Planning

The West Midlands Franchising Scheme for Buses

WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

05 Mar 2026 at 15:11

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is advancing the procurement process for the Bus Franchising Operating Model, which is set to transition the region’s bus network from a deregulated system to public control. This procurement, categorised under transport services, is currently in the planning stage with a significant market engagement event scheduled for 15th April 2026, aiming to prepare bus operators for the transition and outline the franchising programme timeline. The procurement, located in Birmingham and affecting the greater UKG3 region, adheres to the Procurement Act 2023 and employs a Utilities Dynamic Market approach to pre-qualify operators. Operators interested in engaging in this procurement process must confirm attendance for the event by 13th March, as highlighted in the market engagement notice.

This tender presents substantial opportunities for transport operators, particularly those capable of managing both large and small franchises. The planned procurement structure provides a dynamic and flexible procedure, making it appealing for operators seeking long-term involvement in the regional transport system. With a gross value forecasted at £1.8 billion GBP, the project is well-suited for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), offering diverse franchise sizes and allowing businesses in transport services and equipment to expand their operations significantly. Successful tendering could offer firms a stable growth foundation with contract opportunities extending potentially until 2034.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

The West Midlands Franchising Scheme for Buses

Notice Description

In May 2025, the West Midlands Combined Authority ("WMCA") Board approved a transition to Bus Franchising Operating Model, following public consultation that saw 75% support for bringing buses back under public control. The objective of the Bus Franchising Programme is to move the West Midlands bus network from a deregulated system into public control. Successful transition will create the foundations for wider improvements to bus services and full integration with other modes of transport as set out in the Full Franchising Assessment (FFA) and detailed further in the Bus Franchising Prospectus. These support the overall vision for improving public transport in West Midlands. Under the future Franchising Operating Model, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) will design routes, specify hours of operation, set service standards and award Operator contracts following competitive procurements. The procurement of franchise contracts will be governed by the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23). The recommended route to market within the Bus Franchising Case is a 'Utilities Dynamic Market' (UDM). The UDM will allow the WMCA to pre-qualify prospective Operators. This will enable a prospective operator to submit a single pre-qualification response and, if successful, to remain pre-qualified for the remainder of the Franchising programme, entitling it to bid in all of the Tranches, reducing the need for WMCA to go back out to market each time. For the bidding phase, a competitive flexible procedure will be undertaken due to the flexibility it provides the WMCA, including being able to include a negotiation stage to the process. The key dates for each Tranche operations are below: * Tranche 1 - Autumn 2027 * Tranche 2 - Summer 2028 * Tranche 3 - Spring 2029 For the procurement process, there will be a mix of large and small franchises for Operators to be involved in. This information will be discussed on the Bus Operator Market Engagement Day.

Planning Information

WMCA will be hosting an in-person Bus Operator Market Engagement event on Wednesday 15th April 2026, in the Birmingham City Centre region. The purpose of the day will be to: • Provide advance visibility of our proposed franchising programme and associated procurement timelines • Share initial information on our contract structure, service scope and delivery expectations • Gather feedback from the market to help inform and refine our procurement approach • Understand operator appetite, capacity and potential barriers to participation The event is open to Bus Operators and a maximum of 2 individuals per Operator organisation will be allowed to attend the PME event. Interested Operators should confirm their attendance to busreform@tfwm.org.uk and Emily.scott@wmca.org.uk by no later than 5pm on Friday 13th March, following which they will be sent an invitation with all the key details of the Market Engagement event shortly after. This notice does not constitute a call for competition. Transport operators will not be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this notice and a response to this notice does not guarantee any invitation to participate in this event or any future procurement. Transport operators shall be responsible for their own costs incurred in connection with this market engagement exercise. The Bus Operator Market Engagement Day is not intended for consultancies, equipment suppliers or providers of supporting technical services.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066347
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/020016-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Dynamic
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
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

34000000 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

60000000 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,500,000,000 £1B-£10B
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
5 Mar 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
29 Jun 20264 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
23 Oct 2027 - 24 Mar 2032 4-5 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
WEST MIDLANDS COMBINED AUTHORITY
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
BIRMINGHAM
Postcode
B19 3SD
Post Town
Birmingham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG31 Birmingham
Delivery Location
TLG3 West Midlands
Local Authority
Birmingham
Electoral Ward
Newtown
Westminster Constituency
Birmingham Ladywood

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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