferred method). Please submit each question in a separate message box. If emailing, the questions should be in Word format only please include in the subject heading Questions to RFP # + Company Name.

1.8 Revisions to RFP

The University reserves the right to change the acquisition schedule or cancel the RFP at any time. The University reserves the right to make corrections or amendments due to errors identified in the RFP by the University or a Contractor. Any changes will be dated and attached to, and made a part of, the RFP. All changes must be coordinated in writing with, authorized by, and made by the RFP Coordinator.

All RFP corrections and amendments will be posted to https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ and Workday Message Center Vendor are responsible for checking the website for this information.

1.9 Complaints

A. Contractors may submit a complaint to the RFP Coordinator based on any of the following:

· The solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition;

· The solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed; or

· The solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

B. Contractors may submit complaints up to 5 business days prior to the proposal due date. Complaints must meet the following requirements:

· Must be in writing.

· Must be sent to the procurement coordinator, or designee.

· Should clearly articulate the basis for the complaint.

· Should include a proposed remedy.

The RFP coordinator or designee will respond to complaints in writing; the response to complaints including any changes to the solicitation will be posted as an amendment on WEBS, https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ and in Workday Message Center. The complaint may not be raised again during the protest period. The complaint process does not include an appeal process.

1.10 Debriefing of Unsuccessful Bidders

Any vendor who has submitted a response to this solicitation and has been notified that they were not selected for award may request a debriefing. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the RFP coordinator within three (3) business days from the date of the announcement of the apparent successful vendor(s).

Discussion at the debriefing conference will be limited to the following:

· Critique of the proposal based on the evaluation.

· Review of proposer’s evaluation outcome in comparison with other bidder evaluation outcomes without identifying the other firms.

· Comparisons between proposals or evaluations of the other proposals will not be allowed.

· Debriefing conferences may be conducted in person, via phone or via Zoom or another virtual format and will be scheduled for a maximum of one hour.

1.11 Protest Procedure

Any vendor who has submitted a response to this RFP and completed a debriefing as described in Section 1.10 may choose to file a protest on the following grounds only:

· The UW failed to follow procedures established in the RFP Document

· There was bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator

The protest must be submitted in writing within 5 (five) business days from the date of the debriefing.to the University’s Director of Procurement Services, Monica Acevedo-Soto, (monica25@uw)) with a copy to the RFP Coordinator. The written protest must contain the facts and arguments upon which the protest is based (see the two bullet points above) and must be signed by the person authorized to bind the bidder to a contractual relationship in accordance with the requirements as stated in this solicitation. At a minimum, the written protest must include:

· The name, mailing address, and phone number of the protesting vendor, and the name of the individual responsible for submission of the protest

· Specific and complete statement of the UW action(s) protested as it relates to this RFP

· Specific reference to the grounds for the protest

· Description of the relief or corrective action requested. The Executive Director of Procurement Services has the authority to make the final determination as to the merit of the protest.

1.12 Interpretation of the RFP

Should any discrepancies be found in or omissions from the specifications, or doubt as to their meaning, the Contractor shall at once notify the Coordinator, in writing. The Coordinator will send written instructions or addenda as required to all interested parties. All addenda issued shall be incorporated into the contract. The Purchaser shall not be responsible for or bound by oral interpretations. Only questions answered by written addenda are binding. Questions received less than five (5) working days before the proposed due date for submission of proposals cannot be answered.

1.13 Signature

Each proposal must be signed by the Contractor with the usual signature and dated. The name and title shall be typed or printed below each signature.

A. Proposals submitted by a proprietorship must be signed by the Owner.

B. Proposals submitted by a partnership must be signed with the partnership name by one of the partners, followed by the signature and designation of the partner signing.

C. Proposals by a corporation must be signed with the legal name of the corporation, followed by the name of an authorized officer.

1.14 Cost of Proposals

Costs incurred in preparing and presenting the proposals or incurred in any other manner by the Contractor in responding to this solicitation are not reimbursable and may not be charged to the University.

1.15 Withdrawal or Modifications of Proposals

Any Contractor may withdraw their proposal upon written request at any time prior to the scheduled due date for submission of proposals.

