Grant audit for donors
A grant audit is an independent check that donor funds were spent according to the budget and the agreement. Deliverable: an ISA 800 or ISRS 4400 report accepted by the EU, GIZ, UN agencies and international foundations. Timeline 2-4 weeks.
- Expenditure review against budget and agreement
- Source documents, procurement, payroll
- Report in the donor’s format (ISA 800 / ISRS 4400)
- Management letter with recommendations
- Answers to donor queries after submission
NGOs and foundations with grants from EUR 100k
Most donors require an audit or agreed-upon procedures at project completion.
ISA 800, ISA 805, ISRS 4400
Chosen per the donor’s requirements. Not sure? We will review your agreement free of charge.
EU, GIZ, UN agencies, international foundations
We know the reporting formats and documentation requirements of the main donors working with Ukrainian organisations.
Four steps, no surprises at the end
We clarify the assignment and send a proposal.
Document list. Secure storage, remote work.
Questions as we go, not at the end. You have time to fix things.
In two languages. We answer the donor’s and reviewers’ queries.
Organisations we have helped pass their audits
Organisations our auditors and accountants have worked with. Reference letters are on the testimonials page.
Donors whose requirements we know: EU, GIZ, UN agencies, Sida, embassies, the Global Fund, international foundations
We meet the criteria donors set for an audit firm
Listed in the Ukrainian register of audit firms entitled to perform statutory audits (APOB).
ISA 800, ISA 805, ISAE 3000 or ISRS 4400 in English and Ukrainian: we choose the format from the donor’s terms of reference.
Donors often require an auditor from an international network: DFK International is present in more than 90 countries.
Since 2000: annual audits of organisations, grant and donor project audits, reports in English and Ukrainian.
Free review of your donor’s audit terms of reference
Send us the grant agreement or the audit terms of reference. Within 1 business day we will tell you which report format is required (ISA 800, ISA 805, ISAE 3000 or ISRS 4400), which documents to prepare and how long it will take.
What the auditor checks in a grant project
The exact procedures follow the donor terms of reference, but seven blocks appear in almost every engagement.
We reconcile actual spending against the approved budget line by line and check whether reallocations between lines were agreed with the donor in writing.
Whether costs fall inside the project period, are foreseen by the agreement and are not double funded from another source. Ineligible costs are usually asked back.
Contracts, acceptance acts, invoices, bank statements, expense reports. We check that each document exists, is complete and is linked to a specific reported cost.
Whether donor thresholds and procedures were followed: collection of quotations, tender, justification of supplier choice, absence of conflict of interest.
Employment and service contracts, timesheets, allocation of staff time between projects, payroll taxes and social contributions, evidence that the work was performed.
Movements on the project account, closing balance, the rate used to convert the grant currency and how exchange differences are presented in the donor report.
Accounting for equipment bought with grant funds, stocktaking, tagging, and compliance with visibility rules on donor acknowledgement in project materials.
A report in the donor format plus a management letter: the deviations found and recommendations on what to correct in your accounting before the next project.
Documents to prepare before the audit starts
We send the full list tailored to your project after the contract. The core set is the same for most donors.
- Grant agreement with all annexes and amendments
- Approved budget and every subsequent revision
- Correspondence with the donor on budget and activity changes
- Audit terms of reference, if the donor provided one
- Interim and final financial and narrative reports
- Trial balances and ledgers for the project
- Bank statements for the project account for the whole period
- Supplier contracts, acceptance acts, invoices
- Procurement files: requests for quotation, selection minutes
- HR records, timesheets, payroll calculation sheets
- Expense reports, travel and event documentation
A detailed checklist with explanations: how to prepare for a grant audit. Documents are accepted remotely into secure storage, no originals need to be delivered.
