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TVCA-PROC-0772 - Extension to Bus Service 10

Tees Valley Combined Authority

This public procurement record has 4 releases in its history.

ContractTermination

30 Sep 2026 at 09:38

UK11 - Contract Termination Notice
ContractAmendment

14 Jul 2026 at 17:22

UK10 - Contract Change Notice
Award

22 Apr 2026 at 14:40

UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Award

11 Mar 2026 at 14:53

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Tees Valley Combined Authority commissioned an extension of daytime bus service 10, operated by Arriva Durham County. The service extended an existing Arriva route to connect Sadberge and surrounding villages, providing a transport alternative after the withdrawal of Tees Flex. This is a local passenger transport service, rather than a purchase of vehicles or transport infrastructure. The delivery area is Sadberge and nearby villages in the Tees Valley. The requirement was specifically for an extension to an existing bus route, so it was suited to an operator able to provide and integrate scheduled bus services with the established network.

The procurement is complete and the contract has also been completed. Tees Valley Combined Authority awarded the single contract to Arriva Durham County on 11 March 2026. It was a direct, below-threshold award without competition, justified on the basis that Arriva operates the existing Bus Service 10 route. The recorded contract value was £87,580 excluding VAT (£105,096 including VAT). The initial period ran from 30 March to 18 July 2026, with an option for a further two months through 26 September; the stated initial-period value was £53,360 and the extension estimate £34,220. The contract was signed on 27 March 2026, with the source description noting delays to legal sign-off. The contract ended on 26 September 2026 and was recorded as terminated because it was completed.

For bus operators, this award demonstrates demand from Tees Valley Combined Authority for targeted extensions to existing daytime routes where public transport connectivity needs to be maintained or improved. A credible competitor for a similar requirement would need to operate or be able to integrate with relevant local bus services, provide reliable scheduled daytime journeys, and serve smaller settlements such as villages as well as established route corridors. The award went to the incumbent operator of Bus Service 10, and the stated reason was its existing role on that route. This indicates that route continuity and the ability to extend an established service were central to this particular purchase. The opportunity was a focused subsidy contract, rather than a large network-wide service requirement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

TVCA-PROC-0772 - Extension to Bus Service 10

Notice Description

Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) (the 'Contracting Authority'), part of the Tees Valley Combined Authority Group, have awarded a contract for the provision of an extension to bus service 10. Award of De Minimis bus transport subsidy contract in line with the Transport Act and Service Subsidy Agreements (Tendering) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2004. Local authorities or Passenger Transport Authorities/Executives with forecast expenditure on bus service subsidies in any one year of PS600,000 or more will be able to spend up to 25% of this on de minimis contracts; within this 25% there is no limit on the expenditure in any one year that may be incurred on an individual de minimis contract or the amount of de minimis contract expenditure in any year with any single operator. This contract is to be awarded to Arriva since they are the commercial operator of Bus Service 10. This service is a daytime extension of a current Arriva route to provide connectivity to Sadberge and surrounding villages as a mitigation of Tees Flex being withdrawn. For transparency the contract was signed on 7th April due to delays with TVCA legal sign off.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066766
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/092153-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK11 - Contract Termination Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - without competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

CPV Codes

60112000 - Public road transport services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£87,580 Under £100K
Contracts Value
£87,580 Under £100K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
30 Sep 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
11 Mar 20267 months ago
Contract Period
30 Mar 2026 - 18 Jul 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Terminated

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Tees Valley 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
DARLINGTON
Postcode
DL2 1NJ
Postcode Area
Darlington
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC3 Tees Valley
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC33 Darlington
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Darlington
Electoral Ward
Sadberge & Middleton St George
Westminster Constituency
Stockton West

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Arriva Durham County Limited

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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