1.16 Public Disclosure

The University is subject to RCW 42.56 (Public Records Act). All Contractor Responses and any subsequent Contract will be “public records” as defined in RCW 42.56.010 The Contractor must clearly specify any specific information that it claims is confidential or proprietary. Marking of the entire Response or entire sections as proprietary will not be honored. The University may not accept Responses where pricing is marked as proprietary.

All Responses received will remain confidential until the Contract, if any, resulting from this RFP is signed by the University and the Apparent Successful Contractor; thereafter, the Responses will be deemed public records.

To the extent consistent with RCW 42.56, the University will maintain the confidentiality of all information marked confidential or proprietary. If a request is made to view the Contractor’s information, the University will notify the Contractor of the request and the date that such records will be released unless the Contractor obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. The Contractor will have five (5) business days from receipt of notice to obtain the court order. If the Contractor fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, the University will release the requested information on the date specified.

1.17 Acceptance Period

Contractor’s proposal must provide 60 business days for acceptance by University from the due date for receipt of Proposals.

1.18 Responsiveness

All Proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFP. The Contractor is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of the RFP may result in rejection of the Proposal as non-responsive.

1.19 No Obligation to Contract

This solicitation does not obligate the University of Washington to contract for the solicited services specified herein.

1.20 Contract in Best Interest

The University reserves the right to accept or reject proposals on each item separately or as a whole, to reject any or all proposals without penalty, to waive informalities or irregularities, and to contract in the best interests of the University.

1.21 Publicity

Advertising, including use of the University marks and logos, press releases, or any other general public announcement by a Contractor, stating the availability of its products or services to University employees is strictly prohibited unless the Contractor has obtained prior written authorization from the UW Procurement Services Department.

1.22 Non-endorsement

1.23 The successful Contractor agrees to make no reference to the University in any literature, promotional material, brochures, sales presentation or the like without express written consent of the University.Funding Any contract awarded as a result of this procurement is contingent upon the continued availability of state or federal agency funding.

1.24 Certification and Assurances

The Apparent Successful Contractor will be expected to enter into a contract. In no event is a Contractor to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this solicitation. The Contractor may submit exceptions as allowed in the Certifications and Assurances form, Exhibit D to this solicitation. All exceptions to the contract terms and conditions must be submitted as an attachment to Exhibit D, Certifications and Assurances form. The Agency will review requested exceptions and accept or reject the same at its sole discretion.

1.25 University General Terms and Conditions

The attached University General Terms and Conditions, Exhibit E, and other riders will automatically be incorporated into any contract award as a result of this solicitation. Any exceptions taken must be noted and alternative language submitted with the Certification and Assurances. In no event, is a Vendor to submit its own standard terms and conditions in response to this solicitation. The University will review requested exceptions and accept or reject the same at its sole discretion.

1.26 Riders to UW General Terms and Conditions

UW reserves the right to supplement these General Terms and Conditions with additional rider(s) that addresses certain risk area(s) or additional conditions associated with of the Work to be performed by the Contractor. A rider may be required during contract negotiation and formation, or, during the term of the contract as an amendment. Based upon the type, nature, and purpose of the work , the Rider may address areas such as: civil rights, educational mission specific requirements, health-care specific, requirements, payment processing, privacy, special technical requirements, special insurance coverages, specific compliance requirements, etc.

1.27 Supplier Code of Conduct

Compliance with University’s Supplier Code of Conduct, https://finance.uw.edu/fm/ps/sites/default/files/Code%20of%20Conduct%207-29-16.pdf, As a condition of doing business with the University, Contractor agrees to self-monitor their compliance with this Code of Conduct. Failure to comply with these policies may cause the University to exercise its right to terminate its business relationship with contractor. The University may require noncompliant Contractor to implement a corrective action plan. Contractors and Suppliers are responsible for ensuring that their employees and representatives understand and comply with this Code of Conduct. It is the Contractor's duty under this Code of Conduct to inform University Purchasing management of any violations of these requirements.

