Award

14/162 Frome - Nunney - Stoke St. Michael - Shepton Mallet

SOMERSET COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

04 Feb 2026 at 10:48

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Somerset Council recently completed a procurement process for the operation of bus service 162, covering the route from Frome to Shepton Mallet. This contract falls under the public road transport services category (CPV 60112000) and covers locations including the United Kingdom, British Oversea Territories, Channel Islands, Europe, Isle of Man, and the Rest of the World. The procurement concluded with an award to FromeBus Ltd on 4th February 2026, following a tender submission deadline on 30th January 2026. The contract is set to commence on 1st April 2026 and will run until 30th March 2029, with no option for extension. Potential suppliers were required to bid based on either a cost basis or a subsidy basis, which impacts how fare revenue is retained.

This tender offers growth opportunities for businesses in the public transport sector, specifically those capable of delivering reliable bus services and possessing vehicles with a minimum capacity of 30 passengers. Enterprises that can adapt vehicle size to meet varied capacity requirements and provide consistent operational data will find this contract particularly aligned with their capabilities. While the procurement requirements do not specifically prioritise SMEs or voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs), larger public transport suppliers with proven experience in handling similar scale transport services could effectively leverage their capabilities to meet the needs outlined by Somerset Council.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

14/162 Frome - Nunney - Stoke St. Michael - Shepton Mallet

Notice Description

14/162 Frome - Nunney - Stoke St. Michael - Shepton Mallet Somerset Council wish to tender service 162 Monday to Friday all year round except Bank Holidays Minimum Overall vehicle Capacity (Including Standing) 30 Bids will be accepted on a cost (Somerset Council retains fare revenue) or subsidy (operator retains fare revenue) basis, please make it clear in your submission which basis you are bidding on, failure to do so will leave the bid invalid. Monday - Friday For subsidy bids average patronage is 310 per week (January 2025 to December 2025) based on current timetable. Price based on an overall minimum capacity of 30. Variant bids based on vehicles provided by the approved supplier are welcome. Please clearly indicate the vehicle size on any variant bid. Revenue and reliability report will be required periodically which will be taken off the automated ticket machine data. As part of your bid, please provide full details of vehicle size and capacity, i.e. both seated and standing capacity, please indicate the split of seating and standing of the vehicle you will be using. Start Date: 1st April 2026 End Date: 30th March 2029 Option for extension: None Tender will close at 12:00 Noon Friday 30th January 2026

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-ee90a967-664e-4243-9fe4-b6b6fa73c653
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/630466a2-bb93-47ee-ad6a-900e00216818
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Works
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

60112000 - Public road transport services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£499 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
4 Feb 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
30 Jan 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
4 Feb 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 30 Mar 2029 2-3 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
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
TAUNTON
Postcode
TA1 4DY
Post Town
Taunton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK62 Somerset
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Somerset
Electoral Ward
Bishop's Hull & Taunton West
Westminster Constituency
Taunton and Wellington

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FROMEBUS

Further Information

Notice Documents

Notice URLs

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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