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QOC731 2026-09-07 (0900) Lowestoft - The Clare School, Norwich (4 seats and a PA) - AWARD

Suffolk County Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

08 Sep 2026 at 10:12

Award Notice
Award

08 Sep 2026 at 10:12

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport procured passenger transport services for The Clare School in Norwich. The requirement is a dedicated route from Lowestoft to the school, providing four passenger seats and a passenger assistant (PA). This is a student transport service rather than general freight or public bus operation. The buying organisation is Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport, based in Ipswich, Suffolk. The stated service category is transport services, excluding waste transport (CPV 60000000). The delivery information identifies the United Kingdom and the council’s Ipswich address; the route description identifies Lowestoft and Norwich as the operational locations. Businesses suited to this opportunity are specialist passenger transport providers able to support school travel and passenger-assistance requirements.

This procurement has been awarded following a mini-competition under the Dynamic Purchasing System for the supply of passenger transport services. Rainbows Transport was selected for an award of £292,068. The award date was 8 September 2026, and the awarded contract runs from 10 September 2026 to 31 August 2031. The council reserved the right to extend the contract until 31 July 2033. The original submission deadline was 7 September 2026 at 09:00, with clarification questions due by 4 September 2026 at 09:00. The tender was recorded as complete and the award as active. The requirement was treated as a services procurement and was not identified as suitable for SMEs or voluntary, community and social enterprises.

Although this contract has been awarded, it gives passenger transport businesses a clear example of the council’s demand for contracted school travel. A credible future supplier would need to operate reliable passenger transport between Lowestoft and Norwich, provide at least four passenger places, and supply a passenger assistant as part of the service. Relevant capability includes safeguarding-conscious school transport, dependable daily operations, suitable vehicles, trained drivers and passenger-assistance staff, route planning, and the capacity to maintain continuity over a multi-year service. The buying route is also important: businesses would need to understand and qualify for the council’s passenger transport Dynamic Purchasing System before competing for similar requirements. The recorded scale and council assessment point towards an established operator with sufficient operational capacity rather than a small informal provider.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

QOC731 2026-09-07 (0900) Lowestoft - The Clare School, Norwich (4 seats and a PA) - AWARD

Notice Description

Suffolk County Council is seeking a mini competition against the following Dynamic Purchasing System: 'The supply of Passenger Transport Services', OJEU Notice Id: 2018/S 031-067685. QOC731 2026-09-07 (0900) Lowestoft - The Clare School, Norwich (4 seats and a PA) Further details can be found in the 'Tenders / My Tenders' area of this website, by selecting the 'View Details' button for this project. The deadline for returned submissions is 0900 on 07/09/2026. Please note late returns will NOT be permitted. The deadline for clarification questions is 0900 on 04/09/2026 which must be generated via the correspondence option on the website. The council reserves the right to extend this contract up until 31/07/2033.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-4c07d090-da15-4ec6-a0db-097a8cd6aef1
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/9db16ca3-17bf-4f39-a53a-74b10dbf6e18
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
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

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
£292,068 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
8 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Contract Period
10 Sep 2026 - 31 Aug 2031 4-5 years
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
Suffolk 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
SUFFOLK
Postcode
IP1 2BX
Postcode Area
Ipswich
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH6 Suffolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH62 Ipswich
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Ipswich
Electoral Ward
Gipping
Westminster Constituency
Ipswich

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Rainbows Transport

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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