Tender

Greater Manchester Bus Franchising

GREATER MANCHESTER COMBINED AUTHORITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

06 Aug 2021 at 08:26

Summary of the contracting process

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is currently planning to implement a bus franchising scheme across the Greater Manchester area, formally titled "Greater Manchester Bus Franchising." This procurement process is classified under public road transport services and is located in Manchester, UK. The contract period will commence on 7th August 2021 and extend until 7th August 2026. Interested suppliers must note that applications for inclusion in the Qualification System must be submitted by specific deadlines, including 3rd September 2021 for Sub-Area A, 13th May 2022 for Sub-Area B, and 28th April 2023 for Sub-Area C. The procurement will involve an electronic submission method via the Pro-Contract e-tendering portal.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for businesses engaged in public transport services, particularly those capable of operating bus franchises. Companies that specialise in transportation, fleet management, and maintenance services will find themselves well-positioned to compete for contracts. As the GMCA plans to divide the bus network into various franchises, businesses with experience in managing both large and small scale transportation operations, as well as those familiar with governmental procurement processes, are encouraged to explore these opportunities for growth in the region's public transport sector.

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Notice Title

Greater Manchester Bus Franchising

Notice Description

Lot Information

Lot 1

General In accordance with the provisions of the Transport Act 2000 (as amended by the Bus Services Act 2017) and having followed the legislative procedure set out within the same, the Mayor of Greater Manchester decided on 25th March 2021 to introduce a bus franchising scheme for the entire Greater Manchester Combined Authority ('GMCA') area. The GMCA will be the contracting entity and the bus franchising scheme will be overseen and managed by Transport for Greater Manchester ('TfGM'), including the procurement of franchise operators, on behalf of the GMCA. The Franchise Network and Packaging Strategy Franchise Network * The bus network in Greater Manchester comprises circa 2000 buses delivering circa 620 local services and school services which have a PVR of circa 300. * With a few limited exceptions, all local bus services provided within Greater Manchester will be provided under franchise contracts. Packaging strategy * The franchise network will be split into a number of franchises. At the outset of franchising it is anticipated that there will be 10 large franchise contracts ('Large Franchises') and 25 small franchise contracts ('Small Franchises'). * Large Franchises will have a peak vehicle requirement of a minimum of 34 up to circa 200 buses. In the long-term Large Franchises will have a minimum term of five years, with an option to extend by two years. During transition the maximum term of the Large Franchises, including any extension periods, will be ten years. Small Franchises will typically have a peak vehicle requirement of up to 33 buses and will have a minimum term of three years and a maximum term of five years. * Bus franchising will be implemented across three tranches (otherwise called Sub-Areas) of procurement. Franchise contract dates The current indicative dates on which a franchise contract may first be entered into for each of the three tranches are: * Tranche 1 (Sub-Area A) - 30th April 2022 * Tranche 2 (Sub-Area B) - 17th April 2023 * Tranche 3 (Sub-Area C) - 1st April 2024 Franchising Key Principles The key elements of the commercial approach to franchising in Greater Manchester are summarised below. Further detail can be found in the associated document QSN II.2.4 Supplement - Description of the procurement, which can be found on the Pro-Contract E-Tendering portal (https://procontract.due-north.com/register). Depots: Large Franchises will be operated out of a depot provided by GMCA. For Small Franchises, operators will be required to provide their own depot facilities. Fleet: GMCA will introduce a residual value (RV) mechanism that establishes a fleet of RV mechanism buses which, in a franchise competition, may be provided to all bidders on equal terms with ownership transferring to the successful bidder at the operational commencement date of that franchise. Operators will be responsible for the maintenance and repair of fleet in the RV mechanism, and the RV mechanism will provide a guaranteed residual value at the end of a franchise term. Operators will also be responsible for both the provision, maintenance and repair of any additional fleet required to operate the franchise. Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS): TfGM/GMCA will procure contracts for the supply and maintenance of some aspects of the required ITS solution (such as vehicle location, ticketing and driver communications systems) to ensure a standardised approach, which would then be made available to franchise operators who would be required to utilise this equipment.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-02d1a4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/018997-2021
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
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)

60112000 - Public road transport services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
6 Aug 20214 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
6 Aug 2021 - 7 Aug 2026 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
GREATER MANCHESTER COMBINED AUTHORITY
Contact Name
Joe Thompson
Contact Email
joe.thompson@tfgm.com
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
MANCHESTER
Postcode
M1 6EU
Post Town
Manchester
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD3 Greater Manchester
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD33 Manchester
Delivery Location
TLD3 Greater Manchester

Local Authority
Manchester
Electoral Ward
Deansgate
Westminster Constituency
Manchester Central

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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