Award

Ask AI about this notice

Summarise, research or assess it with AI

View Markdown

Share this notice

Send this contract to a colleague

CRA Bus Tender

The David Ross Education Trust

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

28 Sep 2026 at 10:31

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The David Ross Education Trust procured student bus transport to and from Charles Read Academy at the start and end of each school day. The requirement covered three routes: Grantham West, Grantham East, and Sleaford and Bourne. This is school transport using buses or coaches with drivers, delivered for the academy and its students. The contracts were divided by route, with providers appointed separately for Grantham West and for the other two routes. The Trust is the buying organisation. The service supports students travelling to and from the academy each school day, rather than general passenger transport.

The procurement is complete and contracts have been awarded. The Trust used a limited call-off through the Crescent Purchasing Consortia dynamic purchasing system, with no separate call for competition published for this call-off. Grantham West was awarded to Bland's (Rutland) Ltd for £216,000. Grantham East and Sleaford and Bourne were each awarded to P.C. Coaches of Lincoln Ltd, for £260,000 and £277,000 respectively. All three contracts were signed on 29 May 2026 and are active. The underlying requirement was student transport for the 2026–27 school year. Each route was evaluated on price (40%) and six quality areas: staffing, transport code of conduct, service delivery and capability, flexibility and charges, customer care, and social value (10% each). The three routes are recorded as cancelled in the tender data, despite active awards and contracts.

This award demonstrates recurring demand from the Trust for dedicated daily school transport, split into geographically defined routes rather than one combined service. Suppliers seeking comparable work should be able to operate suitable buses or coaches with drivers and reliably carry students to and from school at the beginning and end of each school day. The evaluation gives equal weight to several delivery capabilities: staffing, adherence to a transport code of conduct, service delivery, flexibility, customer care and social value. Price also matters substantially, but a competitive offer needs to show credible operational delivery and responsive service as well. Two small and medium-sized transport businesses won the routes, indicating that this scale of provision was delivered by specialist regional operators rather than requiring a single provider for all routes.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

CRA Bus Tender

Notice Description

The provision of Student Transport Services for Charles Read Academy for 2026-27.

Lot Information

Grantham West

The David Ross Education Trust (Trust) sought transport providers for the transport of students to/from Charles Read Academy (Academy) at the start and end of each school day.

Grantham East

The David Ross Education Trust (Trust) sought the services of transport providers for students to/from Charles Read Academy (Academy) at the start and end of each school day.

Sleaford & Bourne

The David Ross Education Trust (Trust) sought transport providers for the transport of students to/from Charles Read Academy (Academy) at the start and end of each school day.

Procurement Information

The call off was through CPC DPS only and was previously advertised by CPC ref 2023/S 000-036536 and couldn't be linked on the F03 form

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-077b40
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/091303-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Limited
Procurement Method Details
Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

CPV Codes

60000000 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

60172000 - Hire of buses and coaches with driver

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£753,000 £500K-£1M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 Sep 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Cancelled
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
The David Ross Education Trust
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LOUGHBOROUGH
Postcode
LE11 4SQ
Postcode Area
Leicester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF22 Leicestershire CC and Rutland
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLI London, TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)
Local Authority
Charnwood
Electoral Ward
Loughborough Ashby
Westminster Constituency
Loughborough

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
2
Supplier Names

Mark Bland Travel Ltd

P.C.Coaches of Lincoln Ltd

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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.

Loading OCDS record...