Planning

Bus RTPI Soft Market Testing Exercise - RFI

CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH COMBINED AUTHORITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

29 May 2025 at 09:59

Summary of the contracting process

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is spearheading a public procurement process focused on a soft market testing exercise for a bus real time passenger information (RTPI) system. As of 29 May 2025, the process is in the planning phase and involves a consortium including Central Bedfordshire Council, Bedford Borough Council, Luton Borough Council, West Northamptonshire Council, North Northamptonshire Council, and Milton Keynes City Council. The project centres around the procurement of a goods category under the software package and information systems sector. Interested parties should note the crucial upcoming date of 13 June 2025, by which a market engagement exercise is to be completed. The project spans several regions, including UKF24 (West Northamptonshire), UKF25 (North Northamptonshire), and others in the East, reflecting the broad geographical reach.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialising in software development, system integration, and ongoing technological support for passenger information systems. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), are particularly suited to compete, as the procurement process is structured to accommodate these types of organisations. The breadth of the consortium highlights the potential for long-term collaboration and a multi-regional impact, offering growth potential for businesses capable of providing innovative solutions in public transport information technology.

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Notice Title

Bus RTPI Soft Market Testing Exercise - RFI

Notice Description

Cambridgeshire's Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) current consortium members consist of, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Central Bedfordshire Council, Bedford Borough Council, Luton Borough Council, West Northamptonshire Council, North Northamptonshire Council and Milton Keynes Council. The RTPI consortium members are seeking input from the market for the provision, installation and ongoing support for a bus real time passenger information system. This will include migrating existing RTPI display assets from multiple providers into one system and exploring the provision of solutions other than displays to disseminate bus RTPI to bus users.

Planning Information

At present, it is undecided if the local authorities will procure a new RTPI contract on their own or as a consortium. This may be a simple contract for the services required or the setting up of a new framework, similar to that procured before. Each local authority is currently assessing the pros and cons for the two procurement options and will confirm their preference in the next few months. This market assessment is not part of the procurement process, but is purely investigative in nature, to potentially assist the RTPI consortium members in defining a specification, tender document and contract for the project. Each of the local authorities wishes to understand the current market position better via the questions supplied below. The same information will be gathered from all providers who have been invited to participate in the soft market testing exercise. Please note, this advert relates to a soft market testing exercise only and is NOT a call for competition. Any contracts for services or supplies relating to this exercise will be subject to a separate procurement process in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023 (published 24th February 2025) and involvement in the soft market testing does not give the consultant / contractor any advantage in the separate procurement process. All participants in this soft market testing exercise shall be responsible for their own costs in relation to it (including third party costs) and the RTPI consortium members shall have no liability to any participant. Register for opportunity here: https://procontract.due-north.com/Login?ReturnUrl=/Advert?advertId=968d72fe-5432-f011-8136-005056b64545&fromRfxSummary=True&rfxId=94abd7af-5532-f011-8136-005056b64545

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0528a2
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028381-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

48 - Software package and information systems


CPV Codes

48000000 - Software package and information systems

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
29 May 20259 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
13 Jun 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
2 Mar 2026 - 1 Mar 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH COMBINED AUTHORITY
Additional Buyers

BEDFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL

CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE COUNCIL

LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL

MILTON KEYNES CITY COUNCIL

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL

WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL

Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
commercial.hub@bedford.gov.uk, corporateprocurement@milton-keynes.gov.uk, procurement@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk, procurement@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk, procurement@luton.gov.uk, procurement@northnorthants.gov.uk, procurement@westnorthants.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
HUNTINGDON
Postcode
PE29 3TN
Post Town
Peterborough
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ12 Milton Keynes
Delivery Location
TLF24 West Northamptonshire, TLF25 North Northamptonshire, TLH11 Peterborough, TLH12 Cambridgeshire CC, TLH21 Luton, TLH24 Bedford, TLH25 Central Bedfordshire, TLJ12 Milton Keynes

Local Authority
Milton Keynes
Electoral Ward
Central Milton Keynes
Westminster Constituency
Milton Keynes Central

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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