ISA 800, ISA 805, ISAE 3000 and ISRS 4400: the difference
The donor names the required format in the grant agreement or terms of reference. If the wording is unclear, we clarify it before the contract.
| Standard | What is examined | What you receive | When it is required |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISA 800 | A complete set of project financial statements prepared under donor rules | An audit report with an opinion on the statements as a whole | Large projects, annual project audit requirements |
| ISA 805 | A single statement of expenditure or specific budget lines | An opinion on that statement rather than on full financials | When the donor wants an opinion on the expenditure itself |
| ISAE 3000 | Compliance with the agreement and spending rules, not only figures | An assurance report on compliance with the requirements | Compliance reviews under programme rules |
| ISRS 4400 | Specific procedures from a list agreed with the donor | A report of factual findings, without an audit opinion | The most common format for EU grants and foundations |
More detail: project audits under ISA 800, ISA 805 and ISAE 3000 and the ISRS 4400 agreed-upon procedures report.
Why donors send reports back
These findings come up in grant projects every year. Almost all of them can be corrected before submission if spotted in time.
The payment is in the bank statement but the contract or acceptance act is missing, or the document was issued to an individual with no service contract. Donors treat such amounts as ineligible.
Actual spending on a line exceeds the approved amount and there is no written approval of the reallocation from the donor.
A purchase above the threshold was made without collecting quotations or without minutes documenting the choice of supplier.
One employee works on several projects, but the split of their time is shown neither in the order nor in the timesheet.
Costs are converted at the rate on the reporting date instead of the transaction date, so the report no longer reconciles to the bank statement.
Payment was made before the start or after the end of the project, while the agreement does not allow such costs.
Worked examples: common NGO mistakes in donor reporting.
The EU, UN agencies and GIZ ask for different things
The EU normally requires an expenditure verification: a check of costs against a fixed list of procedures in its own terms of reference template. The report format is set in advance and improvisation is not accepted. The auditor must be independent of the implementer and work to international standards.
UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and WFP work under the HACT framework. That means three different things: a micro assessment of the partner before funding, spot checks during the year and a scheduled project audit. Each has its own format and its own set of procedures.
GIZ and embassies usually ask for confirmation that funds were used as intended, with a detailed list of costs and an explanation of deviations from the budget. The report is needed in English, often alongside a Ukrainian version for the organisation’s own records.
If you are not sure which format your donor requires, send us the agreement: all project audit formats are gathered on a separate page, and we will give you a specific answer within 1 business day.
What organisations say after the audit
Quotes from reference letters. The originals, on the organisations’ letterheads, are on our references page.
The MK Audit auditors completed the work on time and demonstrated a high level of professionalism and competence.
Based on our cooperation and the results of the work, I can recommend the MK Audit specialists as high quality professionals in audit and monitoring.
The review was carried out to a high standard and promptly. The report presents all the information required by the donor in detail and in a clear way.
Most common questions
How does an audit differ from an ISRS 4400 report?
An audit gives an opinion on the financial report as a whole. ISRS 4400 is a check of specific procedures listed by the donor, without an opinion. Your grant agreement says which one you need.
How much does it cost?
We prepare a proposal after reviewing the assignment: donor agreement, budget, volume of documents. Reply within 1 day.
What if you find errors?
We tell you right away, not in the report. Most errors can be fixed before submission to the donor.
Will the report be accepted abroad?
Yes. International standards, report in English, a firm in the Ukrainian auditors register and the DFK International network.
How long does a grant audit take?
Two to four weeks from the moment documents are handed over. The timing depends on the number of transactions, how many projects are covered by one report and how well the accounting is organised. We state the exact deadline in the proposal.
Can the audit be done remotely?
Yes. Documents are accepted as scans in secure storage, questions are raised in writing, and the report is delivered electronically and, if the donor requires it, on paper as well.
Who selects the auditor, the organisation or the donor?
Usually the organisation selects, often through a tender, while the donor checks that the auditor meets the requirements: presence in the register, experience auditing non-profit organisations, and a report in English.
Get a grant audit proposal
Proposal after reviewing your assignment. Reply within 1 day.