Restricted funds and grants
Understand funding terms, income recognition, fund movements and the evidence needed to support balances.
Your funds. Your deadlines.
A well-planned charity audit.
Partner-led charity audit that recognises restricted funding, reporting responsibilities and the demands on your finance team. Understand the preparation, fee and timetable before you appoint.
For trustees, chief executives and charity finance leaders · UK-wide support
FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERSYour charity’s purpose.
01 / FUNDS & INCOME 02 / FINANCIAL REPORTING 03 / GOVERNANCE
Your charity’s purpose.
Your reporting responsibilities.
SORP and trustee reporting
Identify the applicable reporting requirements and significant accounting judgements early, including the effect of reporting changes.
Useful communication
Bring significant findings, outstanding information and reporting implications to the appropriate people before the approval meeting.
LESS LAST-MINUTE PRESSUREPlan around the people
Plan around the people
who need to respond.
We provide an audit approach memorandum and an information and sample request list. Evidence is shared through the agreed document area, organised by audit area. We agree who supplies schedules and who resolves queries, including your external accountant where relevant. Significant issues are raised for discussion rather than left until the trustee approval meeting.
Trustees retain responsibility for the accounts and annual report. Where permitted, accounts preparation can be scoped alongside audit, with independence assessed before acceptance.
Bring to the first discussion:
- Latest accounts and charity registration details.
- The year end, filing and trustee approval dates.
- An overview of restricted funds and major grants.
- Details of investments, property and subsidiaries.
- Who prepares the accounts and supporting schedules.
UNDERSTAND THE INVESTMENTCompare the scope.
Compare the scope.
Then compare the fee.
Income is only the starting point. Funds, grants, assets, trading subsidiaries, records and timing influence the audit work.
See an indicative fee example ↗︎Know what is included
Ask whether the proposal includes accounts preparation, transition support, subsidiary work and trustee meetings. Agree how any additional work will be discussed.
Check the right level of scrutiny
Some charities need an independent examination rather than an audit. Confirm the rules for your jurisdiction and year end, along with governing-document and funder requirements.
Your engagement team
Your engagement team manages the day-to-day audit work, with partner oversight of significant risks, judgements and conclusions. We agree who leads the work, how progress is communicated and when matters need to be escalated.
Meet the firm ↗︎Your questions, answered.
Do all charities need an audit?
Requirements depend on jurisdiction, legal form, income, assets and governing or funding arrangements. In England and Wales, revised statutory thresholds apply to financial years ending on or after 30 September 2026. Recheck the requirement for your own period rather than relying on last year’s conclusion. An independent examination may be sufficient for some charities, but it is a different form of scrutiny. Read the Charity Commission’s September 2026 update.
How much does a charity audit cost?
It depends on the scope and complexity. Our fee guide includes an illustrative £9,000–£13,500 audit-only range, excluding VAT, for a £1m–£5m income charity on stated assumptions. It is not a universal minimum or quotation. Read the assumptions and fee drivers.
Does SORP 2026 apply to our next accounts?
SORP 2026 applies to reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2026. The start date matters. We discuss which requirements apply to your period and what preparation is needed.
Can you prepare our accounts as well as audit them?
Where permitted and agreed, we can provide preparation support. Trustees and management keep their responsibilities; independence requirements must be assessed before accepting additional work.
Can we change auditors without disrupting the year end?
Early planning helps, but a timetable must reflect acceptance, handover and available evidence. Read our guide to changing auditors before committing to a move close to sign-off.
Will you meet our trustees?
We agree the communication arrangements at the outset, including whether the audit partner will attend a trustee or audit committee meeting and how findings will be discussed.
Answers before you appoint.
PRACTICAL GUIDE
What affects a charity audit fee?
An indicative example, scope questions and practical cost control.
Read guide ↗︎PRACTICAL GUIDEWhat happens when you change auditors?
Understand the process, handover and demands on your team.
Read guide ↗︎CHARITY PREPARATIONHow to prepare your charity for audit
A practical checklist for funds, records, forecasts and trustee reporting.
Read guide ↗︎From first conversation to a clear proposal.
After an initial discussion, we assess the scope, timetable and fit. If we can proceed, we provide a proposal explaining the work, fee, exclusions and preparation responsibilities. Appointment follows acceptance checks and agreed engagement terms.
Restricted projects and a tight audit deadline
An organisation with complex accounts and numerous restricted projects appointed Accendo for its audit. Its feedback highlighted the approachability of the team and completion within a tight timetable.
“We recruited Accendo to run our Audit this year, our accounts are complex and we have a huge amount of restricted projects running. Asif and his team were very approachable, professional and completed our audit to our tight deadlines. I highly recommend Accendo and we will be using them for future audits.”
R Wren · Read client feedback ↗︎
For finance teams managing restricted projects, the audit needs to recognise both the reporting complexity and the time available. This client’s experience brings those two concerns together.
AGREE THE NEXT STEP
Discuss your charity ↗︎A clearer plan for your next audit.
Tell us your organisation, year end and reporting deadline. We will review the scope and discuss whether we are the right fit.