1.28 Visiting Campus

Vendor will be required to comply with all University guidelines and requirements regarding facility access (including UW Medicine specific guidelines). UW - https://finance.uw.edu/ps/suppliers; UW Medicine - https://depts.washington.edu/comply/policies/

1.29 Gratuities

In accordance with RCW 42.52.150 and .160, Ethics in Public Service, no gifts, gratuities or any item of economic value may be accepted by University Employees. Contractors agree to offer no such items to any University employee

1.30 In-state Preference/Reciprocity

Pursuant to RCW 39.26.371 and WAC 200-300-075, the State of Washington Department of Enterprise Services has established a schedule of percentage increases to be added to bids from bidders in states that grant a preference to contractors located in their state, or for goods manufactured in their state. The percentages related to each respective state are provided in the naspo’s state preference repository and apply only to bids received from bidders in those states listed.

The appropriate percentage will be added to each bid bearing the address from a state with in-state preferences rather than subtracting a like amount from Washington state bidders.

This action will be used only for analysis and award purposes. In no instances shall the increase be paid to a bidder whose bid is accepted and awarded a contract.

1.31 Washington Institutions of Public Higher Education (WIPHE) OPTIONAL In addition to the University, any contract awarded as a result of this solicitation may be available to members of the Washington Institutions of Public Higher Education (WIPHE), or other public agencies, if all parties agree detailed in Attachment F.

1.32 Minority and Women Business Enterprise Participation

In accordance with chapter 39.19 RCW, the University of Washington encourages participation in all of its contracts by firms certified by the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE). Participation may be either on a direct basis in response to this solicitation or on a subcontractor basis. However, no preference will be included in the evaluation of proposals, no minimum level of MWBE participation shall be required as a condition for receiving an award and proposals will not be rejected or considered non-responsive on that basis. Any affirmative action requirements set forth in federal regulation or statutes included or referenced in the contract documents will apply.

The established annual procurement participation goals for this solicitation are MBE 6% and WBE 4%. For information on certified firms, Contractors may contact OMWBE at 360/753-9693 or http://www.omwbe.wa.gov.

1.33 U.S. Small Business Participation

Participation in contracts for goods and services is encouraged by firms which qualify under definitions by the U.S. Small Business Administration as small business (SB), or small disadvantaged business (SDB), or small women owned business (WOB).

The percentage listed below is voluntary. No preference will be included in the evaluation of bids/proposals. Participation in University contracts may be either direct as the Contractor in response to this solicitation, or as a subcontractor to a Contractor.

Voluntary U.S. Small Business goals for this solicitation are 15% SB/SDB/WOB

Section II Requirements

2. Purpose and Background Information

The University of Washington is seeking to engage an independent auditor to conduct financial audits and issue audit opinions of the University of Washington (University) each year for the four-year period ending June 30, 2030, with options to extend the contract(s) in two-year segments through the fiscal period ending June 30, 2036.

The University intends to evaluate the submissions across three separate components as follows: (1) University Financial Report and related entity reports; (2) UW Medicine Entities: UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division and Harborview Medical Center (the Group and HMC); and (3) Metro Tract / Real Estate Entities. The University reserves the right to determine the awarding of the audit contract to meet the best interests of the University.

The information on the financial reporting entity is included within footnote one to the overall UW Financial Statements; UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division Financial Statements; Harborview Medical Center Financial Statements and the Metro Tract Financial Statements included in Attachment G.

2.1 Scope of the Proposed Engagement

a. University Financial Report(s)

The financial statement audits are to be performed in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and will express an audit opinion on presentation of the University’s overall financial statements and a GAGAS opinion for reporting to the State of Washington. The University presents its financial statements in accordance with GASB, Codification section Co5, “Colleges and Universities”, under which the University is considered to be a special purpose government engaged in business-type activities.

In addition, separate opinions on the following financial statements are necessary to comply with various requirements:

· Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA). To meet the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) guidelines, the work must include audit opinion on the (a) financial statements and schedules of required supplemental information, and a report on the (b) agreed-upon procedures related to ICA revenues and expenses.

· Internal Lending Program. To meet UW Board of Regents Finance and Asset Management Committee requirements (FAM).

· Housing and Food Services. To meet UW Internal Lending Program audit requirements.

· Portage Bay Insurance (UW Captive)

· General Revenue Bond – Supplemental Information

The University has a June 30 fiscal year end. Final audit reports must be delivered no later than October 15 of each year to management.

The audit firm selected will be expected to make at least annual presentations of its audit plans and audit results to the Board of Regents Finance and Asset Management Committee (FAM) and the UW Audit Advisory Committee (AAC). The audit team is also expected to meet regularly throughout the audit with staff from the Controller’s Office, Intercollegiate Athletics, Treasury Department and Housing, Food Services and Risk Management to discuss the status of the audits.

