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WCC Bus Marketing Campaigns 2026

Warwickshire County Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

02 Jun 2026 at 10:55

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

17 Mar 2026 at 11:36

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

In the latest procurement process by Warwickshire County Council, an important contract titled "WCC Bus Marketing Campaigns 2026" has been awarded. The open procedure was conducted to commission marketing services aimed at increasing bus usage across targeted demographics, such as young people and older adults, within Warwickshire, UK. The procurement falls under the services category, specifically advertising and marketing services, and was initially valued at approximately £215,000. The award announcement was made on 2nd June 2026, and the contract is set to commence on 15th June 2026, running for a term of one year with the option for a 12-month extension. The award process garnered significant interest, with a total of 16 bids received, 14 of which progressed to the final stage.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specializing in marketing and advertising to enhance public transport utilization. Companies capable of innovative and effective campaign strategies that resonate with diverse audiences, including SMEs, stand a good chance of benefitting from ongoing and future opportunities in public transport promotions. The focus on increasing bus patronage across varied age groups suggests a demand for creative, inclusive marketing solutions that align with the Council's goal of providing environmentally friendly travel alternatives. This contract could serve as a valuable reference for companies aiming to expand their presence in public sector transportation marketing projects.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

WCC Bus Marketing Campaigns 2026

Notice Description

Use of public transport, particularly bus services, has been in decline in the UK for a number of years running up to 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend has been reflected across all demographics. Nationally, to try and increase the number of people using bus travel, the Department for Transport is running a PS3 Adult Single Bus Ticket flat fare pilot across the UK, which will run until at least March 2027. This is an opt in scheme for bus operators who are compensated for signing up to the scheme. In December 2022, Warwickshire County Council formed The Warwickshire Enhanced Partnership for Buses, signed up to by all bus providers in the County and which aims to support the improvement of bus services across Warwickshire and provide residents with a viable, affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to car travel. Following an extensive branding exercise, it was decided that The Warwickshire Enhanced Partnership for Buses would be branded as Warwickshire Buses. The only data available on bus usage is provided by Stagecoach (which covers c.80% of bus usage in Warwickshire). This shows a decline in passengers and journeys: WarwickshireBuses_StagecoachUsageData.xlsx Between April 2024 and December 2025, the Council worked with an external agency to deliver a young person (aged 14 to 24) bus marketing campaign - "Get the Bus with Two/A Few Squid". The scope of this campaign was to deliver a digital marketing and advertising campaign, which resulted in an increase in bus patronage that varied between 10% and 13% over the height of the campaign. The detail of this campaign, including media placements and performance, will be shared with the successful agency. Bus Campaign 2026 The Partnership has therefore taken the decision to further dedicate an amount of its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP+) funding from central government for 2026/27 to create a series of marketing campaigns to increase bus use amongst the following groups: * Young People aged 14 - 25 * Adults aged 25 - 50 (including People with Young Children) * Residents eligible for Warwickshire Concessionary Bus Pass (aged 66+) The main aims of the campaign are: 1. To increase take-up of Warwickshire bus services by the targeted groups. 2. To increase traffic on the WCC Public Transport Pages, which will be refreshed by Warwickshire County Council to provide more useful information including information specifically for these target audiences. https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/public-transport 3. Raise awareness of the Warwickshire Concessionary Bus Pass and increase take-up amongst eligible older adults. 4. Rase awareness of improved Warwickshire bus fleet, with an emphasis on change and transformation (uplifted passenger experience), ease of access, speed of boarding (smart ticketing) and ease of payment (fast).

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: Additional purchases relating to bus marketing campaigns are permitted through this contract.

Renewal: The initial term is for 1 year plus a maximum possible extension of 12 months

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-066c05
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/051774-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
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
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

CPV Codes

79340000 - Advertising and marketing services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£215,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
£215,000 £100K-£500K
Awards Value
£208,350 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Jun 20263 months ago
Submission Deadline
21 Apr 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
2 Jun 20263 months ago
Contract Period
15 Jun 2026 - 15 Jun 2027 1-2 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Warwickshire 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
WARWICK
Postcode
CV34 4SA
Postcode Area
Coventry
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG1 Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG13 Warwickshire CC
Delivery Location
TLG West Midlands (England)
Local Authority
Warwick
Electoral Ward
Warwick Saltisford
Westminster Constituency
Warwick and Leamington

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Agent Marketing

Further Information

Notice Documents

Notice URLs

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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