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TVCA-PROC-0952 - Connected and Autonomous Mobility (CAM) Technology Partner

Tees Valley Combined Authority

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

12 Oct 2026 at 13:13

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

12 Oct 2026 at 13:02

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Tees Valley Combined Authority is considering procuring a connected and automated mobility technology solution to introduce autonomous buses across the Tees Valley. The requirement falls within specialist transport vehicles and related technology. The solution is intended to enable buses to drive autonomously and interact with the digital, operational and infrastructure systems that support their operation. The authority is using pre-tender market engagement to understand supplier appetite and proposals, market capacity and delivery timescales, as well as risks, costs and other considerations. The engagement also gives potential suppliers a chance to raise questions and points for the authority to consider before deciding on a procurement. Suppliers working in autonomous transport, vehicle technology and the supporting systems are the most directly relevant.

This is a planning-stage process: the authority is undertaking pre-tender market engagement, not inviting bids for a contract. It expects to publish a subsequent notice around 14 December 2026. The engagement exercise set a clarification-question deadline of 19 October 2026 at noon and a submission deadline of 26 October 2026 at noon; these are dates for the market-engagement exercise, not a future tender deadline. The indicative contract period runs from 14 April 2027 to 31 March 2032. The estimated procurement value is £15 million excluding VAT (£18 million including VAT). The requirement is listed as one lot, covering the overall procurement. No award method or evaluation criteria have been set out at this stage.

This engagement is relevant to suppliers able to provide connected and automated mobility technology for autonomous bus operations, including the interfaces with supporting digital, operational and infrastructure systems. Vehicle manufacturers and specialist technology providers may wish to assess whether their proposed solution can meet the intended use and what delivery capacity it can offer. The authority is seeking market feedback on supplier appetite, the validity of supplier proposals, capacity and delivery timescales, potential risks, costs and practical considerations. Suppliers with experience integrating autonomous driving capability into transport operations are well placed to inform that assessment. This is an opportunity to shape the authority’s understanding before any potential procurement; the process has not yet reached a stage where suppliers can bid for the contract. The scale and multi-year nature of the planned service will suit businesses able to support a substantial deployment over an extended period.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

TVCA-PROC-0952 - Connected and Autonomous Mobility (CAM) Technology Partner

Notice Description

Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) seeks to engage the market through this Pre-Tender Market Engagement (PTME) exercise to inform the potential procurement of a supplier to provide a Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) technology solution for the introduction of autonomous buses in the Tees Valley. For the purposes of this PTME, Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) refers to transport technologies that enable vehicles to operate with automated driving capability and to interact with supporting digital, operational and infrastructure systems. Through this PTME, the Contracting Authority aims to: *Understand the market's appetite to be involved in the potential future procurement exercise; *Validate the supplier's proposal; *Understand the capacity of the market and timescales for delivery *Potential risks associated with the procurement *Understand opportunities, costs and considerations *Provide potential suppliers with an opportunity to raise queries and points of consideration in advance of any potential procurement exercise. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Tees Valley portal at: https://teesvalley.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-Darlington:-Specialist-vehicles./J2BY2F6XG4 To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://teesvalley.delta-esourcing.com/respond/J2BY2F6XG4 If you experience any technical difficulties from accessing the above url, then please contact the Delta eSourcing Helpdesk on call 0800 923 9236 or email helpdesk@delta-esourcing.com.

Planning Information

The table below outlines the key dates for this pre-tender market engagement exercise: - Pre-tender market engagement clarification question deadline: Monday 19th October 2026, 12pm - Pre-tender market engagement submission deadline: Monday 26th October 2026, 12pm For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Tees Valley portal at: https://teesvalley.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-Darlington:-Specialist-vehicles./J2BY2F6XG4 To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://teesvalley.delta-esourcing.com/respond/J2BY2F6XG4 If you experience any technical difficulties from accessing the above url, then please contact the Delta eSourcing Helpdesk on call 0800 923 9236 or email helpdesk@delta-esourcing.com.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078595
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/096068-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

CPV Codes

34114000 - Specialist vehicles

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£15,000,000 £10M-£100M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
12 Oct 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
14 Dec 20263 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
14 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2032 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
Tees Valley Combined Authority
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
DARLINGTON
Postcode
DL2 1NJ
Postcode Area
Darlington
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC3 Tees Valley
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC33 Darlington
Delivery Location
TLC1 Tees Valley and Durham
Local Authority
Darlington
Electoral Ward
Sadberge & Middleton St George
Westminster Constituency
Stockton West

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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