Planning

Bus Franchising - Bus Operator Market Engagement - Non-Anchor Contracts for Phase 2 franchising (2028) and Phase 3 franchising (2029)

SOUTH YORKSHIRE MAYORAL COMBINED AUTHORITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

21 May 2026 at 16:19

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, located in Sheffield, is spearheading a procurement process for bus franchising non-anchor contracts as part of their upcoming phases in 2028 and 2029. The process is currently in the planning stage, and the interested parties are invited for engagement sessions. These market engagement meetings will occur between 22nd June and 3rd July 2026, either in person at their Sheffield office or online via Microsoft Teams. Businesses must notify their availability by 1st June 2026. This initiative falls under the services category, particularly within road transport services, targeting the UKE3 region in the United Kingdom.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), as it aims to engage bus operators interested in new contracts. The focus on non-anchor contracts for subsequent phases ensures that a wide array of businesses, especially those in the road transport sector, can tap into potential growth opportunities by positioning themselves as key players in the South Yorkshire public transport landscape. Engaging early with SYMCA could provide strategic insights and help businesses align their capabilities to maximise competitiveness in future bidding rounds.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Bus Franchising - Bus Operator Market Engagement - Non-Anchor Contracts for Phase 2 franchising (2028) and Phase 3 franchising (2029)

Notice Description

We would like to invite bus operators to attend a 1-to-1 meeting with members of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority's (SYMCA) Bus Franchising Team, either in-person or online, as part of our next round of Bus Franchising operator market engagement. These individual sessions will focus on providing updates and discussing any questions you may have regarding the non-anchor depot contracts for Phase 2 (2028) and Phase 3 (2029).

Planning Information

We would like to invite bus operators to attend a 1-to-1 meeting with members of South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority's (SYMCA) Bus Franchising Team, either in-person or online, as part of our next round of Bus Franchising operator market engagement. These individual sessions will focus on providing updates and discussing any questions you may have regarding the non-anchor depot contracts for Phase 2 (2028) and Phase 3 (2029). We have dedicated the following 30-minute time slots to meet with bus operators that may be interested in bidding for non-anchor contracts for future phases. Please respond to busfranchising@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk by Monday 1st June 2026 to let us know which slot(s) you are available for, and who we should send an invitation to. Please confirm as many available dates as possible to help us ensure you receive a slot which works for you. Additionally, please advise if you would prefer an in-person meet at SYMCA's office (South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority 11 Broad Street West Sheffield, S1 2BQ ), or an online session via Microsoft Teams. Available slots: Monday 22nd June 2026 09:30-10:00 10:15-10:45 11:00-11:30 11:45-12:15 13:00-13:30 Tuesday 23rd June 2026 09:30-10:00 10:15-10:45 11:00-11:30 11:45-12:15 13:00-13:30 Wednesday 24th June 2026 09:30-10:00 10:15-10:45 11:00-11:30 11:45-12:15 13:00-13:30 Monday 29th June 2026 09:30-10:00 10:15-10:45 11:00-11:30 11:45-12:15 13:00-13:30 Wednesday 1st July 2026 09:30-10:00 10:15-10:45 11:00-11:30 11:45-12:15 13:00-13:30 13:45-14:15 15:00-15:30 16:00-16:30 Thursday 2nd July 2026 09:30-10:00 10:15-10:45 11:00-11:30 11:45-12:15 13:00-13:30 13:45-14:15 15:00-15:30 16:00-16:30 Friday 3rd July 2026 09:30-10:00 10:15-10:45 11:00-11:30 11:45-12:15 13:00-13:30 13:45-14:15 15:00-15:30 16:00-16:30 If you cannot make any of the above dates or times, please contact us at busfranchising@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk and we will do our best to accommodate you. You will receive a calendar invitation as soon as your session is confirmed, and please expect to meet members of our SYMCA team, which will include our Head of Franchised Network and Procurement Officer as a minimum. Please note - these sessions are to discuss non-anchor contracts for franchising Phases 2 (2028) and 3 (2029) only. We cannot discuss Phase 1 (2027) at this forum and will direct any queries regarding Phase 1 to the formal procurement procedure. All query responses will be recorded and distributed to all bidders as part of the Phase 2 and Phase 3 procurement process once this is live. This is to ensure complete fairness and transparency for all.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069fff
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/047400-2026
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, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

CPV Codes

60100000 - Road transport services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 May 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
1 Jun 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Feb 2028 - 31 Jan 2033 Over 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
SOUTH YORKSHIRE MAYORAL 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
SHEFFIELD
Postcode
S1 2BQ
Post Town
Sheffield
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLE Yorkshire and The Humber
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLE3 South Yorkshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLE32 Sheffield
Delivery Location
TLE3 South Yorkshire
Local Authority
Sheffield
Electoral Ward
City
Westminster Constituency
Sheffield Central

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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