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Bus 375 Service

Thurrock Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

13 Aug 2026 at 14:42

UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

16 Jun 2026 at 11:00

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Thurrock Council procured a local public bus service, Bus 375, linking Grays with Horndon on the Hill, including East Tilbury and other local areas. The service is intended to provide accessible and reliable bus and public transport for communities along the route. This is a passenger transport services requirement, rather than a vehicle purchase or construction project. Delivery is centred on Thurrock, with operations connecting the named towns and local areas. It is relevant to bus operators, community transport providers and passenger transport specialists able to plan and deliver scheduled local services, manage accessible provision and maintain dependable links for residents. The appointed supplier, Central Connect Services, is an SME based in Nottingham.

The procurement is complete and the award decision selected Central Connect Services for the single lot. The award was made on 13 August 2026 at a gross value of £478,800. The standstill period ends on 24 August 2026, with contract signature scheduled for 30 October 2026. The contract period runs from 7 November 2026 to 31 March 2029, with an option to extend for a further 12 months, up to 31 March 2030. Thurrock Council used an open procedure for this above-threshold services procurement. Two bids were received and both reached the final stage. Evaluation gave 60% to price and 40% to quality questions. The contract award period ends on 25 August 2026.

This award demonstrates an established requirement for scheduled, accessible and reliable local bus operations serving Thurrock communities and connecting Grays, Horndon on the Hill, East Tilbury and surrounding areas. A credible future supplier would need the operational capability to run a dependable public bus service, support accessible passenger transport and maintain coverage across a defined local route. Relevant strengths include experience in scheduled bus or community transport delivery, service planning, fleet and driver management, passenger safety, timetable adherence and responsive day-to-day operations. The competition also shows that smaller suppliers can participate successfully: both final-stage bidders were SMEs. Providers able to evidence service quality alongside competitive pricing would be well placed for this buyer’s comparable requirements.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Bus 375 Service

Notice Description

This Contract is for the provision of a local bus service between Grays and Horndon on the Hill, incorporating East Tilbury and other local areas. Overall, the Contract shall achieve / deliver accessible, reliable bus/public transport provision for those communities.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Option to extend for a further 12 months

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06b5a8
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/077301-2026
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
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

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
£478,800 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Aug 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
21 Jul 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
13 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Contract Period
7 Nov 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 2-3 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
Thurrock 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
GRAYS
Postcode
RM17 6SL
Postcode Area
Romford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH32 Thurrock
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Thurrock
Electoral Ward
Grays Riverside
Westminster Constituency
Thurrock

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Central Connect Services

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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