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Independent Travel Training App

Essex County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

23 Jul 2026 at 14:10

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Essex County Council is planning to procure or develop an independent travel training app with a supporting management platform. It will replace the team’s existing desktop system and serve three user groups: Travel Trainers, students, and parents or carers. The solution is intended to reduce administrative work, improve communication and user experience, support service reporting and performance management, and strengthen safeguarding and compliance. Core functions include referral and diary management, session reminders, evidence capture, KPI reporting, feedback forms, e-learning, bulk communications, policy access and national weather or strike alerts. It must work on desktop and mobile devices, including iOS and Android, and support offline access and evidence uploads in rural areas. Delivery is for Essex County Council’s travel training service.

This is a preliminary market engagement at the planning stage; Essex County Council has not issued an invitation to tender. The council expects a services procurement covering one lot, with an indicative contract period from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2030. The anticipated requirement may be met through a white-label product or bespoke development. The market engagement asks suppliers to explain their functional approach, dependencies, delivery and onboarding plans, resourcing, support and maintenance arrangements, possible additional features, existing products, and implementation and ongoing pricing models. Suppliers are also invited to raise questions about the specification. Responses are requested by 6 August 2026. The procurement concerns IT services, including software development, internet and support.

The requirement will suit software suppliers with experience designing accessible apps and management platforms for public services, particularly solutions used by children, young people, students with special educational needs, parents or carers and frontline staff. Relevant capability includes cross-platform iOS, Android, desktop and offline functionality; secure handling of sensitive personal data; GDPR and data protection compliance; role-based access controls, audit trails and safeguarding features. Strong candidates are likely to offer scalable systems, calendar and Outlook integration, automated SMS or email notifications, reporting and KPI dashboards, evidence management, feedback workflows, learning portals and integrations for weather and national alerts. Suppliers should be prepared to explain service levels, uptime, helpdesk and maintenance, onboarding, future development, and whether they would provide a configurable product or bespoke build.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Independent Travel Training App