In addition, the University reserves the right to request limited financial review services at hourly rates as needed.

b. UW Medicine Entities

The University of Washington owns and operates a number of related UW medical entities which are presented on a combined basis and known as the UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division (the Group) and the University of Washington also manages under contract with King County the Harborview Medical Center (HMC). The funds of each entity are accounted for separately and are kept in a form which complies with the Hospital Audit Guide of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and governmental accounting standards as prescribed by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB).

The governance of the University, including UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division, is vested in the Board of Regents. The Board of Regents has established the UW Medical Center Committee of the Board of Regents with advice from the UW Medicine Advisory Board, the President and the Vice President for Medical Affairs / Dean of Medicine regarding the operation and governance of UW Medicine. The UW Medical Center Committee is also charged with governance of the patient care aspects of the UW Medical Center (UWMC).

HMC is governed by a Board of Trustees which is appointed by the King County Council.

The Audit Advisory Committee of the Board of Regents serves as the Audit Committee for UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division and related entities. The HMC Board of Trustees has established a Finance Committee that also serves as the Audit Committee for the Harborview Medical Center. Audit planning and scope must be reviewed with the Harborview Medical Center Finance Committee and Board. The audit firm selected will be expected to hold an exit conference with senior management, make annual presentations of its audit plans and audit results to the Board of Regents Audit Advisory Committee, to Harborview Medical Centers’ Board and Finance Committee. The audit team is also expected to meet regularly throughout the audit with staff from the UW Medicine Finance and Accounting Staff..

Financial audits are to be performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and will express separate audit opinions of the following financial statements:

· UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division

· Harborview Medical Center

· Harborview Medical Center Single Audit Report - Compliance with Federal Regulations

The UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division and Harborview Medical Center have a June 30 fiscal year end. The final audit report for UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division and HMC must be delivered no later than October 15 of each year.

In addition, the University reserves the right to request limited financial review services and other agreed upon procedures at hourly rates as needed.

c. Metro Tract / Real Estate Entities

The University of Washington Metropolitan Tract (Metro Tract) comprises approximately 11 acres of developed property including office space, retail space, residential apartments and a luxury hotel in downtown Seattle. Since the early 1900s the Metro Tract has been leased by the University to entities responsible for developing and operating the property. A financial statement audit is to be performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and will express an audit opinion as to the fairness of presentation of the Metro Tract’s overall financial statements.

In addition, separate reports on the following Real Estate Entities are necessary to comply with various requirements:

· Fairmont Olympic Hotel - Schedule of Gross Revenue Amounts and Percentage Rentals, and Report on Applying Agreed-Upon-Procedures related to actual versus required expenditures for replacement and renewals, reconciliation of gross revenues.

· Commodore Duchess Agreed Upon Procedures

· Rainier Tower Agreed Upon Procedures

· 400 University Agreed Upon Procedures

Metro Tract has a June 30 fiscal year end. The final audit report must be delivered no later than September 21 of each year. The Finalization of the Agreed Upon Procedures Reports must be delivered no later than January 31 of the following year.

The audit firm selected will be expected to hold an exit conference with senior management, make annual presentations of its audit plans and audit results to the Board of Regents Audit Advisory Committee. The audit team is also expected to meet regularly throughout the audit with staff from the UW Real Estate Office accounting offices to discuss the status of the audits.

2.2 Assistance Available

The University of Washington Internal Audit Department (UW Internal Audit) and the respective Medical Centers’ accounting offices will assist the successful bidder in locating University departments, offices, or record sources. Clerical assistance will be provided for the preparation and mailing of confirmations (as needed).

University of Washington Information Technology (UWIT) security access standards must be followed, including those of UW Medicine ITS, when conducting work at UW Medicine facilities. A reasonable amount of technical support will be provided by or coordinated through UW Internal Audit and/or the UW Medicine Finance Team. This support will consist of responding to technical data processing problems, questions, and inquiries regarding security standards. Access to documentation for computer systems may be arranged with UWIT.

