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North Somerset Supported Bus Services (August 2026 - Batch 1)

North Somerset Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

07 Aug 2026 at 16:54

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

North Somerset Council procured supported public bus services, classified as transport services. The requirement covered four routes in and around North Somerset: Service 6 between Weston-super-Mare and Worle Retail Park via Mead Vale; Service 9/X11, linking Weston-super-Mare with Worle Retail Park via Worlebury and with Nailsea; Service X5 between Hutton and Portishead; and Service X10 between Wrington and Southmead. The services are intended to provide scheduled bus transport on routes supported by the council. Delivery covers North Somerset and connecting locations including Weston-super-Mare, Worle, Nailsea, Hutton, Portishead, Wrington and Southmead. The procurement was suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. First West of England Ltd was selected for Services 6, 9/X11 and X5, while The Big Lemon CIC was selected for Service X10.

This procurement has been awarded. North Somerset Council used Lot 3 of its Passenger Transport Dynamic Purchasing System. The submission deadline was 19 May 2026 at 1pm, and the award date was 6 August 2026. Contracts run from 30 August 2026 to 28 August 2027. First West of England Ltd was awarded Service 6 at an annual contract value of £141,094, Service 9/X11 at £669,239 annually, and Service X5 at £430,255 annually. The Big Lemon CIC was awarded Service X10 at £293,576 annually. The published award value for the procurement is £1,534,164 in total. The award record identifies the selected suppliers and route allocations; it does not set out a separate scoring or weighting basis.

This award demonstrates recurring council demand for contracted bus operators able to run supported services across North Somerset and adjoining urban areas. Relevant competitors would need the operational capacity to provide scheduled passenger transport on routes linking residential communities, retail centres, towns and employment or healthcare destinations. Credible suppliers should be able to plan and deliver dependable timetabled services, allocate suitable buses and drivers, manage day-to-day operations, and maintain continuity across a network of distinct routes. The award also shows that the requirement can be delivered by different supplier profiles: a large established regional operator took three services, while a smaller community-interest company took one. SMEs with proven bus operations and the capacity to serve individual routes may therefore be relevant when this council next tests similar requirements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

North Somerset Supported Bus Services (August 2026 - Batch 1)

Notice Description

The council required a bus operator to operate each of the following supported bus service contracts in North Somerset from 30 August 2026: * Bus Service 6 (ref: NSC-0750-26) - Weston-super-Mare to Worle Retail Park via Mead Vale - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS141,094) * Bus Service 9 / X11 (ref: NSC-0746-26) - Weston-super-Mare to Worle Retail Park via Worlebury (9) and Weston-super-Mare to Nailsea (X11) - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS669,239) * Bus Service X5 (ref: NSC-0751-26) - Hutton to Portishead - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS430,255) * Bus Service X10 (ref: NSC-0740-26) - Wrington to Southmead - awarded to The Big Lemon CIC (annual contract value: PS293,576) Lot 3 of North Somerset Council's Passenger Transport Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) was used for this procurement.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-3147aa3d-9a90-43d9-be12-db871d26f902
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/6af218c0-bb58-413d-a014-d5cf5ef47d78
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Dynamic
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Other -
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Large, SME

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
£1,534,164 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,534,164 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
7 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
19 May 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
6 Aug 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
30 Aug 2026 - 28 Aug 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
North Somerset 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
WESTON-SUPER-MARE
Postcode
BS23 1UJ
Postcode Area
Bristol
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK61 North Somerset
Delivery Location
TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
North Somerset
Electoral Ward
Weston-super-Mare Central
Westminster Constituency
Weston-super-Mare

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
2
Supplier Names

The West of England Combined Authority

The Big Lemon CIC

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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