Audit Engagement 2026

Beaufort County, South Carolina has issued Request for Proposal #050726 seeking an independent certified public accounting firm to provide external independent auditing services for fiscal years ending June 30, 2026 through June 30, 2031, with an initial one-year term followed by four optional one-year renewals. The County requires proposers to be licensed to practice public accounting in South Carolina, hold American Institute of Certified Public Accountants membership, and possess a minimum of five years of continuous government sector CPA experience. The scope of services encompasses annual county audits, single audits, Disabilities and Special Needs Agreed-Upon Procedures audits, and Passenger Facility Charge audits, with audit reports due no later than November 30th of each fiscal year for presentation to County Council. Key deliverables include comprehensive financial reporting and management letters with findings and responses from County management. The proposal deadline is May 7, 2026, at 3:00 pm EST via the County's Procurement Portal, with questions due by April 24, 2026, at 5:00 pm EST and a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting scheduled for April 21, 2026, at 2:00 pm EST. Evaluation criteria weightings are as follows: expertise and experience (25 points), technical skills of assigned personnel (25 points), methodology and approach (20 points), proposed fees (20 points), and other relevant factors (10 points). All proposals must remain firm for 90 days from the closing date, and all audit services must comply with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards, Government Auditing Standards, Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200, and Governmental Accounting and Financial Reporting Standards.

The RFP contains no specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to disadvantaged or minority-owned enterprises. Proposers must submit firm fixed fees for annual county audits, single audits, and specialized procedures, along with hourly rates for additional services, with progress billing permitted up to 80 percent of the annual fee during the engagement. The County requires Professional Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence, in addition to Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 each occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Worker's Compensation, Automobile Liability ($500,000 combined single limit), and Umbrella Liability ($2,000,000 minimum) coverages. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information has been specified in the solicitation. Beaufort County's Comprehensive Financial Reports are available online at https://beaufortcountysc.gov/finance/ACFR/index.html for prospective bidders' review. The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, negotiate with qualified firms, or cancel the solicitation at its discretion.