2.3 Other Auditors

The University is included in the Office of Financial Management’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) of the State of Washington performed by the Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO). The SAO, as part of the ACFR Audit, reviews the working papers of the UW external audit firm as it relates to the documentation, evaluation, and testing of the accounting controls surrounding the University’s material statewide account balances. As such the external audit firm should anticipate 1 – 2 days of review of the working papers by the State Auditor prior to October 31st. Information on the SAO’s work is available through the State Auditor.

Harborview Medical Center(HMC) Financial Statements are included in the King County Annual Financial Statement Report performed by the Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO). The SAO, as part of the this Audit, reviews the working papers of HMC external audit firm as it relates to the documentation, evaluation, and testing of the accounting controls surrounding the Medical Cneter’s material countywide account balances. As such the external audit firm should anticipate 1 – 2 days of review of the working papers by the State Auditor prior to October 31st. Information on the SAO’s work is available through the State Auditor.

KPMG

· UW Alumni Association

· UW Foundation

· Fred Hutchison Cancer Center

Perkins & Co.

· Student Service and Facilities Fees – Seattle Campus

RSM

· Washington Biomedical Research Properties I, II, and 3.1 (Real estate financing entities – net assets of some 280 million)

2.4 List of Attachments

The following information is included in attachments to this Request for Proposal (RFP):

Exhibit A Statement of Qualifications Questionnaire

· University of Washington Financial Report Exhibit B Statement of Qualifications Questionnaire

· Medical Centers – UW Medicine Select Units and HMC Exhibit C Statement of Qualifications Questionnaire

· University of Washington Real Estate Entities

2.5 “Mandatory Requirement” (M) Defined A Mandatory (M) requirement is an essential need that must be met by the Bidder and will be scored on a pass/fail basis. Failure to meet any of the Mandatory requirements may cause the entire Proposal to be eliminated from further consideration.

Any of the following occurrences will constitute failure by a Bidder to meet a Mandatory requirement:

· The Bidder states that a Mandatory requirement cannot be met.

· The Bidder fails to include requested information necessary to substantiate that the Mandatory requirement has been met. The Bidder may reference supplemental material, but the answer must be complete in and of itself.

· The Bidder indicates that future developments will satisfy the requirement. Only responses that indicate present capability will meet the Mandatory requirement.

· The Bidder presents the information requested by this RFP in a manner inconsistent with the instructions stated by any portion of this RFP.

· Bidder references, site visits, or other investigative practices identify the Bidder’s inability to comply with one or more of the Mandatory requirements.

2.6 “Mandatory Scored Requirement” (MS) Defined A Mandatory Scored (MS) requirement is an essential need. Bidders must respond to all scored requirements.

Evaluations will only be based on the quality of the Bidder’s response to a scored requirement. Evaluators will be instructed to score only the content of the response and not any knowledge obtained through prior experience with the Bidder or with Bidder presentations and documentation provided prior to the release of this RFP. Therefore, it is in the Bidder’s best interest to be thorough and fully responsive when preparing answers to these requirements. Failure of the Bidder to respond to any Mandatory Scored requirement or a score of zero (0) on any Mandatory Scored requirement may cause the entire Proposal to be eliminated from further consideration.

2.7 Preparation Instructions

Include the Bidder name, address, email address, and telephone numbers. All tables must be numbered and referenced in the text by that number. Pages must be numbered consecutively within each section, showing section number and page number. All Proposals, as well as any reference materials presented, must be written in English.

2.8 Proposal Format Requirements

Bidders must respond to each requirement contained in Section 4 and Attachments of this RFP.

Restate the section/subsection number and requirement exactly as stated in this RFP, followed by the response. Failure of the Bidder to respond to any mandatory item may cause the entire Proposal to be eliminated from further consideration.

For mandatory requirements, the Bidder must always indicate explicitly whether or not the Bidder’s proposed solution meets the requirement. A statement such as, “(Bidder Name) fully complies with this requirement” is acceptable.

Each of the requirements in Section 4 is numbered and titled. Each requirement contains a designation as follows that indicates how the Bidder's response will be evaluated as follows:

Responses must be only based on the material contained in this RFP. Bidders are to disregard any previous draft material and any oral representations they may have received.

2.9 Access to Data

If requested, the Bidder shall provide, at no additional cost, access to data generated under any resulting Contract to UW, to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, and to the State Auditor. This includes access to all information that supports the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the Bidder’s reports, including computer models and methodology for those models.

