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Audit Services RFP

The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County (JWB) is seeking Proposals from qualified firms of Certified Public Accountants duly licensed pursuant to F.S.473 to audit the financial statements of the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, Florida beginning with the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026. These audits are to be performed in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) and the Government Auditing Standards set forth for financial audits by the Comptroller General of the United States.

 

The Fillable Request for Proposal document can be found under Resources on this Grant Detail page. 

 

An optional Pre-Proposal Conference will be held virtually on 03/24/2026 at 2:00 PM through TEAMS. Potential Proposers and the public may connect to the virtual conference as follows:

Teams Meeting Id:  243 330 197 989 1

Passcode : 9so9Ga65

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ODlmNTVhY2QtZjkyYi00OTdlLWIxNjMtMTkwMzQ0NjY0MDNh%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22dc329d38-81cc-4adf-85e7-08e848a3f152%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22b8b6244c-f4a1-41b9-b2f8-6e64006ef892%22%7d 

Dial in by phone: (239) 984-6411

Phone Conference ID: 206 264 122#

Persons with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodation to participate in public meetings must submit a request to JWB via email at: ADArequest@jwbpinellas.org or by phone 727-453-5600, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.

Timeline

USA (Eastern Time)
Open Date 3/10/2026
Virtual Optional Pre-Proposal Conference 3/24/2026 2:00 PM
Deadline for Receipt of Questions 3/26/2026 12:00 PM
Final Written Responses to Questions Released 4/2/2026 5:00 PM
Application Submission Deadline 4/15/2026 12:00 PM
Auditor Selection Committee Evaluation Meeting 5/28/2026 9:00 AM
Auditor Selection Committee Meeting - Presentations by Top Proposers and Ranking and Recommendations
* Pursuant to s.286.0113(2)(b)1. Florida Statutes, the Presentation portion is not open to the public
 6/30/2026 9:00 AM
Notice of Auditor Selection Committee Recommendations 7/1/2026 5:00 PM
Board Action to Award and Approve Contract 7/23/2026 9:00 AM
Post Notice of Intent to Award 7/24/2026 5:00 PM

