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Barriers to Accessible Transport Training

THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

08 Oct 2026 at 15:40

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Transport plans to commission disability equality training for staff across the department, its agencies and arm’s-length bodies. The programme combines guided tours of the transport network, led by guides with lived experience of disability, with classroom learning. It is intended to help staff understand barriers faced by disabled passengers and the Social Model of Disability, and to build accessibility and inclusive design into their work and decisions. Delivery is expected to start from the department’s London office, with similar training also deliverable from offices in Birmingham, Leeds and York, and potentially other UK locations. The requirement supports wider staff learning about how people experience the transport network and aims to improve decisions affecting disabled transport users.

This is at the planning stage: the Department for Transport has set out its intention to procure, but has not issued an invitation to tender. It expects to publish a further notice on 4 November 2026. The planned contract period is 11 January 2027 to 11 January 2028, with an estimated value of £180,000 excluding VAT (£216,000 including VAT). The initial requirement is for 12 full-day sessions, each for up to 20 participants, over 12 months. The procurement is arranged as a single lot and is indicated as suitable for small and medium-sized businesses. The department is undertaking preliminary market engagement, seeking expressions of interest and supplier feedback by 21 October 2026; this is an engagement date, not a tender deadline. No procedure or evaluation basis has yet been set out.

The planned work is suited to training providers with expertise in disability equality, accessible transport and inclusive design, and the ability to combine facilitated classroom learning with practical, guided experiences on the transport network. Delivery depends on working effectively with disabled guides who can draw on lived experience, and on translating that experience into learning that helps public-sector staff identify barriers and improve decisions. Suppliers should be prepared to deliver a programme of repeated full-day sessions for departmental staff and associated bodies, with capacity to accommodate groups of up to 20 and to work across London, Birmingham, Leeds, York and potentially other UK locations. The department has bought earlier versions of this training and is seeking supplier input to shape this new programme. No specific accreditation or formal qualification requirement is stated.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Barriers to Accessible Transport Training

Notice Description

The Department for Transport (DfT) is a ministerial department within the UK Government. It works with its agencies and partners to support the transport network that enables people and goods to travel around the country. It plans and invests in transport infrastructure to keep the UK on the move. DfT has always been keen to increase staff members' understanding of disability equality and has procured previous iterations of this training in the past. This latest round of training will coincide with a wider initiative, across the whole Department, to encourage all staff to learn more about how the transport network impacts on all those who use it by visiting areas of the network and interacting with stakeholders. Having a greater understanding of how users experience transport will help the Department to make better decisions that benefit more people. DfT requires a supplier to deliver Barriers to Accessible Transport training to staff across the Department, including its agencies and arm's-length bodies. The requirement supports DfT's wider commitment to increasing staff understanding of disability equality and how disabled people experience the transport network. It also responds to the significant gap between accessibility rights and obligations, and the day-to-day experiences of disabled passengers highlighted by the Transport Select Committee's March 2025 report, Access Denied: rights versus reality in disabled people's access to transport. The training will combine a guided tour of the transport network, supported by disabled guides with lived experience, with classroom-based disability equality learning. It is intended to help staff identify barriers, understand the Social Model of Disability, build accessibility and inclusive design into their work, and make better decisions that improve the experience of disabled transport users. DfT initially requires 12 full-day sessions for up to 20 participants per session over a 12-month period. Delivery will begin from DfT's London office, with the ability to provide similar training from offices in Birmingham, Leeds, York and potentially other UK locations.

Planning Information

Key information about the requirement that a supplier may need to respond to: 1. Please confirm your interest in bidding for this requirement. 2. If you do not intend to participate, we would be grateful if you could provide feedback on the reasons for your decision. This will help the Department identify lessons learned and inform future procurements. 3. Suppliers are encouraged to provide any feedback on the requirement through this EOI. Responses to this Expression of Interest (EOI) must be submitted via the Jaggaer Portal. Link: https://dft.app.jaggaer.com/go/2070691401A11BF17C54 If the Supplier is unable to make a response through the Jaggaer Portal, due to not being registered and unable to register before the deadline, please submit a response to DFTc.Procurement@dft.gov.uk. Suppliers will need to register on Jaggaer and attain a Public Procurement Organisation Number (PPON) to participate in the Invitation to Tender.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-07840c
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095341-2026
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
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

80 - Education and training services

CPV Codes

80521000 - Training programme services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£180,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Oct 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
4 Nov 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
11 Jan 2027 - 11 Jan 2028 1-2 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
THE DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 4DR
Postcode Area
South West London
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
Vincent Square
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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