NHS CB will take up its full statutory duties and responsibilities on 1.4.2013 and will play a key role in the UK Government's vision to modernise the NHS with the key aim of securing the best possible health outcomes for patients by prioritising them in every decision it makes. The NHS CB will take on initial statutory responsibilities, the most notable of which are the authorisation of Clinical Commissioning Groups, which are the drivers of the new, clinically-led commissioning system introduced by the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

The NHS CB requires a comprehensive internal audit service to help meet its role and responsibilities, whilst maintaining the necessary level of professional independence.

The aim of this procurement exercise is to appoint a single provider of assurance services to the NHS CB. These services shall include (but are not limited to) internal audit, governance, risk management, counter fraud services, and other specialist assurance services.