D3 Tenders | Mini Bus Assisted Home To School Travel

Notice Information

Notice Title

Mini Bus Assisted Home To School Travel

Notice Description

Overview: Middlesbrough Council is conducting a Pre-Market Engagement Activity to inform the potential future procurement of a Specialist Minibus Managed Service for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as well as for social care establishments. This engagement seeks to gather information and expressions of interest from experienced and capable transport providers who can deliver a fully managed, high-quality, reliable, and safe daily transport service using a fleet of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) and non-WAV minibuses. Current Service Provision: The Council currently provides daily assisted travel for approximately 370 children and young people, transporting them from their home address or a designated central pick-up point to their educational setting and returning them at the end of the school day. The number of service users may fluctuate daily based on individual needs and service area requirements. While a portion of this cohort is transported via taxis (for those able to travel in cars), a significant number require minibus transport due to their specific needs. Scope of Future Requirements: We are seeking to engage with providers who can demonstrate the capacity and capability to: Deliver a contracted, specialist minibus managed service for SEND pupils and social care users. Operate a fleet of WAV and non-WAV vehicles suitable for transporting children and young people with a range of physical, emotional, and cognitive needs. Manage a multi-route network across various schools and establishments within Middlesbrough and potentially surrounding areas. Provide trained and experienced drivers and passenger assistants, ensuring safeguarding, dignity, and comfort for all passengers. Offer flexibility and responsiveness to accommodate changing service demands. Deliver a comprehensive management solution, including scheduling, route planning, compliance monitoring, and performance reporting. Objectives of the Pre-Market Engagement: This engagement aims to: Understand the current market capacity and interest. Identify innovative approaches and best practices in SEND transport. Inform the development of a future procurement strategy and service specification. Ensure the Council's commissioning approach is aligned with market capabilities and user needs. Who Should Respond: We welcome responses from: Established transport providers with experience in SEND or social care transport. Operators with a fleet of compliant and well-maintained WAV and non-WAV minibuses. Providers who can demonstrate robust safeguarding, health and safety, and quality assurance processes. Organisations capable of delivering a fully managed transport service, including operational oversight and strategic coordination. How to Participate: Interested parties are invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) including: Company profile and relevant experience. Fleet details (vehicle types, capacities, WAV availability). Additional Information: We have 45 external minibuses running daily with an average of 10.62 passengers on board. We have 7x 8-seater vehicles also running, which have an average of 5.71 passengers on board. If all of the routes are combined, the average becomes 9.96 on 52 external routes. to respond to the this pre market engagement. Please visit https://www.nepo.org/ where you can register and complete the pre market engagement spreadsheet

Planning Information

Overview: Middlesbrough Council is conducting a Pre-Market Engagement Activity to inform the potential future procurement of a Specialist Minibus Managed Service for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as well as for social care establishments. We are seeking interested suppliers to respond to this Pre-Market Engagement by providing detailed information about their company and fleet, along with additional requested information. Steps to Respond: Review the Pre-Market Engagement Notice: Carefully read the Pre-Market Engagement Notice to understand the scope of the opportunity, the current service provision, and the future requirements. Complete the Company Information: Provide a comprehensive profile of your company, including your experience in SEND and social care transport. Include details about your compliance and safety certifications, as well as your quality assurance processes. Provide Fleet Details: List the types of vehicles in your fleet, specifying the number of each type. Indicate whether each vehicle is wheelchair accessible (WAV) or non-WAV. Provide the average number of passengers per vehicle and the current routes operated. Submit Additional Information: Include any other relevant information that demonstrates your capability to deliver a fully managed transport service. Highlight your experience in managing a multi-route network and your ability to provide trained and experienced drivers and passenger assistants. Submit Your Expression of Interest (EOI): Compile all the requested information into a single document. Ensure that all sections are completed accurately and thoroughly. Review and Submission: Double-check your submission for completeness and accuracy. Submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) by the specified deadline. Post-Submission Process: Review of Responses: Middlesbrough Council will review all submitted EOIs to assess the capacity and capability of interested suppliers. The responses will be used to inform the development of a future procurement strategy and service specification. Feedback and Further Engagement: Suppliers may be contacted for further information or clarification if needed. Feedback may be provided to suppliers based on the review of their submissions. Future Procurement Planning: The information gathered from the Pre-Market Engagement will help scope the future procurement route. It will also assist in defining the requirements of the service proposal to ensure alignment with market capabilities and user needs.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID: ocds-h6vhtk-055754
Publication Source: Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038223-2025
Current Stage: Planning
All Stages: Planning

Procurement Classification

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

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

CPV Codes

34114400 - Minibuses

60112000 - Public road transport services

60120000 - Taxi services

60130000 - Special-purpose road passenger-transport services

60170000 - Hire of passenger transport vehicles with driver

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date: 8 Jul 20254 months ago
Submission Deadline: Not specified
Future Notice Date: 23 Jul 2025Expired
Award Date: Not specified
Contract Period: 5 Jan 2026 - 29 Dec 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence: Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer: MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL
Contact Name: Not specified
Contact Email: procurement@middlesbrough.gov.uk
Contact Phone: Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality: MIDDLESBROUGH
Postcode: TS1 9FT
Post Town: Cleveland
Country: England
Major Region (ITL 1): TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2): TLC3 Tees Valley
Small Region (ITL 3): TLC32 South Teesside
Delivery Location: TLC North East (England)
Local Authority: Middlesbrough
Electoral Ward: Newport
Westminster Constituency: Middlesbrough and Thornaby East

Further Information

Notice Documents

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038223-2025
8th July 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038220-2025
8th July 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036682-2025
2nd July 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

Notice URLs

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

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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