This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

28 Aug 2026 at 16:38

Tender

27 Aug 2026 at 10:58

Summary of the contracting process

East Sussex County Council procured weekday school passenger transport using an MPV with one to eight seats and a passenger assistant. The service carries pupils from routes in Peacehaven and surrounding BN10 postcodes, including BN10 8RG, BN10 7NE, BN10 7SD, BN10 7SU and BN10 8GB, to Northease Manor School in East Sussex. The BN10 7SU stop is for afternoon collection only. The daily timetable runs from 08:30, with the return journey ending at 16:00 from Monday to Thursday and 15:00 on Fridays. This is a passenger transport service requiring both a suitable vehicle and an accompanying passenger assistant, rather than general taxi hire. The procurement is classified as transport services and is identified as suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.

The procurement has been completed and awarded following a selective restricted procedure above threshold. Responses were due by 28 August 2026 at 10:00, and the contract was awarded to Thorn Taxis on 28 August 2026. The awarded value is £113,250. The contract period runs from 8 September 2026 to 31 July 2029. The tender was marked complete, and the award is active. The contract covers the full requirement for the MPV passenger service and passenger assistant on the specified school route. East Sussex County Council is the buyer. The award is recorded against Thorn Taxis, a large supplier based in Heathfield, East Sussex. The opportunity was treated as a services procurement using a restricted procedure.

This procurement shows a defined requirement for contracted school transport from East Sussex County Council: an MPV suitable for one to eight passengers, a reliable weekday operating service and a dedicated passenger assistant. Suppliers competing for a similar requirement would need to demonstrate they can provide an appropriate vehicle, maintain consistent morning and afternoon journeys, manage route points across Peacehaven and the surrounding area, and meet the timetable for Northease Manor School. Operational planning must account for the different Friday finish time and the afternoon-only collection at BN10 7SU. The completed award also indicates that the council uses a selective restricted route for this type of work. Taxi and private-hire operators with school transport experience, suitable vehicles and passenger-assistant capacity are the closest fit.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Taxi and MPV (1-8 seats) Passenger Assistant - Taxi and MPV (1-8 seats) Passenger Assistant

Notice Description

Vehicle type: MPV required Passenger Assistant Required: Yes, PA required. Proposed Taxi Route: BN10 8RG, BN10 7NE, BN10 7SD, BN10 7SU and BN10 8GB To: Northease Manor School, BN7 3EY Frequency: Monday to Friday Daily School Time: Mon-Thurs 08:30-16:00 and Fri 08:30-15:00 Comments for Operator: PA Required. BN10 7SU is the afternoon pick up only. This opportunity has been distributed on SProc.net

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-0cbd0bd1-1348-4607-bc7a-06f7a1066b4d
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/b46b7d69-0923-4ad1-971c-192a4c3bbc82
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Restricted procedure (above threshold)
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)


CPV Codes

60000000 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£113,250 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Aug 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
28 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
28 Aug 20265 days ago
Contract Period
8 Sep 2026 - 31 Jul 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
East Sussex County Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LEWES
Postcode
BN7 1UE
Postcode Area
Brighton
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ22 East Sussex CC
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Lewes
Electoral Ward
Lewes Priory
Westminster Constituency
Lewes

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Thorn Taxis

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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