Notice Information
Notice Title
Framework Agreement for Ad-Hoc Minibus & Coach Provision
Notice Description
North Lanarkshire Council requires the provision of passenger transport services to supplement its existing arrangements managed by Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) for school pupil transport (drop-offs and pickups before and after the school day), and transport for pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN). Contractors interested in participating in the opportunity should be able to demonstrate the following: Proven experience in delivering flexible, on-demand passenger transport services, including school trips and community events. Commitment to safety, including a strong health and safety record, robust safeguarding practices, and compliance with all relevant transport regulations. Environmental awareness, with efforts to reduce emissions and adopt sustainable transport practices where possible. Financial stability, with the ability to deliver services reliably and within agreed budgets. Appropriate insurance cover, including public liability and employer's liability aligned with the scale and nature of operations. Interested Contractors should review this Prior Information Notice in full and follow instructions stated to the Additional Information section to aid the council in developing this requirement.
Lot Information
Lot 1
To supplement the Council's internal transport arrangements and fleet, multiple external operators are currently engaged on an ad hoc basis to meet transport requirements for schools and other services. The Council seeks to streamline the current approach by appointing contractors to deliver required services under a formal agreement. This will improve consistency and ensure compliance with statutory obligations. The Council requires service quality to be maintained at a high level, with punctuality, safety, and accessibility prioritised. To meet this need, the Council intends to establish a multi-lot, multi-supplier framework arrangement with minibus and coach companies with a sufficient fleet size to undertake service delivery. This approach should support a range of transport requirements, including (but not limited to) minibus and coach hire on an ad hoc basis to deliver education curriculum and school outings, integrated day support services etc. The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 will require all individuals appointed to either arrangement to hold PVG" membership as a legal requirement for all regulated roles. Operators must hold a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Operator's Licence for carrying passengers for hire or reward. Drivers need the correct PCV licence and Driver CPC certification. Vehicles must comply with Construction and Use Regulations and be maintained to DVSA standards Performance monitoring arrangements will be implemented to ensure ongoing compliance and continuous improvement. North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) is inviting expressions of interest from suitably qualified contractors to participate in a procurement exercise for a framework agreement to undertaken.. The Councils lot structure is still to be determined with this market engagement exercise anticipated to assist with this process. Interested Contractors should review this Prior Information Notice in full and follow instructions stated to the Additional Information section to aid the council in developing this requirement.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-r6ebe6-0000810370
- Publication Source
- Public Contracts Scotland
- Latest Notice
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP539485
- Current Stage
- Planning
- All Stages
- Planning
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- OJEU - F1 - Prior Information Notice
- Procurement Type
- Framework
- 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
60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)
-
- CPV Codes
60100000 - Road transport services
60170000 - Hire of passenger transport vehicles with driver
60172000 - Hire of buses and coaches with driver
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- £2,000,000 £1M-£10M
- Lots Value
- Not specified
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 18 Sep 20252 months ago
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- 24 Oct 2025Expired
- Award Date
- Not specified
- Contract Period
- Not specified - Not specified
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Planned
- Lots Status
- Planned
- Awards Status
- Not Specified
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL
- Contact Name
- Not specified
- Contact Email
- corporateprocurement@northlan.gov.uk
- Contact Phone
- Not specified
Buyer Location
- Locality
- MOTHERWELL
- Postcode
- ML1 1AB
- Post Town
- Motherwell
- Country
- Scotland
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLM Scotland
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLM3 West Central Scotland
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLM34 North Lanarkshire
- Delivery Location
- TLM84 North Lanarkshire
-
- Local Authority
- North Lanarkshire
- Electoral Ward
- Motherwell South East and Ravenscraig
- Westminster Constituency
- Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=SEP539485&idx=1
18th September 2025 - Market Questionnaire QR Access Code - Minibus & Coaches -
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP539485
Framework Agreement for Ad-Hoc Minibus & Coach Provision - North Lanarkshire Council requires the provision of passenger transport services to supplement its existing arrangements managed by Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) for school pupil transport (drop-offs and pickups before and after the school day), and transport for pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN). Contractors interested in participating in the opportunity should be able to demonstrate the following: Proven experience in delivering flexible, on-demand passenger transport services, including school trips and community events. Commitment to safety, including a strong health and safety record, robust safeguarding practices, and compliance with all relevant transport regulations. Environmental awareness, with efforts to reduce emissions and adopt sustainable transport practices where possible. Financial stability, with the ability to deliver services reliably and within agreed budgets. Appropriate insurance cover, including public liability and employer's liability aligned with the scale and nature of operations. Interested Contractors should review this Prior Information Notice in full and follow instructions stated to the Additional Information section to aid the council in developing this requirement.
