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CN270830 - Concessionary Cards and Associated Services Contract

Kent County Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

21 Oct 2026 at 14:22

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Kent County Council plans to procure concessionary travel card and associated services for Kent. The work covers producing personalised, data-encoded smart bus passes for the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) and Kent Travel Saver, as well as non-smart passes for children entitled to free school transport. It also includes customer application and self-service portals, staff systems to manage schemes and customer records, and administration of ENCTS applications, enquiries and complaints. Smartcard services include handling journey data from operators’ ticket machines and sending updates to machines and cards, including blocking cancelled passes. Passes are sent to passengers’ homes, schools or other relevant addresses. The services are for Kent County Council’s travel schemes and are delivered in Kent.

This is at the planning stage: Kent County Council has stated its intention to procure, but has not yet invited tenders. The council plans to conduct preliminary market engagement, with an engagement milestone expected by 27 November 2026, and anticipates publishing a future notice by 22 February 2027. The expected contract period is 1 February 2029 to 31 January 2033, with an extension option that could run to 31 January 2035. The estimated value is £1.8 million excluding VAT (£2.16 million including VAT). The procurement is planned as one lot. The procedure and evaluation criteria have not yet been set out in the planning information.

The requirement is likely to suit suppliers able to combine secure, high-volume card production with digital platforms and ongoing customer and scheme administration. Relevant capability includes producing and personalising smartcards to ITSO standards, managing non-smart travel passes, and supporting annual renewals, replacements and new applications. Suppliers should be able to provide reliable customer-facing portals and secure systems that let authorised staff maintain customer records and pass status. Experience handling eligibility checks and supporting evidence, customer enquiries and complaints, and smartcard operations would be relevant. The service also calls for integration with transport operators’ ticket machines, including collecting and exporting journey data and sending messages or cancellation hot-lists to cards and machines. Suppliers able to manage these connected services at substantial operational scale are well placed to prepare for the procurement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

CN270830 - Concessionary Cards and Associated Services Contract

Notice Description

Kent County Council is seeking to appoint a supplier to deliver it's Concessionary Cards and Associated Services contract, which includes elements such as: 1. Smart Card Production for Kent Concessionary Travel Schemes Production of smart, data-encoded bus passes with relevant personalisation and adherence to scheme requirements and national ITSO standards. Approximately 250,000 ENCTS passes are renewed every five years, in addition to new applications and replacements, and are distributed to home addresses. Approximately 27,000 Kent Travel Saver passes are renewed each summer and distributed to schools. 2. Entitled Scholar Pass Production Production of non-smart bus passes for children entitled to free school transport. Around 5,000 passes are reprinted annually, plus in-year replacements, and are sent to schools and home addresses. 3. Application Portals Provision of customer-facing application and self-service platforms for ENCTS and Kent Travel Saver, meeting relevant national and KCC IT and data security standards. 4. Customer Management Systems Scheme and customer management systems for ENCTS and Kent Travel Saver, enabling authorised staff to manage and update customer records and status, and to cancel and reorder passes. 5. ENCTS Administration Management of customer enquiries and complaints relating to applications and passes; processing new and renewed ENCTS applications submitted online or by post; and assessment of applications and supporting evidence against national eligibility criteria and guidance. 6. HOPS Smartcard management for Kent Travel Saver and ENCTS, including capture, recording and export of journey data from operator ticket machines and the sending of messages to ticket machines and smartcards, including hot-listing cancelled passes. For more information about this opportunity, please visit the eSourcing portal at: https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Maidstone:-Transport-systems-consultancy-services./2K5525W85D To respond to this opportunity, please click here: https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/2K5525W85D

Planning Information

Kent County Council is seeking to appoint a supplier to deliver it's Concessionary Cards and Associated Services contract, which includes elements such as: 1. Smart Card Production for Kent Concessionary Travel Schemes Production of smart, data-encoded bus passes with relevant personalisation and adherence to scheme requirements and national ITSO standards. Approximately 250,000 ENCTS passes are renewed every five years, in addition to new applications and replacements, and are distributed to home addresses. Approximately 27,000 Kent Travel Saver passes are renewed each summer and distributed to schools. 2. Entitled Scholar Pass Production Production of non-smart bus passes for children entitled to free school transport. Around 5,000 passes are reprinted annually, plus in-year replacements, and are sent to schools and home addresses. 3. Application Portals Provision of customer-facing application and self-service platforms for ENCTS and Kent Travel Saver, meeting relevant national and KCC IT and data security standards. 4. Customer Management Systems Scheme and customer management systems for ENCTS and Kent Travel Saver, enabling authorised staff to manage and update customer records and status, and to cancel and reorder passes. 5. ENCTS Administration Management of customer enquiries and complaints relating to applications and passes; processing new and renewed ENCTS applications submitted online or by post; and assessment of applications and supporting evidence against national eligibility criteria and guidance. 6. HOPS Smartcard management for Kent Travel Saver and ENCTS, including capture, recording and export of journey data from operator ticket machines and the sending of messages to ticket machines and smartcards, including hot-listing cancelled passes.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-078cfa
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/099538-2026
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

71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

CPV Codes

71311200 - Transport systems consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,800,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
21 Oct 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
22 Feb 20274 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Feb 2029 - 31 Jan 2033 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
Kent 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
MAIDSTONE
Postcode
ME14 1XQ
Postcode Area
Rochester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ45 Mid Kent
Delivery Location
TLJ4 Kent
Local Authority
Maidstone
Electoral Ward
Penenden Heath
Westminster Constituency
Maidstone and Malling

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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