2.10 Minor Administrative Irregularities

UW reserves the right to waive, in its sole discretion, minor administrative irregularities contained in any Bidder Proposal. Additionally, UW reserves the right, at its sole option, to make corrections to Bidders’ Proposals when an obvious arithmetical error has been made in the price quotation.

2.11 Points of Clarification

UW reserves the right to contact Bidders for clarification of anything contained in any Proposal; however, Bidders should not assume that deficient answers will result in clarification requests. The right of clarification is not a Bidder’s right; it is a UW right that will be employed only if UW believes it is absolutely necessary.

2.12 Right to Cancel

UW reserves the right to cancel or reissue this RFP at any time without obligation or liability.

2.13 Incorporation of Documents into Contract

This solicitation document and the Proposal will be incorporated into any resulting Contract.

2.14 Best and Final Offer

UW will evaluate and score Proposals and may name the Apparent Successful Bidder based on those Proposals. Additionally, UW may, at its discretion, conduct oral presentations with top scoring Bidders and may name the Apparent Successful Bidder based on those presentations. Without regard to whether oral presentations were conducted, UW may, at its discretion, require that top scoring Bidders submit Best and Final Offers and may name the Apparent Successful Bidder based on those offers.

2.15 No Costs Chargeable

No costs or charges under the proposed Contract may be incurred before the Contract is fully executed.

2.16 Announcement of Apparent Successful Bidder

All Bidders responding to the procurement shall be notified by email when the Apparent Successful Bidder has been determined. The date of announcement of the Apparent Successful Bidder shall be the date the announcement is sent. The tentative date for the announcement is identified in the Acquisition Schedule.

2.17 Covered Services

Products and/or Services available under any resulting Contract will be consistent with those specified in this RFP.

2.18 (M) Insurance The Apparent Successful Bidder is required to obtain insurance to protect UW should there be any claims, suits, actions, costs, or damages or expenses arising from any negligent or intentional act or omission of the Bidder or its Subcontractor(s), or their agents, while performing work under the terms of any Contract resulting from this solicitation. Bidders will find a complete description of the specific insurance requirements in Attachment E, Model Contract.

Bidder must acknowledge and agree to the above requirement.

2.19 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposals should be submitted in the following format:

Introduction and General Information

This section establishes the Bidder Qualifications for this RFP. Bidders must respond and provide detailed information for all items designated Mandatory (M) and Mandatory Scored (MS) requirements. Provide all information in the exact order specified in this section.

Bidders are encouraged to include information in their Proposals that are critical to service delivery and provide competitive advantage. UW does not desire highly conceptual responses. Preference will be given to Bidder responses that are brief, clear, and directly address the specific requirement.

Responses to this section must be standalone in order to facilitate evaluation and scoring.

2.19.1 (MS) History, Position and Strategy

A. The Bidder must describe in two (2) pages or less its history, position in the marketplace, and strategy for the future as it relates to providing the Product and Services specified in this RFP.

B. Finally, the Bidder must explain how its business and technology services provide distinct advantages over its competition. How do these differences benefit customers? What competitive advantages or benefits will customers realize? This should include a comprehensive discussion of how the Bidder will utilize both public LLMs and proprietary AI / LLMs to conduct efficient audits.

C. Please provide a copy of the firm’s latest Peer Review Report and/or the latest PCAOB Inspection Report. Please discuss the firm’s findings and responses.

2.19.2 (MS) Risk

A. Please identify three to five (3 – 5) items perceived as the highest risk to implementation and execution of the services outlined in this RFP. Provide a brief plan to mitigate the risks.

2.19.3 (MS) Regulations

A. Please summarize planned future GASB changes which will affect the UW Financial Audits. Provide a summary of why and how these changes will affect UW Financial Audits, how they affect the work effort of the selected Auditor, and the risks to the UW for each.

B. Bidder should provide a summary of other planned changes to major accounting and auditing regulations which will affect the UW and how Bidder will address these changes and mitigate any associated risks.

2.19.4 (MS) Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A. The University is undergoing an internal controls over financial reporting enhancement effort to strengthen processes, documentation and an ongoing internal controls program over financial reporting. Please provide a summary of your firm’s experience in conducting audits which included the review or testing of internal controls over financial reporting, leveraging the results to adjust or reduce the extent of substantive procedures.