Notice Description

Essex County Council's Travel Training team are seeking a new front-ended Travel Training app, for our Travel Trainers, Students and Parents/Carers, with an accompanying back-ended management platform. This is to replace the current desktop system that the team currently operates and to reduce the administrative pressure of it via a simple app. This new and modern system, which incorporates the functional requirements (outlined below) of ECC's travel training systems will help improve users (outlined below) experience and improve ECC's efficiency across ECCs teams, from reduced administrative pressure from a simplified app. Users: 1. Travel Trainers - the Travel Trainer / Staff portal will be the detailed area and will be the one stop shop for all the resources and tools our Travel Trainers require. 2. Students - the Student Portal will be the simplest version of the app, since most of our students are SEN, it is vital that we make the app seamless and not overcomplicate their experience. 3. Parents / Carers - the Parent and Carer portal will be a place where they can view the progress of the student conducting travel training. Objectives and Success Criteria: Success looks like a clear and user-friendly app interface, incorporating the functional requirements outlined in this document. 1. Improved operational efficiency - The aim of this app is to help improve efficiency across the Travel Training service, thus freeing up time for the Travel Trainers to conduct more sessions, rather than taking up their time on administrative duties. The functional requirements listed below will help us achieve this. 2. Enhanced user experience - provide a clear, intuitive and accessible interface for Travel Trainers, Students and Parents/Carers, creating a simple and engaging experience. Additionally, improving communication between the Travel Trainers, Students and Parents/Carers. 3. Improved data, reporting and performance management - capture all service activity within a single platform, providing automated KPI and management reporting. This will help enable evidence-based service improvement and ensure we are enhancing efficiency and user experience. 4. Improved safeguarding and compliance - ensure GDPR and data protection compliance, maintain secure access controls and audit trails. Support safeguarding requirements for children and vulnerable learners. Also providing easy access to policies, guidance and terms of use. Functional Requirements: Procurement or development of a Travel Training app, incorporating the below requirements and also an indicative system diagram. 1. Reporting, KPIs and Evaluation - the ability to be able to pull out reporting from the data within the app. For example, number of travel training sessions per student or the number of completed students for each month. 2. Calendar / Diary management - ability to book in Travel Training sessions and email/text the booking to the student/parent/carer. This means that once a referral has been completed by a student, parent or carer, this will be allocated directly to a Travel Trainer and placed into their calendar, rather than an administration officer having to allocate. Equally, Travel Trainers will be able to manage their calendar/diary directly from the app, whilst also being uploaded to the Outlook calendar. 3. Evidence - ability for the Travel Trainer to upload and manage the evidence of Travel Training sessions. This could be done in a variety of forms, such as text, pictures, voice notes or diagrams. There would also be a requirement for there to be a checklist, to ensure that all the required evidence has been uploaded, checked off and standardised for ease of reporting. This would be only viewed by the Travel Training team. 4. Alerts - automatic alerts to be sent to the student and parents to remind them that they have a Travel Training session for the next day. Equally, Travel Trainers would also get notifications on new referrals or sessions that come through via the app or text message. 5. Offline functionality - requirement to be able to view the information whilst being offline, due to the nature of travel training sometimes being in more rural areas. Also be able to upload evidence whilst offline but then it uploads once there is a internet connection. 6. Desktop and Phone - the app to be viewable on both a mobile phone and a desktop. 7. Virtual Training - a portal for Trainers to access, which will include the latest e-learning training for the Travel Trainers. 8. Mail out - ability to do a multi-contact email out to parents and students, to update them or send useful resources. 9. Student and Parent interface - an ability for the student and parents to have a different level of access, meeting their requirements specified below. Whereby they can view their appointments, access learning materials and contact the Travel Trainers direct. 10. National Alerts - integration with weather and national strike alerts, to help keep students, parents and travel trainers informed. 11. Ability for the app to work on both iOS and Android devices. 12. Section of the app dedicated to terms of use and our policies related to Essex County Council's travel training for the Travel Trainers, Students and Parent/Carers, such as our safeguarding statement, policies and guidance of conduct. 13. Automatic feedback form to be sent to parents/carer after a successful completion of the student's travel training. A follow up feedback form to then be sent to the parent/carer one month after completion to check in on the student. This data will then be fed back into the KPI reporting system. Travel Trainer interface: Reporting, KPI and Evaluation section Calendar / diary management section Evidence upload section, with option to toggle internal/external visibility Travel Trainers to receive automatic text alerts on new referrals Offline functionality App to be viewable on both a mobile phone and desktop Portal for Travel Trainer's e-learning Multi-contact mail out to parents/carers and students Section of the app dedicated to terms of use and our policies related to Essex County Council's travel training Option to add feedback which can be seen by the Parent/Carer on Students progress Student and Parent/Carer interface: Both student and parent/carer to receive an automatic text alert about their next Travel Training session Offline functionality App to be viewable on both a mobile phone and desktop View upcoming travel training sessions via a calendar National alerts integration with weather and national strikes Ability to receive feedback from Travel Trainers Non-Functional Requirements Performance: - App needs to be scalable, meaning that we could in the future add more to the app. Equally the app needs to be able to work efficiently and effectively, so it is a tool rather than a burden to staff. Security: - General IT security needs to be considered, especially as this is including sensitive information of members of the public. Therefore, we would need to incorporate GDPR, data protection and access control. - Safeguarding is especially important for this app, as this will be used by students and under 18s. Therefore, this will need to be implemented into the app software.

Planning Information

Please answer the following questions and send any responses to rachael.flynn@essex.gov.uk. 1. How could you deliver the functional requirements for this app and are there any constraints or dependencies for each requirement? 2. Would this be a white-label product or developed bespoke? 3. Details on delivery approach, including timelines, resourcing and onboarding for the app. 4. List any support and maintenance provided by yourselves for the app, e.g. SLAs, service uptime guarantee, helpdesk, fixes etc. 5. List any potential additional features you could add onto the functional requirements, for launch or in the future of the app. 6. Outline your commercial/pricing model for app implementation and any on-going fees associated with it. 7. If applicable, show an existing product, if you intend to use it for this requirement. 8. Please feel free to add in any questions or queries you may have with the above specification for the app.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06d20a
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/069764-2026
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
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

CPV Codes

72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
23 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2030 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
Essex 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
CHELMSFORD
Postcode
CM1 1QH
Postcode Area
Chelmsford
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH36 Heart of Essex
Delivery Location
TLH East (England)
Local Authority
Chelmsford
Electoral Ward
Moulsham and Central
Westminster Constituency
Chelmsford

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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