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Independent Travel Training

Suffolk County Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

05 May 2026 at 14:20

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

26 Jan 2026 at 16:57

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

12 Dec 2025 at 14:39

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Suffolk County Council has awarded a contract for the provision of Independent Travel Training services, falling under the education and training services industry category. The awarded contract, valued at £3,032,400 inclusive of VAT, was completed through an open procurement method with Essex County Council IPTU as the supplier. The contract aims to enhance the independence of Suffolk residents with disabilities and mental health and learning needs by training them to use public transport safely. The procurement process, known as "lightTouch," concluded with an award notice published on the 5th of May, 2026, and the contract will commence on the 1st of October, 2026, running for a period of five years, with an option for a two-year extension. Both the Suffolk County Council, located in Ipswich, and the supplier are committed to facilitating safe public transport use, contributing to community welfare and sustainability.

This tender presents a lucrative opportunity for businesses in the education and training service sector, particularly those experienced in working with clients with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). While the award was already made to a large supplier, future similar opportunities under the Suffolk County Council's procurement programmes may favour SMEs and VCSEs capable of providing innovative solutions and demonstrating social value in their service delivery. Businesses with a background in developing life skills and promoting independence can compete, positioning themselves as valuable partners to public authorities aiming to reduce dependency on council transport services and contribute positively to community development.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Independent Travel Training

Notice Description

Suffolk County Council is awarding a contract for an Independent Travel Training service. Independent Travel Training is provided to members of the public who reside in Suffolk, to teach them how to use public transport safely and independently. The service is for clients with disabilities, mental health and learning needs. The clients gain a valuable life skill, which in turns aims to reduce the future demand on council transport services. The advertised value here is PS3,032,400 inclusive of VAT. (this includes optional extension period) The VAT amount included is 20% Standard Rate however in some circumstances VAT may be exempt or chargeable at a different rate.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Option to extend for up to a further 2 years (24 months) The contracting authority reserves the right to carry out a subsequent procurement of similar goods, services or works in reliance on the direct award justification in paragraph 8 of Schedule 5 to the Procurement Act 2023.

Planning Information

To support our procurement activity and develop the scope and specification of the contract, we are undertaking Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) to help Suffolk County Council: 1) Identify potential Independent Travel Training providers and their intention to bid. 2) Help shape the service specification and improve the future delivery of the service, including a move to an SCC provided Travel Training referral system. 3) Understand potential barriers for SMEs and opportunities to minimise some of these barriers. 4) Bidding considerations including TUPE. 5) Understand providers' views on the proposed pricing model. Suffolk County Council propose to hold informal sessions with interested parties via Microsoft Teams, the dates for these sessions are: 17th December 2025 6th January 2026 7th January 2026 Interested parties are requested to email transporttraveltraining@suffolk.gov.uk to arrange a meeting. We would also encourage providers who are interested in this opportunity to register for the new Central Digital Platform, following the guidance at the following web address: https://shorturl.at/kigPg

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05f4fb
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/041067-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80000000 - Education and training services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,527,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£2,527,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£2,527,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 May 20263 months ago
Submission Deadline
27 Feb 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
26 Jan 2026Expired
Award Date
24 Apr 20264 months ago
Contract Period
1 Oct 2026 - 30 Sep 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
2031-01-07

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Suffolk County 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
IPSWICH
Postcode
IP1 2BX
Postcode Area
Ipswich
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH6 Suffolk
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH62 Ipswich
Delivery Location
TLH14 Suffolk CC
Local Authority
Ipswich
Electoral Ward
Gipping
Westminster Constituency
Ipswich

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Essex County Council IPTU

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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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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