TENDERE, ACHIZIȚII ȘI CONTRACTĂRI ÎN MOLDOVA

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Selection of an audit company for the Expenditure Verification (Financial Audit) of the project

„PEARL – Post Emergency Response: Post Emergency Response Adaptation and Integration of Ukrainian Refugees in the Republic of Moldova”

1. INTRODUCTION

A.O. „CONCORDIA.PROIECTE SOCIALE” (hereinafter “CONCORDIA Moldova” or “the Organization”) invites qualified audit companies to submit offers for the expenditure verification (financial audit) of the project „PEARL – Post Emergency Response: Post Emergency Response Adaptation and Integration of Ukrainian Refugees in the Republic of Moldova”, financed by Kindernothilfe e.V. (KNH), for the period 01.01.2026 – 31.12.2026.

The engagement shall be carried out in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing (ISA) and/or the International Standard on Related Services ISRS 4400 (Revised) “Agreed-Upon Procedures Engagements”, in order to ensure the accuracy of the project financial statements and their compliance with the contractual conditions of the donor.

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

2.1. About the Organization

A.O. „CONCORDIA.PROIECTE SOCIALE” is a non-governmental organization established in the Republic of Moldova in 2004, part of the international CONCORDIA network, dedicated to supporting children, young people, families and elderly persons in need towards an independent and responsible life. CONCORDIA Moldova provides daily support through 38 social services in 32 localities, reaching more than 14,000 unique beneficiaries every year.

2.2. About the project

The project „PEARL – Post Emergency Response: Post Emergency Response Adaptation and Integration of Ukrainian Refugees in the Republic of Moldova” is the continuation (second phase) of the PEARL project implemented in 2024–2025. Its overall objective is to address the main challenges arising from the regional context generated by the war in Ukraine, namely:

1. Supporting Ukrainian refugees and vulnerable Moldovan families so that their basic needs are covered, especially during the cold season;
2. Enabling the successful integration of Ukrainian refugees into Moldovan society by offering support, perspectives and better opportunities for all people living in the Republic of Moldova.

3. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE AUDIT

The objectives of the audit are:

1. to provide a professional opinion on the quality of the processes and accounting practices of the audited organization, especially those applied within the project concerned, based on the audit procedures performed;
2. to independently verify that the project has been implemented in compliance with the requirements of the following reference documents:

• Legislation: national legislation of the Republic of Moldova and applicable laws (accounting, tax, labour and social legislation);
• Project: Grant Agreement concluded with KNH, project documents, approved budget and budget revisions, plans of project activities, these Terms of Reference;
• Accounting: accounting documents subject to the audit, financial and narrative reports of the project.

The Auditor is responsible to verify:

• the entity’s compliance with the criteria and specifications set out in the Project Contract (Grant Agreement);
• proper bookkeeping, documentation, filing and record keeping for expenditure and income;
• the accounts on the basis of original vouchers (primary documents);
• the plausibility, eligibility and reasonableness of expenditures;
• the correct assignment of expenditures to the respective budget lines and compliance with the approved budget and permitted deviations;
• the overall financial management of the project;
• compliance with the applicable social and labour legislation (payroll, contracts, taxes and social contributions);
• compliance and proper application of the applicable procurement regulations (donor rules and internal procurement policy of the Organization);
• that, according to the bookkeeping records and the audit of accounts, the expenditures are covered by the revenues;
• that there is no double financing of the same expenditures by other funding bodies;
• that the financial statement contains a clear description of cash flows, evidenced by currency exchange confirmations and bank statements, and that exchange rates were applied correctly;
• the existence, registration and correct use of assets (fixed assets, inventory) purchased from project funds;
• that the original vouchers are kept in appropriate order, ready to be presented for an external inspection at any time.

4. AUDIT PROCEDURES

The Auditor shall exercise due professional care and judgment and shall determine the nature, timing and extent of the audit procedures to fit the objectives, scope and context of the audit.

All national rules and regulations, as well as the contractual agreements and the rules and regulations of the main donor, Kindernothilfe e.V. (KNH), must be taken into account.

The Auditor shall validate the original receipts and produce an Expenditure Verification Reports, that should describe the purpose, the agreed-upon procedures and the findings in enough details.

5. REPORTING AND DELIVERABLES

The Expenditure Verification (Audit) Report must contain at least the following information:

• Title and addressee;
• Brief description of the project and partner(s);
• Introduction, including the description of the audit engagement;
• Period covered by the report;
• Description of the audit method applied;
• Total amount of budgeted and actual income;
• Complete list of project funds transferred, including donor’s name, dates and exchange rates;
• Total amount of actual expenditures verified;
• Expenditure Coverage Ratio;
• Objectives, scope and description of the procedures performed;
• Findings from the expenditure verification;
• Recommendations, if applicable;
• Other relevant matters;
• Date of the report, auditor’s address and signature;
• A summary confirming that the project has been implemented properly and in accordance with the economic and fiscal regulations of the Republic of Moldova.

In addition to the report, the Auditor shall prepare a Management Letter including the conclusions of the audit and recommendations for improving the internal control system, accounting procedures and the financial management of the project.

Before finalizing the engagement, the Auditor shall hold a closing meeting with the management of the Organization and the staff responsible for accounting and reporting, to discuss the audit results, the findings and the recommendations.

The report and the management letter shall be submitted in English and Romanian (3 original copies in English and 2 original copies in Romanian), as well as in electronic format (PDF, signed).

