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Minibus Fleet (Digigo)

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Planning

30 Jun 2026 at 13:05

UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Planning

13 Feb 2026 at 15:48

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Essex County Council, based in Chelmsford, is actively engaged in the planning stages of a procurement process for its Digital Demand Responsive Transport Service, 'Digigo'. The authority intends to acquire 28 minibus vehicles, 18 standard and 10 low-floor accessible minibuses, starting from 1st September 2026, with completion expected by 1st December 2026. This procurement, led under a selective method within a framework agreement, pertains to the goods category, focusing on motor vehicles for transporting 10 or more persons. The total estimated contract value is £2,712,000 GBP. Concurrently, preliminary market engagement is underway for fleet management services of the newly planned vehicles, with responses sought by 27th February 2026.

The initiative offers considerable opportunities for manufacturers and suppliers specialising in minibuses and related transport vehicles, as well as service firms skilled in fleet management, repair, and maintenance. Companies with expertise in providing accessible transit solutions and those capable of fully outsourcing fleet management tasks, including maintenance coordination and administration, stand to benefit greatly. This tender could serve as a substantial growth platform for businesses capable of delivering both vehicles and comprehensive fleet management solutions, helping them expand their portfolio in the public transport sector.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Minibus Fleet (Digigo)

Notice Description

The Authority intends to purchase 28 Minibus Vehicles for its Digital Demand Responsive Transport Service 'Digigo'. 18 of these will be standard minibuses, and a further 10 will be low-floor accessible minibuses.

Planning Information

Essex County Council would be grateful if providers capable of, and interested in, the delivery of these Fleet Management Services, could answer the questions in the linked documentation pack: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:13bd2166-e533-4fc6-867f-ea5a5cb13423. The full information is contained in the documentation pack via the weblink, however, if this does not work, please reach out to us through email, or refer to the below question list: 1) Would your organisation be capable of delivering these Fleet Management Services in full? Please include a presentation and/or summary of the services that you offer in relation to this market engagement activity. 2) If so, at what estimate cost could your organisation provide these Fleet Management Services at? Please include an estimate price per vehicle, and a total cost for the number of vehicles detailed above. Are there particular extra requirements by the Authority, that would act to increase or decrease this cost greatly? 3) How long would your organisation need to mobilise this requirement, before you could deliver the services in full? 4) Are there any other considerations that we should be aware of, or anything else we should note? The Authority would appreciate answers to the above questions as soon as possible, but at least by the 27th February 2026. ECC reserves the right to reach out to you following this activity at our own discretion, to invite your organisation for further discussion on the services your organisation can offer. Please do not view a response to these questions as a submission for a tender or a quotation, or as a definitive commitment to procuring these services.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06543c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/061285-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK1 - Pipeline Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Award under framework
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

CPV Codes

34114400 - Minibuses

34120000 - Motor vehicles for the transport of 10 or more persons

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£2,260,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Jun 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
27 Feb 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Aug 2026 - 1 Dec 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ESSEX 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
CHELMSFORD
Postcode
CM1 1QH
Post Town
Chelmsford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH36 Heart of Essex
Delivery Location
TLH3 Essex
Local Authority
Chelmsford
Electoral Ward
Moulsham and Central
Westminster Constituency
Chelmsford

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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