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North Somerset Supported Bus Services Batch 2 (Lot 3)

North Somerset Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

10 Aug 2026 at 14:50

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

North Somerset Council procured supported bus operation services covering five routes in North Somerset and nearby areas. The requirement was for a bus operator to run Bus Service 7 between Worle and Locking Parklands, including early mornings, evenings and a daytime extension; U2 between Langford Veterinary College and Weston-super-Mare; X4 between Bristol and Portishead; X6 between Bristol and Clevedon; and X14 between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare for Friday and Saturday late-night journeys. Service schedules include weekday, Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday operation, depending on the route. The work is a transport service, delivered across the South West, with North Somerset Council as the buying organisation. It was identified as suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The procurement is complete and was awarded through an open procedure. First West of England Limited was selected for all five supported bus services on 10 August 2026. The service period runs from 30 August 2026 to 28 August 2027. The awarded value is £1,434,645. The annual contract values were £431,017 for Service 7, £353,999 for U2, £329,028 for X4, £251,601 for X6 and £69,000 for X14. The deadline for tenders was 9 July 2026 at 1pm. The award covers a single combined requirement, described as North Somerset Supported Bus Services Batch 2 (Lot 3). The procurement category is services, specifically transport services. The award is active.

This award shows established demand from North Somerset Council for contracted bus operations linking residential areas, education facilities and towns across North Somerset and Bristol. A credible competitor for a future requirement would need the operational capability to run several supported routes, including early-morning, evening, daytime-extension, weekend, public-holiday and late-night services. Relevant strengths would include access to suitable buses and qualified drivers, timetable and duty planning, reliable day-to-day service management, and the capacity to coordinate journeys across multiple routes. The requirement was marked as suitable for SMEs, so a smaller operator may be credible where it can demonstrate sufficient fleet, staffing, scheduling and contingency capacity. Experience delivering scheduled public passenger transport would be directly relevant.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

North Somerset Supported Bus Services Batch 2 (Lot 3)

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 7 (ref: NSC-0795-26) - Worle to Locking Parklands (early mornings, evenings and daytime extension to Locking Parklands) - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS431,017) * Bus Service U2 (ref: NSC-0796-26) - Langford Veterinary College to Weston-super-Mare (Monday to Saturday) - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS353,999) * Bus Service X4 (ref: NSC-0797-26) - Bristol to Portishead (Monday to Sunday early mornings and evenings) - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS329,028) * Bus Service X6 (ref: NSC-0798-26) - Bristol to Clevedon (Monday to Saturday early mornings and evenings, plus Sunday and Public Holidays) - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS251,601) * Bus Service X14 (ref: NSC-0799-26) - Bristol to Weston-super-Mare (Friday and Saturday late nights) - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS69,000)

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-8cf9676e-8745-418d-b31e-eb7ea0f987c7
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/0e2b70c8-fbd7-4727-89b2-ed74aee8b1b6
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
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
£1,434,645 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£1,434,645 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
10 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
9 Jul 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
10 Aug 20262 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
1
Supplier Name

First West of England Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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