Award

CHFS3 - Contract award notice

TRANSPORT SCOTLAND

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

11 Mar 2026 at 00:00

Summary of the contracting process

Transport Scotland has awarded the CHFS3 Contract to CalMac Ferries Limited for the provision of ferry services across the Clyde and Hebrides network. This procurement process, categorised within the General public services industry, emphasises the delivery of comprehensive ferry and associated services across 30 routes on the Scottish mainland and islands from Campbeltown to Stornoway. The contract, signed on 30th September 2025, is valued at £3.9 billion and covers services such as ferry operations, terminal staffing, reservation facilities, and real-time passenger information. As a limited procurement following an "in-house" arrangement exemption under Regulation 13(1)(a), this award notice is in the contract stage and highlights Transport Scotland's ongoing role as the central purchasing body.

This substantial contract offers significant opportunities for large-scale ferry service providers capable of handling complex operational logistics inherent to the Clyde and Hebrides routes. Businesses with expertise in ferry operations, information technology solutions, customer service enhancement, and maritime logistics can leverage this contract to grow and sustain their operations within a critical transport network affecting Scottish islands. The scale and scope of services required suggest that companies with established large-scale capacities and infrastructure are well-suited to ensure seamless service delivery and strategic development in a publicly significant transportation sector.

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Notice Title

CHFS3 - Contract award notice

Notice Description

The scope of the CHFS3 Contract includes the provision of ferry and associated services on the CHFS network. The CHFS network covers the west coast of Scotland, from Campbeltown in the south to Stornoway in the north. The CHFS network is currently comprised of 30 ferry routes between harbours on the Scottish mainland and on islands in the Hebrides and Clyde Estuary. The services to be provided include but are not limited to the provision of: scheduled and unscheduled ferry services; staffing of terminals and harbour facilities; facilities for accepting reservations, issuing tickets, and other relevant documentation; marketing the operation of a common timetable, ticketing, and fares database for all routes; a website and smartphone app, seasonal timetables, a help-desk facility, and an early warning notice board for disruptions and changes due to bad weather; real-time information to passengers; the operation of variable message boards; the participation in public transport information and/or journey planning websites specified by TS; cooperation with relevant organisations and operators of other services to facilitate integrated services; the operation of a passenger recording system; the management and operation and maintenance of the vessels; additional sailings in certain circumstances; and lifeline support to the emergency services as required.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Transport Scotland (TS) on behalf of Scottish Ministers was awarded to CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) a 10-year public contract on a rolling basis for the delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS3 Contract). TS has undertaken an extensive review of the provision of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS). As part of that review, the governance arrangements for CHFS were amended. The CHFS3 Contract was awarded to CFL on the basis of those amended arrangements. The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (as amended) (Regulations) do not apply to this procurement because TS is awarding the CHFS3 Contract pursuant to the exemption for "in-house" contractual arrangements provided for in Regulation 13(1)(a) of the Regulations. The scope of the CHFS3 Contract includes the provision of ferry and associated services on the CHFS network. The CHFS network covers the west coast of Scotland, from Campbeltown in the south to Stornoway in the north. The CHFS network is currently comprised of 30 ferry routes between harbours on the Scottish mainland and on islands in the Hebrides and Clyde Estuary. The services to be provided include, but are not limited to, the provision of: scheduled and unscheduled ferry services; staffing of terminals and harbour facilities; facilities for accepting reservations, issuing tickets, and other relevant documentation; marketing the operation of a common timetable, ticketing, and fares database for all routes; a website and smartphone app, seasonal timetables, a help-desk facility, and an early warning notice board for disruptions and changes due to bad weather; real-time information to passengers; the operation of variable message boards; the participation in public transport information and/or journey planning websites specified by TS; cooperation with relevant organisations and operators of other services to facilitate integrated services; the operation of a passenger recording system; the management and operation and maintenance of the vessels; additional sailings in certain circumstances; and lifeline support to the emergency services as required.. The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (as amended) (Regulations) do not apply to the procurement because TS is awarding the CHFS3 Contract pursuant to the exemption for "in-house" contractual arrangements provided for in Regulation 13(1)(a) of the Regulations

Procurement Information

The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (as amended) (Regulations) do not apply to the procurement because TS is awarding the CHFS3 Contract pursuant to the exemption for "in-house" contractual arrangements provided for in Regulation 13(1)(a) of the Regulations

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000824538
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAR551492
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F3 - Contract 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
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)


CPV Codes

60610000 - Ferry transport services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£3,900,000,000 £1B-£10B

Notice Dates

Publication Date
11 Mar 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
30 Sep 20255 months ago
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
TRANSPORT SCOTLAND
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
GLASGOW
Postcode
G2 7ER
Post Town
Glasgow
Country
Scotland

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM3 West Central Scotland
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM32 Glasgow City
Delivery Location
TLM Scotland

Local Authority
Glasgow City
Electoral Ward
Anderston/City/Yorkhill
Westminster Constituency
Glasgow North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

CALMAC FERRIES

Further Information

Notice Documents

  • https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAR551492
    CHFS3 - Contract award notice - The scope of the CHFS3 Contract includes the provision of ferry and associated services on the CHFS network. The CHFS network covers the west coast of Scotland, from Campbeltown in the south to Stornoway in the north. The CHFS network is currently comprised of 30 ferry routes between harbours on the Scottish mainland and on islands in the Hebrides and Clyde Estuary. The services to be provided include but are not limited to the provision of: scheduled and unscheduled ferry services; staffing of terminals and harbour facilities; facilities for accepting reservations, issuing tickets, and other relevant documentation; marketing the operation of a common timetable, ticketing, and fares database for all routes; a website and smartphone app, seasonal timetables, a help-desk facility, and an early warning notice board for disruptions and changes due to bad weather; real-time information to passengers; the operation of variable message boards; the participation in public transport information and/or journey planning websites specified by TS; cooperation with relevant organisations and operators of other services to facilitate integrated services; the operation of a passenger recording system; the management and operation and maintenance of the vessels; additional sailings in certain circumstances; and lifeline support to the emergency services as required.

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