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Provision of School & Local Transport Services, Oban & Lorn

Argyll and Bute Council

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

27 Aug 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
TenderUpdate

12 Jun 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F14 - Corrigendum
Tender

15 May 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F2 - Contract Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Argyll and Bute Council procured school and local transport services for Oban and Lorn, covering transport operations within Argyll and Bute. The requirement is for a transport operator to provide safe and secure journeys for schools and local communities. It is a services contract under CPV 60000000, covering transport services. The council is the buying organisation, based at Kilmory, Lochgilphead. The requirement includes core journeys set out in the tender timetables, with some journeys identified as optional or subject to council approval. The successful operator is expected to support the council’s transport provision across the specified local area rather than supply vehicles or infrastructure alone. This opportunity is therefore relevant to established bus, coach, minibus or other passenger transport operators able to deliver scheduled school and local services in Argyll and Bute.

The procurement is complete and was awarded through an open procedure. The single lot was awarded to Craig of Campbeltown Ltd, with one bid received. The award date is not stated; the contract was signed on 14 August 2025 and is active. Its stated value is £7,276,443.78 including the published currency, GBP. The contract period runs from 17 August 2026 to 28 June 2031, with an option for the council to extend it by up to two years, subject to satisfactory performance and agreement with the contractor. The council may also include, exclude, start or stop separately priced optional journeys during the contract period. Evaluation information records price at 75% and capacity at 5%, with suitability requirements set out in the Invitation to Tender. Bids had to be in English and remain valid for 120 days.

This award demonstrates sustained council demand for contracted school and local passenger transport in Oban, Lorn and the wider Argyll and Bute area. A credible future competitor would need to be an established transport operator with the operational capacity to run multiple scheduled journeys safely and securely, including school services and local routes. The evaluation explicitly considered capacity, so businesses should be able to demonstrate sufficient vehicles, drivers, scheduling, dispatch and contingency arrangements for the required timetable. They would also need to meet the suitability requirements in the procurement documents and compete strongly on price. The requirement includes optional journeys that may be activated or stopped separately, so flexibility in scaling services and pricing individual journeys would be commercially relevant. Experience delivering reliable passenger transport for public-sector or education settings would support credibility when this council next tests the market.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of School & Local Transport Services, Oban & Lorn

Notice Description

Argyll and Bute Council are looking to Contract with a transport operator who will provide safe and secure school and local transport services within Oban and Lorn.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Argyll and Bute Council are looking to Contract with a transport operator who will provide safe and secure school and local transport services within Oban and Lorn.

Options: Where specific journeys within the TS1A documents (timetables) are identified as optional or subject to Council approval, the Tenderer shall provide separate and clearly identifiable prices for those journeys as detailed in Part 3: Specification and the Pricing Schedule. Prices for these services shall be submitted in addition to the core Contract price and must not be incorporated into the base price for the Contract unless explicitly instructed. The Council reserves the right, at Contract Award stage or at any point during the Contract Period, to: - Include all, some or none of the separately priced journeys; - Instruct their commencement or cessation; or - Vary the scope of the Contract accordingly, without this giving rise to any entitlement to compensation beyond the agreed prices submitted for those services.

Renewal: The contract end date (28/06/2031) is indicative only and is expected to occur immediately after schools close for the summer in 2031. The Contract may be extended for a further period of up to two (2) years at the Council's discretion, subject to satisfactory performance and following agreement with the Contractor.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000831923
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG563269
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

CPV Codes

60000000 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
£7,276,443 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Aug 20262 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
15 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
17 Aug 2026 - 28 Jun 2031 4-5 years
Recurrence
4 years and 8 months or 6 years and 8 months from award.

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Argyll and Bute 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
LOCHGILPHEAD
Postcode
PA31 8RT
Postcode Area
Paisley
Country
Scotland
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLM Scotland
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLM2 Highlands and Islands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLM20 Highlands and Islands
Delivery Location
TLM63 Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh, Arran and Cumbrae, and Argyll and Bute
Local Authority
Argyll and Bute
Electoral Ward
Mid Argyll
Westminster Constituency
Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Craig of Campbeltown Ltd

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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