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QBR079 2026-08-10 (0900) Lowestoft - Warren Lodge @ Warren School, Beccles (8 seats and a passenger assistant) - AWARD

Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

AwardUpdate

20 Aug 2026 at 15:48

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AwardUpdate

20 Aug 2026 at 15:34

Award Notice
AwardUpdate

20 Aug 2026 at 15:33

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Award

12 Aug 2026 at 08:28

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport procured a passenger transport service for the QBR079 route from Warren Lodge in Lowestoft to Warren School in Beccles. The service requires a vehicle with eight passenger seats and a passenger assistant, supporting school travel between the two locations. It falls within transport services (CPV 60000000) and is classified as a service contract. The buying organisation is Suffolk County Council, with the council’s passenger transport function managing the requirement. Delivery is associated with Lowestoft, Beccles and the surrounding Suffolk area. The requirement is a focused, recurring-style school transport operation rather than a general transport supply contract, and is relevant to operators able to provide an appropriately sized vehicle, passenger assistance and reliable route delivery.

The procurement is complete and the contract was awarded to Rainbows Transport on 20 August 2026. It was run as a mini-competition under the Dynamic Purchasing System for the supply of Passenger Transport Services. Submissions were due by 09:00 on 10 August 2026, with clarification questions due by 09:00 on 6 August 2026. The award value is £227,050 including the stated currency, pounds sterling. The awarded contract runs from 3 September 2026 to 31 August 2031. The council reserved the right to extend the contract until 31 July 2033. The published outcome identifies one active award and one supplier. The procurement was evaluated through the competitive mini-competition route within the passenger transport purchasing system.

For a supplier considering future work with Suffolk County Council, this award demonstrates demand for dedicated school passenger transport on a defined Lowestoft–Beccles route. A credible competitor would need an eight-seat passenger vehicle, the ability to provide a passenger assistant and the operational capacity to deliver dependable, repeated journeys for a school-related service. Experience of passenger transport operations, safeguarding-conscious service delivery and managing transport involving children would strengthen a future response, although only the vehicle capacity and passenger assistant requirement are stated directly here. The route also shows the council’s use of a Dynamic Purchasing System and mini-competitions, so businesses seeking similar work would need to be positioned to participate through that purchasing route and respond competitively to individual transport requirements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

QBR079 2026-08-10 (0900) Lowestoft - Warren Lodge @ Warren School, Beccles (8 seats and a passenger assistant) - 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. QBR079 2026-08-10 (0900) Lowestoft - Warren Lodge @ Warren School, Beccles (8 seats and a passenger assistant) 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 10/08/2026. Please note late returns will NOT be permitted. The deadline for clarification questions is 0900 on 06/08/2026 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-ee4e293c-e071-461e-89aa-d705707f707a
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/fe59e3b2-adbc-4047-b7d3-237b971ecddf
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
£227,050 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
20 Aug 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
10 Aug 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
12 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
3 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 Passenger Transport
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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