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
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.
{
"tag": [
"compiled"
],
"id": "ocds-r6ebe6-0000810370-2025-09-18T00:00:00Z",
"date": "2025-09-18T00:00:00Z",
"ocid": "ocds-r6ebe6-0000810370",
"initiationType": "tender",
"parties": [
{
"id": "org-14",
"name": "North Lanarkshire Council",
"identifier": {
"legalName": "North Lanarkshire Council"
},
"address": {
"streetAddress": "Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street",
"locality": "Motherwell",
"region": "UKM84",
"postalCode": "ML1 1AB"
},
"contactPoint": {
"email": "corporateprocurement@northlan.gov.uk",
"url": "http://"
},
"roles": [
"buyer"
],
"details": {
"classifications": [
{
"id": "Regional or local authority",
"scheme": "TED_CA_TYPE"
},
{
"id": "01",
"description": "General public services",
"scheme": "COFOG"
}
],
"url": "http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/"
}
}
],
"buyer": {
"name": "North Lanarkshire Council",
"id": "org-14"
},
"planning": {
"documents": [
{
"id": "SEP539485",
"documentType": "plannedProcurementNotice",
"title": "Framework Agreement for Ad-Hoc Minibus & Coach Provision",
"description": "North Lanarkshire Council requires the provision of passenger transport services to supplement its existing arrangements managed by Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) for school pupil transport (drop-offs and pickups before and after the school day), and transport for pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN). Contractors interested in participating in the opportunity should be able to demonstrate the following: Proven experience in delivering flexible, on-demand passenger transport services, including school trips and community events. Commitment to safety, including a strong health and safety record, robust safeguarding practices, and compliance with all relevant transport regulations. Environmental awareness, with efforts to reduce emissions and adopt sustainable transport practices where possible. Financial stability, with the ability to deliver services reliably and within agreed budgets. Appropriate insurance cover, including public liability and employer's liability aligned with the scale and nature of operations. Interested Contractors should review this Prior Information Notice in full and follow instructions stated to the Additional Information section to aid the council in developing this requirement.",
"url": "https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=SEP539485",
"format": "text/html"
}
]
},
"tender": {
"id": "NLC-CPT-25-077",
"title": "Framework Agreement for Ad-Hoc Minibus & Coach Provision",
"description": "North Lanarkshire Council requires the provision of passenger transport services to supplement its existing arrangements managed by Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) for school pupil transport (drop-offs and pickups before and after the school day), and transport for pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN). Contractors interested in participating in the opportunity should be able to demonstrate the following: Proven experience in delivering flexible, on-demand passenger transport services, including school trips and community events. Commitment to safety, including a strong health and safety record, robust safeguarding practices, and compliance with all relevant transport regulations. Environmental awareness, with efforts to reduce emissions and adopt sustainable transport practices where possible. Financial stability, with the ability to deliver services reliably and within agreed budgets. Appropriate insurance cover, including public liability and employer's liability aligned with the scale and nature of operations. Interested Contractors should review this Prior Information Notice in full and follow instructions stated to the Additional Information section to aid the council in developing this requirement.",
"status": "planned",
"items": [
{
"id": "1",
"additionalClassifications": [
{
"id": "60100000",
"scheme": "CPV"
},
{
"id": "60170000",
"scheme": "CPV"
},
{
"id": "60172000",
"scheme": "CPV"
}
],
"deliveryLocation": {
"description": "North Lanarkshire"
},
"deliveryAddresses": [
{
"region": "UKM84"
}
],
"relatedLot": "1"
}
],
"value": {
"amount": 2000000,
"currency": "GBP"
},
"mainProcurementCategory": "services",
"documents": [
{
"id": "SEP539485-1",
"title": "Market Questionnaire QR Access Code - Minibus & Coaches",
