Notice Information
Notice Title
Provision of Local Bus Transport for Students to New College Durham
Notice Description
The contracting authority intends to award a contract for the provision of local bus transport services to facilitate the travel of students from all surrounding areas to New College Durham sites within County Durham. The service must provide: * Frequent services to accommodate flexible college hours, recognising that students do not always travel within traditional core times. (covering all routes during college hours every 15 minutes) * Numerous pick-up and drop-off locations across the surrounding areas to ensure accessibility for all students. * Affordable transport solutions, taking into account the financial pressures on students and families. * Modern ticketing options, including the use of a mobile app or travel card, to allow easy access, booking, and monitoring of journeys. The service is required for a period of ten (10) months, commencing asap.
Procurement Information
This contract is being directly awarded without competition under the relevant provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 on the grounds that only Go North East has the operational capability, fleet availability, established network, and route coverage necessary to deliver the required services in full. Key reasons include: * Exclusive Coverage: Go North East is the sole operator with an existing network of scheduled and supported services covering all surrounding areas of County Durham required for student transport. * Operational Readiness: The provider already operates buses on the required routes and can mobilise immediately without the need for additional infrastructure or licensing. * Service Flexibility: Go North East has the fleet and scheduling capacity to deliver services across a broad range of hours, matching the flexible nature of college timetables. * Accessibility: The operator can provide numerous pick-up and drop-off points to match the college's requirements. * Affordable Travel: Go North East is uniquely positioned to deliver services at affordable student rates through its established fare structures and concessionary schemes. * Digital Ticketing: The provider already offers modern travel solutions including mobile apps and travel cards, which are necessary for student convenience and efficient service management. * No Viable Alternative: Market assessment confirmed that no other local operator can provide comprehensive coverage across the catchment area while meeting the frequency, affordability, and technology requirements.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-05a723
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068703-2025
- Current Stage
- Award
- All Stages
- Award
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK6 - Contract Award Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Direct
- Procurement Method Details
- Direct award
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- Awardee Scale
- Large
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
- £1,119,840 £1M-£10M
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 27 Oct 20252 weeks ago
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- Not specified
- Award Date
- 2 Oct 20251 months ago
- Contract Period
- 7 Nov 2025 - 26 Jun 2026 6-12 months
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Complete
- Lots Status
- Complete
- Awards Status
- Pending
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- NEW COLLEGE DURHAM
- Contact Name
- Not specified
- Contact Email
- purchasing@newdur.ac.uk
- Contact Phone
- Not specified
Buyer Location
- Locality
- DURHAM
- Postcode
- DH1 5ES
- Post Town
- Durham
- Country
- England
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLC North East (England)
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLC41 Durham
- Delivery Location
- Not specified
-
- Local Authority
- County Durham
- Electoral Ward
- Framwellgate and Newton Hall
- Westminster Constituency
- City of Durham
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/068703-2025
27th October 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender -
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/061846-2025
2nd October 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
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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