6. PLACE OF THE AUDIT AND ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS

The audit shall be carried out at the administrative office of A.O. „CONCORDIA. Proiecte Sociale”, mun. Chișinău, str. Anatol Corobceanu 13/1, MD-2004. CONCORDIA Moldova will provide the necessary support and working space for the audit team.

Important note: In accordance with the internal procedures regarding the processing of information with limited accessibility, CONCORDIA Moldova will provide access to the primary documents necessary for the audit on paper (originals) and in electronic format (access to the accounting software), at the headquarters, using the devices made available by the Organization, to be examined without the possibility of copying them to external media.

7. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AUDITOR

The Auditor must meet at least one of the following conditions:

• The Auditor is a member of a national accounting or auditing body or institution which, in turn, is a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC);
• The Auditor is a member of a national accounting or auditing body or institution which is not a member of IFAC, but the Auditor commits to undertake this engagement in accordance with IFAC standards and ethics;

In addition, the Auditor shall:

• be independent from CONCORDIA Moldova and have no involvement in its accounting process;
• hold a valid professional risk (liability) insurance;
• have proven experience in auditing projects of non-profit organizations financed by international donors.

8. WORK PLAN

The Auditor shall plan the engagement so that it complies with the following work plan:

9. SUBMISSION OF OFFERS

9.1. Closing date and time

All offers in response to these ToR must be received no later than 16:00 (local time), 23 October 2026, with the mention “Audit Company for PEARL 2026 Project / name of the applicant”. Offers may be submitted:

• electronically, signed with an electronic signature, to: moldova@concordia.md; or
• in hard copy, signed and stamped, in a sealed envelope, at: A.O. „CONCORDIA. PROIECTE SOCIALE ”, mun. Chișinău, str. Anatol Corobceanu 13/1, MD-2004.

9.2. Components of the offer

A. Mandatory forms (attached to these ToR):

• Application Form (Annex 1) – fully completed, dated and signed;
• Financial Offer (Annex 2) – dated and signed;
• Technical Offer (Annex 3) – fully completed, dated and signed, together with the requested attachments.

B. Cover letter, including:

• company profile and contact details;
• company competencies and experience;
• references from two non-associated referees;
• members of the audit team holding auditor certificates;
• copy of the professional risk insurance policy;
• copy of the extract from the State Register of Legal Entities (updated).

C. Technical Offer (Annex 3), including the following attachments:

• company profile with a brief description of its activity and relevant audit experience (max. 2 pages);
• composition of the audit team directly involved in the engagement (at least one certified auditor), with CVs, copies of auditor certificates and other relevant certificates;
• institutional experience (including audits of non-profit organizations in the Republic of Moldova and of donor-funded projects) and past performance in similar projects, with the list of audited organizations / projects;
• brief audit methodology and confirmation of compliance with the work plan in Section 8.

D. Financial proposal:

The financial offer shall indicate the price of the audit services in MDL, without VAT. The financial proposal must cover all the services described in these ToR (including the report in English and Romanian and the management letter) and must be clear and complete. The price established in the contract shall remain fixed for the entire duration of the contract.

A.O. „CONCORDIA. PROIECTE SOCIALE ” is exempt from VAT without the right of deduction, according to art. 103 para. (9²) of the Fiscal Code of the Republic of Moldova: “Goods and services imported or purchased on the territory of the Republic of Moldova by non-commercial organizations meeting the requirements of art. 52, for the purpose of building social assistance institutions, as well as goods and services imported or purchased on the territory of the Republic of Moldova by these non-commercial organizations for the needs of these institutions, are exempt from VAT without the right of deduction.”

10. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Criteria 1 and 2 are assessed on the basis of the Technical Offer (Annex 4) and its attachments; criterion 3 on the basis of the Financial Offer (Annex 3).

11. SELECTION OF APPLICANTS

Offers will be evaluated by the evaluation committee of CONCORDIA Moldova, based on the criteria described above. Offers that do not include all mandatory documents may be disqualified. The applicant that obtains the highest score will be invited to negotiate and sign the contract.

CONCORDIA Moldova reserves the right to request additional documents or clarifications during the evaluation and to invite short-listed applicants to make oral presentations, which will be evaluated based on the same criteria.

12. QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

Questions or requests for clarification regarding these ToR shall be submitted in writing, until 20.10.2026, by e-mail to olesea.bulgac@concordia.md / galina.bujor@concordia.md, with the mention “Clarifications – Audit Company for PEARL 2026 Project”.

13. GENERAL CONDITIONS

Assessment disclosure and cost responsibility. CONCORDIA Moldova is not obliged to disclose to applicants how offers are assessed or to provide information about the selection process. Applicants bear all costs related to the preparation and submission of their offers, including costs of demonstrations, meetings and negotiations.

Not a contract. These ToR do not constitute a contract or commitment. Submitting an offer does not oblige CONCORDIA Moldova to award a contract, nor to cover any costs incurred in preparing the offer. CONCORDIA Moldova reserves the right to cancel or suspend the selection procedure, in whole or in part, and to reject all offers at any time before the award of the contract, without any liability towards the applicants.

Validity of offers. Offers must remain valid for at least 60 days from the submission deadline.

Confidentiality and personal data protection. Personal data of applicants and their representatives will be processed in accordance with Law No. 133/2011 on the protection of personal data, exclusively for the purpose of evaluating offers and awarding the contract. By submitting an offer, applicants consent to the processing of their personal data for these purposes. The Auditor shall keep confidential all information obtained during the engagement.