"url": "https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/NoticeDownload/DownloadDocument.aspx?id=SEP539485&idx=1",
"datePublished": "2025-09-18T11:20:11Z",
"dateModified": "2025-09-18T11:20:11Z",
"format": "application/pdf"
}
],
"lots": [
{
"id": "1",
"description": "To supplement the Council's internal transport arrangements and fleet, multiple external operators are currently engaged on an ad hoc basis to meet transport requirements for schools and other services. The Council seeks to streamline the current approach by appointing contractors to deliver required services under a formal agreement. This will improve consistency and ensure compliance with statutory obligations. The Council requires service quality to be maintained at a high level, with punctuality, safety, and accessibility prioritised. To meet this need, the Council intends to establish a multi-lot, multi-supplier framework arrangement with minibus and coach companies with a sufficient fleet size to undertake service delivery. This approach should support a range of transport requirements, including (but not limited to) minibus and coach hire on an ad hoc basis to deliver education curriculum and school outings, integrated day support services etc. The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 will require all individuals appointed to either arrangement to hold PVG\" membership as a legal requirement for all regulated roles. Operators must hold a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Operator's Licence for carrying passengers for hire or reward. Drivers need the correct PCV licence and Driver CPC certification. Vehicles must comply with Construction and Use Regulations and be maintained to DVSA standards Performance monitoring arrangements will be implemented to ensure ongoing compliance and continuous improvement. North Lanarkshire Council (NLC) is inviting expressions of interest from suitably qualified contractors to participate in a procurement exercise for a framework agreement to undertaken.. The Councils lot structure is still to be determined with this market engagement exercise anticipated to assist with this process. Interested Contractors should review this Prior Information Notice in full and follow instructions stated to the Additional Information section to aid the council in developing this requirement.",
"status": "planned"
}
],
"communication": {
"futureNoticeDate": "2025-10-24T00:00:00Z"
},
"coveredBy": [
"GPA"
],
"classification": {
"id": "60172000",
"scheme": "CPV"
},
"legalBasis": {
"id": "32014L0024",
"scheme": "CELEX"
}
},
"language": "EN",
"description": "The council are conducting a pre-market engagement phase to gather market intelligence and help shape the procurement strategy. Interested contractors are invited to express their interest by 08 October 2025 by completing the short questionnaire below The questionnaire can be access here: https://forms.office.com/e/aLMYnTrxXJ For reference, interested contractors may have to copy and paste the above link in to their internet browser for it to open. Alternatively interested contractors can access the questionnaire via the QR Code located in the supporting documents of this Prior Information Notice. The information contained in questionnaire responses will enable the Council to better understand the market and inform the development of the forthcoming procurement exercise. Responses will not be shared with any other interested party however should the Council proceed with conducting a procurement procedure for the requirements, a consolidated and anonymised summary of responses received within this market exercise may be published with invitation to tender documentation. There is no obligation to answer any or all questions. Upon receipt of the questionnaires, the Council may, at its discretion, engage in further discussion with any, all, or none of the interested parties. Note: This PIN is intended to provide early market engagement and does not constitute a formal procurement notice. The final scope of requirements and procurement process will be outlined in future procurement documents. NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Public Contracts Scotland Web Site at http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=810370. (SC Ref:810370)",
"links": [
{
"rel": "canonical",
"href": "https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000810370"
}
],
"noticetype": "OJEU - F1 - Prior Information Notice"
}