Resources

Q & A

1. If the FY2025 audit is not available prior to the due date of this RFP, could the RFP due date be pushed back to ensure that all respondents have access to the same information since the incumbent has access to the FY2025 draft?
April 1, 2026
No, the timeline is unable to be revised. The FY2025 audit is not due until June but JWB anticipates an earlier issuance date. If additional information is needed in the interim, proposers may review/listen to the Board meetings and related materials, particularly the April 6 Board meeting. We anticipate the FY25 Audit being available by April 6.
2. Do you anticipate any significant changes in funding during the contract period?
April 1, 2026
JWB is funded through ad valorem taxes. Property tax matters are currently part of the legislative session; however, no changes have been enacted or finalized at this time. Because future legislative actions and their potential impacts cannot be ascertained or guaranteed, JWB is unable to project funding changes during the contract period.
3. Do you anticipate the need for a single audit for FY2026 or anytime during the contract period?
April 1, 2026
There is a very slim likelihood that JWB will require a single audit in FY26, no federal funds have been received to date, nor are there any plans to receive any federal funds for the remainder of the fiscal year or future years within the agreement term.
4. For the FY2025 audit, were there any audit adjusting entries provided by the auditors? If so, can you please provide a listing of the entries?
April 1, 2026
At this time, JWB is not aware of any audit adjusting entries.
5. For FY2025 audit, are you aware of any findings that will be reported either verbally or written in the audit communications?
April 1, 2026
At this time, JWB is not aware of any findings.
6. Please confirm the following attachments do not count towards the 15-page maximum allowed in the Narrative Response: * Item 2: Board of Accountancy License * Item 7: Peer Review Report
April 1, 2026
Per Section 3.4, "the page count excludes attachments, forms, and the table of contents."
7. May resumes be provided as an attachment or not count toward the 15-page maximum allowed for the Narrative Response?
April 1, 2026
Yes, resumes are to be provided as an attachment and per Section 3.4, "the page count excludes attachments, forms, and the table of contents."
8. May the font be smaller than 12-point for tables?
April 1, 2026
Font should be in 12-point font per instructions.
9. What are JWB’s main priorities as it pertains to Assurance Work -what makes you stay up at night? Challenges encountered in past audits and what would you like to see changed in the new audit? Other potential examples that were noted - Communication wasn’t good. Is there a preference for in person or remote meetings? What other aches and pains has JWB experienced with audits in the past?
April 1, 2026
JWB’s priorities for assurance services include timely completion of the audit and related deliverables; a well-planned, risk-based approach; clear and proactive communication throughout the engagement; and minimal disruption to operations. JWB values an engagement team that is responsive, provides clear requests and expectations, and communicates issues (including proposed adjusting entries, internal control observations, and potential findings) as they arise rather than at the end of fieldwork. Meetings may be conducted in person, remotely, or in a hybrid format based on mutual availability.
10. What would JWB consider its priorities both strategically and financially in its efforts to carry out its mission?
April 1, 2026
JWB’s mission and vision, as well as the Strategic Plan, Annual Report, Budget & Financials can be found on JWB’s website at https://www.jwbpinellas.org/ .
11. Should we repost these questions to FLEX?
April 1, 2026
No, all questions submitted during the Pre-Proposal Conference will be included in the questions and answers in Flex with the official responses.
12. For financial resources portion, if our Firm does not have an audit, is there something you would accept as an alternative? In addition, since this includes certain sensitive information, will the financial resources be excluded from public record?
April 1, 2026
Please see Section 2.11 - Financial Resources to determine what documents may be submitted. All proposals that are submitted will be subject to public record. Please see Sections 2.15 and 2.16 in order to determine if anything you submit is trade secret or confidential. Section 2.16 outlines the instructions to mark submitted information as confidential and/or exempt. Please also see corrected reference in 2.15 in Addendum #1.
13. Do you have written policies and procedures over your key process areas?
April 1, 2026
Yes, in addition to the written Board policies, JWB also has internal control memos outlining policies and procedures.
14. Who do you consider to be defined as an officer in order to sign the proposal?
April 1, 2026
See Section 2.7 of the RFP and Form 1. The forms must be signed by the authorized signer as indicated by the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (https://dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/). Proof of corporate signer must be attached to Form 1. Use Sunbiz screen shot or copy of Corporate Resolution. If not submitted, the Proposal may be considered non-responsive.
15. Is interim (work) required or just requested?
April 1, 2026
It is required as part of the Audit Timeline. We are accustomed to the audit firm completing interim work, and it is part of a typical audit process.
16. Do you prefer fieldwork to be performed on-site, remotely, or a hybrid?
April 1, 2026
JWB does not have a preference.
17. Does your current firm assist in the preparation of the ACFR at all?
April 1, 2026
Historically, the Audit firm has had limited involvement with the ACFR. However, for Fiscal Year 2025, due to staff turnover and conversion to a new accounting system, the audit firm has been more involved in the ACFR. JWB does not anticipate this to be the case for FY26 or future audits.
18. What is causing you to look for a new accounting firm?
April 1, 2026
Florida Statute 218.391 governs the auditor selection law, and establishes procedures for the selection of auditors to perform the financial audits required by Section 218.39, Florida Statutes, for counties, municipalities, special districts, district school boards, charter schools, and charter career technical centers. Once an audit contract and its renewals have expired, the entity must initiate a new, open procurement process for audit services. JWB’s current agreement and its renewals expire this year and therefore JWB has put out a solicitation for audit services.
19. Will the FY2025 audit be available prior to the due date of April 15 for this RFP?
April 1, 2026
We anticipate the FY25 Audit being available by April 6.

Accessibility Statement

Notice: The Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County has updated our website to comply with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 Level AA. In addition, we have posted our Website Accessibility and ADA Compliance Plan on our website. Please contact our webmaster at Communications@jwbpinellas.org to receive any information on our website by an alternative means, or to provide input into how accessibility can be improved.
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