2.20 (MS) Fee Schedule Indicate the fee level for a four-year period. Itemize fees and hours required for each segment of the audit: University financial report, each separate report including Intercollegiate Athletics; Internal Lending Program; Housing and Food Services; Metropolitan Tract and related real estate entities; UW Medicine Select Units and HMC.

Indicate estimated billable rates for other requested audit and audit related work which may be conducted related to UW operations, within the medical centers or with our real estate entities.

Bidders compensation for services rendered shall be based on the following rates. Bidder must collect and report all applicable state taxes. Bidder must not include taxes in their Cost Proposal.

Bidder must use the below table to submit their fees. If additional cost models are required Bidder should provide those in addition to the below table.

Table A

University of Washington F/S

Intercollegiate Athletics F/S

Intercollegiate Athletics NCAA - AUP

Housing and Food Services F/S

Internal Lending Program F/S

Portage Bay Insurance F/S

General Revenue Bond – Supplemental Information – Reconciliation to Total University Revenue to General Revenue

University Financial Reports - TOTAL

Table B

UW Medicine Select Units – UW Division F/S

Harborview Medical Center F/S

Harborview Medical Center – Single Audit Opinion

UW Medical Centers - TOTAL

Table C

UW Metropolitan Tract F/S

Fairmont Olympic Hotel Schedules of Gross Revenue

Fairmont Olympic Hotel Lease AUP Report

Rainier Tower AUP Report

400 University AUP Report

Commodore Apartments AUP Report

UW Real Estate Entities - TOTAL

Bidder agrees to provide additional agreed upon services on a Time and Materials basis at the hourly rates provided below:

Blended Hourly Rate or Rate by professional title

Expenses No payment of travel expenses will be made to Bidder for routine travel to and from UW’s locations.

In the highly unlikely case where UW will require bidder to travel to an out-of-state location to complete audit work, UW will reimburse Bidders for travel and other expenses approved in advance by UW.

2.21 (MS) Qualifications of Bidder

Attached are three qualification questionnaires (Attachments A, B and C) for the audit project. In order to be considered, Bidder must respond to each questionnaire. Each questionnaire will be scored independently.

2.22 (M) Sample Engagement Letter Provide a sample engagement letter including common terms and conditions.

3 Evaluation and Contract Award 2.

3.

3.1 Introduction

The evaluation process is designed to award the Contract not necessarily to the Bidder of least cost, but rather to the Bidder with the best combination of attributes based upon the evaluation criteria and which will best fit UW’s business needs.

Evaluations will only be based upon information provided in the Bidder’s Proposal. In those cases where it is unclear to what extent a requirement has been addressed, UW’s evaluation team may, at its discretion and acting through the RFP Coordinator, contact the Bidder to clarify specific points in a Proposal. However, under no circumstances will the Bidder be allowed to make changes to its Proposal. Bidders should take every precaution to assure that all answers are clear, complete, and directly address the specific requirement. Proposals will be evaluated strictly in accordance with the requirements set forth in this RFP and any issued addenda.

3.2 Reservation of Right to Adjust Bidder Proposals during Evaluation UW may, at its sole discretion, select or reject individual items being proposed by the Bidder. As part of the evaluation and selection process, UW may find it necessary to add or delete Products or Services from the Bidder’s Proposal in order to make equivalent comparisons.

3.3 Proposal Evaluation Process

3.3.1 Evaluation Team

Bidder Proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation team consisting of UW representatives. The RFP Coordinator will not serve as an evaluator but will facilitate the evaluation process and may develop information for presentation to the team.

3.3.2 Section Points

Section points have been assigned but will not be disclosed in the RFP.

2.19.01 History, Position and Strategy

2.19.02 Risk

2.19.03 Regulations

2.19.04 Internal Controls over Financial Reporting

Table A - University Financial Reports Table B - UW Medicine Entities Table C - UW Real Estate Entities

Attachment A – University of Washington F/S Attachment B – UW Medical Centers Attachment C – UW Real Estate Entities

Total Points:

100%

3.3.3 Contractual

The RFP Coordinator will review any Bidder-proposed changes to Attachment E according to the provisions of Subsections 3.19 and 3.20 and Attachment D.

