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Provision of School Transport Services, Ulva & Mull (1148L)

Argyll and Bute Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

27 Aug 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice
Tender

22 Jun 2026 at 01:00

OJEU - F2 - Contract Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Argyll and Bute Council procured a school transport service using a vessel to carry pupils safely and securely between Ulva and Mull. The requirement is for a vessel transport operator providing passenger transport services, classified under CPV 60000000. Delivery is on the islands of Ulva and Mull, serving the specified school transport route. The council is the buying organisation and the requirement sits within its general public services. This is a single-route service rather than a broad transport framework, so it is most relevant to operators with suitable vessels, the ability to run a dependable scheduled service in the island setting, and operational arrangements focused on transporting schoolchildren safely between the two locations.

The procurement is complete and has been awarded through an open procedure. The contract was awarded to The Ulva Ferry, with one bid received, and the contract is active. The award date was 23 July 2026; the contract was signed on 14 August 2026 and runs from 17 August 2026 to 4 July 2031. Its value is £133,621. Argyll and Bute Council may extend it by up to two years, subject to satisfactory performance and discussions with the successful tenderer. Bids were due by 23 July 2026 at noon and had to remain valid until 9 October 2026. Evaluation was based on price at 75% and quality at 25%. English-language electronic submissions were used, and variants were allowed.

This award demonstrates a defined, recurring requirement for vessel-based school transport between Ulva and Mull, delivered over a substantial multi-year service period. A credible future competitor would need to be a vessel transport operator able to provide safe, secure and reliable school journeys on this route, with sufficient operational capacity to maintain the service throughout the school transport period. The selection requirements included suitability and technical criteria, with execution reserved to a particular profession, so relevant professional status and evidence of technical competence would be important. Commercial competitiveness also matters: price carried three quarters of the evaluation weighting, while quality carried the remaining quarter. The successful supplier was an SME, indicating that the requirement can be delivered by a suitably capable smaller operator.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Provision of School Transport Services, Ulva & Mull (1148L)

Notice Description

Argyll and Bute Council are looking to Contract with a vessel transport operator who will provide safe and secure school transport between Ulva & Mull.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Argyll and Bute Council are looking to contract with a vessel transport operator who will provide safe and secure school transport between Ulva & Mull.

Renewal: The Contract may be extended for up to 2 years at the option of Argyll and Bute Council, subject to satisfactory performance of the Contract and following discussions with the successful Tenderer.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-r6ebe6-0000835226
Publication Source
Public Contracts Scotland
Latest Notice
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG563271
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
SME

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
£133,621 £100K-£500K

Notice Dates

Publication Date
27 Aug 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
23 Jul 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
17 Aug 2026 - 4 Jul 2031 4-5 years
Recurrence
4 years, 4 months, 20 days or 6 years, 4 month

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

The Ulva Ferry

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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