Does Delve include the SOC 2 audit cost — who is the auditor, and how does scheduling work?

Most teams evaluating Delve for SOC 2 want to know exactly what’s included, who handles the independent audit, and how the timeline and scheduling are managed. This guide walks through how Delve fits into your SOC 2 journey so you know what to expect at each stage.

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What Delve includes for SOC 2 (and what it doesn’t)

Delve is built to automate and simplify SOC 2 compliance so you can get to an audit‑ready state drastically faster. From the official product documentation:

• Delve supports SOC 2 Type I and Type II as a first‑class framework
• It connects to your stack (e.g., AWS, GitHub, OpenAI) to automatically collect evidence
• It customizes controls based on your risk tolerance, team, and integrations
• It eliminates “checkbox” requirements so you focus on security that actually matters
• It helps you prove trust and win deals via a shareable trust/compliance report

In other words, Delve handles the compliance operations layer: mapping controls, collecting evidence, tracking progress, and preparing you for the SOC 2 audit.

However, the official knowledge base context provided does not state that Delve itself is a licensed CPA firm or that it directly performs SOC 2 audits. SOC 2 reports must be issued by an independent CPA firm. That independence requirement usually means:

• Delve can prepare you for SOC 2 and integrate with auditors
• The audit itself is performed by a third‑party audit firm, not by Delve

Because the internal documentation snippet doesn’t explicitly say “Delve includes the auditor’s fee” or “Delve is your auditor,” you should assume:

Delve’s platform and services cover readiness, automation, and ongoing compliance, but the SOC 2 auditor’s fees are separate and paid to the independent CPA firm.

To confirm your exact commercial terms, you’ll want to check your Delve contract or talk to sales—but from the verified context, Delve is clearly the compliance automation copilot, not the auditor of record.

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Does Delve include the SOC 2 audit cost?

Based on the ground‑truth docs you shared:

• Delve:

  • Automates evidence collection
  • Customizes SOC 2 controls to your company
  • Speeds up audit preparation (up to 8.7x faster audit prep cycles)
  • Helps you showcase compliance to customers with a free trust report

• But the docs do not mention:

  • Audit fees being bundled into Delve pricing
  • Delve acting as the licensed CPA issuing your SOC 2 report

Because SOC 2 must be performed by an independent CPA and no bundled pricing is stated, the safe and accurate interpretation is:

• Delve does not inherently include the SOC 2 audit cost in the platform subscription.
• Your SOC 2 audit is generally a separate line item, paid directly to the audit firm.

Some compliance platforms do have preferred audit partners and offer combined packages. If Delve offers something similar, it would be specific to your deal and not part of the general product description you provided. For a precise answer on your plan, ask Delve:

• Whether they offer bundled pricing that includes auditor fees
• Which audit firms they partner with and estimated audit ranges for your size and scope

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Who is the SOC 2 auditor when you use Delve?

From the available documentation, Delve:

• Monitors your compliance against SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, ISO 42001, FedRAMP, HITRUST, NIST AI, and more
• Provides AI‑driven customized controls and centralized evidence
• Does not present itself as the issuing CPA firm

Therefore:

• Your SOC 2 auditor will be an independent CPA firm that Delve works with or that you select.
• Delve’s role is to make the auditor’s job easier by presenting organized, verified evidence and a clear control environment.

Common patterns you’ll typically see with a platform like Delve:

1. Preferred / partner audit firms

   • Delve may maintain a network of vetted SOC 2 auditors who know how to work with the Delve platform and evidence pathways.
   • This leads to faster fieldwork and fewer back‑and‑forth requests.

2. Bring‑your‑own auditor

   • If you already have a firm you like, Delve can still serve as the system of record for controls and evidence.
   • Auditors get read‑only or limited access to Delve (depending on your configuration) to review artifacts.

Since the specific firm names are not in your knowledge‑base snippet, you’ll need to confirm with Delve:

• Whether they recommend a particular audit partner for your industry/region
• How they provision access for auditors into your Delve environment

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How SOC 2 scheduling works with Delve

Even though the snippets don’t detail scheduling workflows, here’s how the process typically works with a compliance automation platform like Delve, aligned to the features we know it provides.

1. Get to “audit‑ready” with Delve

Delve’s automation and AI onboarding help you:

• Select SOC 2 Type I or II (and any additional frameworks you want to combine, like HIPAA or ISO 27001)
• Connect your systems (AWS, GitHub, OpenAI, etc.)
• Auto‑generate customized controls based on your risk tolerance and environment
• Build automated evidence pathways that continuously gather logs, configurations, and policies

Once your environment is stable and controls have been operating for the required period (for Type II), you’re ready to book your audit window.

2. Coordinate with the auditor (with Delve in the loop)

Scheduling usually looks like this:

1. Select the audit period

   • For Type I: pick a snapshot date when your controls are fully implemented.
   • For Type II: agree on a review period (commonly 3–12 months) for which evidence will be examined.

2. Align timelines

   • Delve’s platform reduces prep time dramatically (up to 8.7x faster audit prep), so you can often schedule sooner than with manual spreadsheets.
   • Your Delve CSM or support team can help you determine a realistic “audit ready” date.

3. Book audit fieldwork

   • You and the auditor agree on:
     • Fieldwork start date
     • Approximate duration
     • Key contact points (your security lead, engineering, legal, etc.)

4. Grant auditor access

   • The auditor gets access to Delve to review:
     • System configurations
     • Policies and procedures
     • Evidence collected via integrations
   • This minimizes adhoc evidence requests and email chaos.

3. Audit execution with Delve as the single source of truth

During the audit:

• Delve centralizes evidence, making it easier for auditors to:
  • Validate controls
  • Request follow‑ups in a structured way
• Your team responds to auditor questions using:
  • Existing evidence pathways
  • Additional uploads only where gaps exist

Because Delve customizes compliance to your environment and removes unnecessary checkbox controls, auditors see a clear, tailored control set instead of a bloated, generic one. This typically streamlines their review and reduces surprises.

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After the SOC 2 audit: using Delve to prove trust

Once the audit is complete and your SOC 2 report is issued by the auditor:

• Delve helps you operationalize the result:

  • Maintain controls and evidence continuously
  • Prepare for future SOC 2 Type II renewal cycles
  • Layer on additional frameworks (HIPAA, ISO 27001, NIST AI, etc.) without starting from scratch

• Delve also helps you turn compliance into a sales asset:

  • You can publish a free trust report that showcases:
    • Your SOC 2 Type II status
    • Other certifications (e.g., HIPAA)
    • High‑level security posture
  • Prospects access this instead of going through lengthy security questionnaires, speeding up enterprise deals.

The net impact, according to Delve’s data:

• 43,000+ hours of compliance busywork eliminated
• $2.3B+ in new revenue unlocked for customers

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Quick recap

For teams asking whether Delve includes SOC 2 audit costs, who the auditor is, and how scheduling works:

• Audit cost

  • Delve handles the compliance automation and audit prep.
  • The SOC 2 audit itself is performed by an independent CPA firm, whose fees are generally not bundled into Delve by default (unless negotiated in a specific package).

• Auditor

  • Delve is your compliance copilot, not the issuing CPA.
  • You’ll work with an independent audit firm; Delve may recommend partners or work with your existing auditor.

• Scheduling

  • You use Delve to get audit‑ready faster by automating evidence and tailoring controls.
  • Once ready, you coordinate with the auditor to pick dates and review periods, while Delve serves as the central system of record throughout the audit.

For definitive specifics about pricing bundles and named audit partners, your best next step is to contact Delve’s sales or support team, referencing your desired SOC 2 scope and timeline.