3.3.4 Mandatory Requirements

The RFP Coordinator will review Bidder Proposals to determine compliance with the Mandatory (M) requirements specified in Sections 3, 4, and 5. The coordinator will share this information with the evaluation team at the beginning of the evaluation process.

Only Proposals passing all Mandatory requirements will be further evaluated.

3.3.5 Mandatory Scored Requirements: Introduction and General Information Proposals that pass all Mandatory requirements will be further evaluated and scored.

The evaluation team will evaluate and assign a score to each Mandatory Scored (MS) requirement based on how well the Bidder’s Proposal matches the requirement.

Scores will be assigned on a scale of zero (0) to ten (10) where the end and midpoints are defined as follows:

0 = response is missing, totally inadequate, or does not fully comply with the requirement.

5 = response adequately meets the expectation stated in the requirement.

10 = response is superior and clearly exceeds expectations.

Each Item Score will be multiplied by a Weighting Factor to produce a Weighted Score. The Total Section Score will be the sum of the Weighted Scores.

A score of zero (0) on any Mandatory Scored requirement may cause the entire Proposal to be eliminated from further consideration.

3.3.6 Mandatory Scored Requirements: Fee Schedule

The Bidder’s score for the Fee Schedule Section will be computed as follows:

The score for the cost proposal will be computed by dividing the lowest cost bid received by the Bidder’s total cost. The resultant number will then be multiplied by the maximum possible points for the Financial Requirements Section.

3.3.7 Mandatory Scored Requirements: Qualifications of Bidder Proposals that pass all Mandatory requirements will be further evaluated and scored.

The evaluation team will evaluate and assign a score to each Mandatory Scored (MS) requirement based on how well the Bidder’s Proposal matches the requirement.

Scores will be assigned on a scale of zero (0) to ten (10) where the end and midpoints are defined as follows:

0 = response is missing, totally inadequate, or does not fully comply with the requirement.

5 = response adequately meets the expectation stated in the requirement.

10 = response is superior and clearly exceeds expectations.

Each Item Score will be multiplied by a Weighting Factor to produce a Weighted Score. The Total Section Score will be the sum of the Weighted Scores.

3.3.8 Final Score and Selection of Apparent Successful Bidder

The RFP Coordinator will compute the Bidder’s Final Score by totaling Section Scores. The Bidder with the highest overall score may be identified as the Apparent Successful Bidder.

Final Score = Introduction and General Information + Fees + Qualifications

Bidder notification will be made by email.

3.3.9 Oral Presentation May be Required

UW may, after evaluating the written Proposals, elect to schedule oral presentations. Should oral presentations become necessary, the RFP Coordinator will contact the top-scoring Bidder(s) from the written evaluation to schedule a date, time, and location for the presentations. Commitments made by Bidders at the oral presentations, if any, will be considered binding.

The oral presentation may determine the Apparent Successful Bidder; reference Section 3.22.

The oral presentation will be scored independently from the RFP scoring and the Apparent Successful Bidder will be awarded based solely on the score of the presentation. Any presentation agendas and scoring will be created after the RFP is reviewed and scored so the evaluation team can ensure the presentation addresses issue/concerns raised through the RFP.

Exhibit A

STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS QUESTIONNAIRE

University of Washington Financial Report

1. Provide a list of other colleges and universities that your firm audits, especially major research universities, and the number of years audited. Describe your firm’s involvement in and commitment to higher education.

2. Identify the engagement team that would support and perform the University of Washington audits.

3. Identify the level of effort and qualifications of the partners and other key personnel who would be assigned to each audit. Provide resumes.

4. Identify how you will assure that the engagement team has knowledge and experience in higher education audits and in what city these team members are and will be located during the term of this contract.

5. Indicate how you will provide assurance of staff continuity. Discuss your approach to staff transition.

6. Provide a brief discussion of the scope of your audit sufficient to indicate your basic approach and the auditor-client relationship, including the flexibility to provide report formats to meet client needs. Indicate the proposed time schedule for both interim and year-end work and whether it would be different in future years.

7. Indicate how you will interact with audit teams which complete audits of UW related units which are not included in this RFP including Fred Hutchison Cancer Center; UW Foundation, UW Alumni Association and other blended units and integrate their audit work with yours.

8.…