Planning

Cross-Channel Transport Services

HOME OFFICE

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

17 Feb 2026 at 15:26

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Home Office is initiating a procurement process for Cross-Channel Transport Services, focusing on coach transport between Folkestone in the United Kingdom and Calais in France. This procurement is currently in the planning stage, with a market engagement notice issued on the 17th of February 2026, aiming to gather insights from the supply market to inform key decisions. Businesses have until the 31st of March 2026 to submit their completed questionnaires. Following this stage, an Invitation to Tender (ITT) will be released in May 2026, leading to a contract award in June 2026 and commencement of services in November 2026. The transport service falls under the industry category of "Hire of buses and coaches with driver" and "Hire of passenger transport vehicles with driver," requiring compliance with relevant legislation in transport, health, safety, and safeguarding.

This tender offers significant opportunities for businesses specialising in passenger transport services, particularly those capable of providing coach hire services with appropriate vetting and trained personnel. SMEs are encouraged to participate, as the procurement process is designed to be competitive and proportionate. Businesses well-suited for this tender include those with experience in cross-border transport operations and the capacity to deliver contingency and resilience arrangements to support service reliability. This tender allows for the growth of businesses by securing a multi-year contract with potential renewal options, thus providing a stable revenue stream until November 2029, or possibly extending to November 2031.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Cross-Channel Transport Services

Notice Description

The indicative scope includes, but is not limited to: Provision of coach services between Folkestone and Calais suitable for the safe transport of Home Office staff, including appropriate seating capacity and accessibility features. Provision of short notice transport from Coquelles to Folkestone for individuals and their luggage following vehicle seizure. Drivers and operational staff with relevant qualifications, vetting and training Contingency and resilience arrangements to support service reliability Compliance with all applicable transport, health and safety, and safeguarding legislation

Planning Information

The Authority is initially asking the supply market to complete a questionnaire to assist in reaching key decisions about a prospective procurement. Further engagement with participating suppliers may be considered following review of responses. The objectives of this Market Engagement include, but are not limited to: • Understanding the maturity and capacity of the coach transport supply market • Exploring different delivery and operating models • Informing specification development and contract structure • Understanding cost drivers and commercial risks • Designing a proportionate and competitive procurement process This procurement will be managed electronically via the Home Office’s eSourcing Portal (JAGGAER). To participate in this procurement, participants must first be registered on the eSourcing Portal. If you have not yet registered on the eSourcing Portal, this can be done online at https://homeoffice.app.jaggaer.com by following the link ‘To register click here’. Please note that, to register, you must have a valid DUNS number (as provided by Dun and Bradstreet) for the organisation which you are registering, who will be entering into a contract if invited to do so. Once you have registered on the eSourcing Portal, a registered user can express an interest for a specific procurement. This is done by sending an email to the following address: borderforceprocurementteam@homeoffice.gov.uk . Your email must clearly state: the name and reference for the procurement you wish to register for; the name of the registered supplier; and the name and contact details for the registered individual sending the email. The email will be processed and access will be granted to the procurement online via the eSourcing Portal. The registered user will receive a notification email to alert them once this has been done. For technical assistance on use of the eSourcing Portal please contact the JAGGAER Supplier Helpdesk at customersupport@jaggaer.com or 0800 069 8630 (0800 - 1800hrs). Indicative Timeline – subject to change Market Engagement Notice 17th February 2026 Non-Disclosure Agreements issued to registered suppliers 3rd March 2026 Deadline for NDA returns and Questionnaires Issued 10th March 2026 Deadline for Questionnaire returns 31st March 2026 Optional Supplier Engagement (e.g. virtual sessions) April 2026 ITT Release May 2026 Contract Award June 2026 Service Commencement Nov 2026

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-065658
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014436-2026
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

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

CPV Codes

60170000 - Hire of passenger transport vehicles with driver

60172000 - Hire of buses and coaches 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
17 Feb 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 May 20263 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
23 Nov 2026 - 22 Nov 2029 3-4 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
HOME OFFICE
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
borderforceprocurementteam@homeoffice.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 4DF
Post Town
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
TLE12 East Riding of Yorkshire, TLJ4 Kent
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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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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