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Isles of Scilly Transport - Inter-Island Commuter Passenger Boat Services

COUNCIL OF THE ISLES OF SCILLY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Tender

15 Sep 2026 at 15:22

UK4 - Tender Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Council of the Isles of Scilly is procuring inter-island commuter passenger boat services, classified as ferry transport services. The appointed passenger boat operator will connect St Martin’s and St Agnes with St Mary’s, providing reliable and dependable transport where normal commercial services are reduced. The service supports early-years and home-to-school travel, children and young people attending clubs and organised activities, adult social care journeys, Council-supported concessionary fares, and employment-related travel for teachers and school support staff. It will also maintain wider community access to essential services and facilities on St Mary’s. The requirement is intended as an interim service while the Council gathers operational evidence to inform longer-term, sustainable inter-island connectivity.

The process has reached tender: the Council invited offers through a below-threshold open competition. This is a single lot, with electronic submission allowed. Enquiries had to be submitted by 22 September 2026 at 12:00, and tenders by 25 September 2026 at 12:00. The principal contract period runs from 5 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, with a limited education-service extension available until 27 July 2027. The estimated value is £60,000 excluding VAT (£72,000 including VAT). Award is based on the most advantageous tender: price 50%, quality 40% and social value 10%, subject to mandatory requirements and minimum quality thresholds. The contract includes renewal or extension arrangements.

This opportunity suits an experienced passenger boat operator with the appropriate licences, vessels, crew and operational capacity to provide safe, reliable and resilient inter-island services. Suppliers need to manage scheduled connections between St Martin’s, St Agnes and St Mary’s, including education, social care, concessionary and employment-related journeys, while responding to the practical challenges of winter island operations. Evidence of dependable service delivery, route planning, passenger-demand management, cost control and operational resilience will be relevant to a competitive bid. The evaluation also rewards service quality and social value, not price alone. Participation is reserved for small and medium-sized enterprises, voluntary, community and social enterprises, making this particularly relevant to suitably capable local or specialist operators.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Isles of Scilly Transport - Inter-Island Commuter Passenger Boat Services

Notice Description

The Council of the Isles of Scilly is seeking to appoint a suitably experienced and appropriately licensed passenger boat operator to provide a reliable Inter-Island Commuter Passenger Boat Service connecting St Martin's and St Agnes with St Mary's. The service provides an essential lifeline between the islands and is required to support a range of Council-facilitated and concessionary travel requirements, particularly during the winter period when the frequency and availability of normal commercial inter-island services is reduced. The journeys supported through the service principally provide for: * Early Years transport; * Home-to-School Transport; * Children and Young People (C&YP) travel, principally to enable participation in clubs and organised activities; * Adult Social Care travel; * Discretionary Concessionary Fares supported by the Council; and * Employment-related travel, particularly for teachers and school support staff where inter-island transport is necessary to enable attendance at work. The service also provides broader community connectivity, enabling residents to access essential services and facilities on St Mary's. Other passenger journeys outside the Council-supported service requirements may continue to be provided by operators on a commercial basis. The Department for Transport (DfT) has provided short-term emergency funding to support the service during the 2026/27 winter period. This funding is intended to provide an interim solution for this winter only while the Council considers the longer-term requirements for sustainable inter-island connectivity. The Contract(s) will therefore also provide an important opportunity for the Council to gather information on passenger demand, journey patterns, service reliability, operating costs and service utilisation. This evidence will help the Council understand how the revised service is being used and inform consideration of a more permanent and sustainable solution for future years. The principal subsidised Winter Service Period is expected to run from October 2026 to 31 March 2027. From 1 April 2027, the normal commercial summer inter-island timetable is expected to resume, and the wider winter service subsidy will cease. However, the Contract will provide for a limited Academic Year Extension Period from April to July 2027, covering only the services required to support the continuation of Early Years, Home-to-School, and associated education employment travel until the end of the academic year. The journeys and service requirements applicable during this extension period are set out in Schedule 1 - Service Specification. The Council is therefore seeking a proportionate, flexible, reliable and dependable service which recognises the essential lifeline function of inter-island connectivity, the range of Council-supported passenger requirements and the particular commercial challenges associated with maintaining these connections during the winter period. The Contract is intended both to maintain these essential journeys in the short term and to provide the operational evidence required to inform the Council's approach to their longer-term provision.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The principal Contract requirement will commence on 5 October 2026 and continue until 31 March 2027, subject to confirmation of the precise commencement date within the final procurement timetable. This represents the principal winter operating period funded through the short-term DfT support. A more limited service requirement will continue beyond 31 March 2027 solely to support identified school and nursery commuting requirements until the end of the academic school year (Indicative date - 24 July 2027). From April 2027, the Council anticipates that the normal commercial summer inter-island service will resume. The Council will therefore not subsidise the wider commuter service during this period, other than the specific school/nursery journeys identified in Schedule 1. The Tenderer's Price Schedule 2 must clearly distinguish between: A. Winter Commuter Service - 5 October 2026 to 31 March 2027; and B. Education Service Extension - April 2027 to end of the academic school year. Data collected from the successful operator will be used to inform and shape further contract development.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06fa5d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/087406-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Below threshold - open competition
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

CPV Codes

60610000 - Ferry transport services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£60,000 Under £100K
Lots Value
£60,000 Under £100K
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
15 Sep 2026Today
Submission Deadline
25 Sep 20262 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
5 Oct 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
COUNCIL OF THE ISLES OF SCILLY
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
HUGH TOWN
Postcode
TR21 0JD
Postcode Area
Truro
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK3 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK30 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Delivery Location
TLK30 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Local Authority
Isles of Scilly
Electoral Ward
St Mary's
Westminster Constituency
St Ives

Further Information

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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