---
title: "North Somerset Supported Bus Services (August 2026 - Batch 1)"
ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-3147aa3d-9a90-43d9-be12-db871d26f902"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-3147aa3d-9a90-43d9-be12-db871d26f902"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-3147aa3d-9a90-43d9-be12-db871d26f902.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-3147aa3d-9a90-43d9-be12-db871d26f902.json"
source: "Contracts Finder"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "North Somerset Council"
published: "2026-08-07"
---

# North Somerset Supported Bus Services (August 2026 - Batch 1)

Buyer: North Somerset Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-b5fd17-3147aa3d-9a90-43d9-be12-db871d26f902

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## Summary

North Somerset Council procured supported public bus services, classified as transport services. The requirement covered four routes in and around North Somerset: Service 6 between Weston-super-Mare and Worle Retail Park via Mead Vale; Service 9/X11, linking Weston-super-Mare with Worle Retail Park via Worlebury and with Nailsea; Service X5 between Hutton and Portishead; and Service X10 between Wrington and Southmead. The services are intended to provide scheduled bus transport on routes supported by the council. Delivery covers North Somerset and connecting locations including Weston-super-Mare, Worle, Nailsea, Hutton, Portishead, Wrington and Southmead. The procurement was suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises. First West of England Ltd was selected for Services 6, 9/X11 and X5, while The Big Lemon CIC was selected for Service X10.

This procurement has been awarded. North Somerset Council used Lot 3 of its Passenger Transport Dynamic Purchasing System. The submission deadline was 19 May 2026 at 1pm, and the award date was 6 August 2026. Contracts run from 30 August 2026 to 28 August 2027. First West of England Ltd was awarded Service 6 at an annual contract value of £141,094, Service 9/X11 at £669,239 annually, and Service X5 at £430,255 annually. The Big Lemon CIC was awarded Service X10 at £293,576 annually. The published award value for the procurement is £1,534,164 in total. The award record identifies the selected suppliers and route allocations; it does not set out a separate scoring or weighting basis.

This award demonstrates recurring council demand for contracted bus operators able to run supported services across North Somerset and adjoining urban areas. Relevant competitors would need the operational capacity to provide scheduled passenger transport on routes linking residential communities, retail centres, towns and employment or healthcare destinations. Credible suppliers should be able to plan and deliver dependable timetabled services, allocate suitable buses and drivers, manage day-to-day operations, and maintain continuity across a network of distinct routes. The award also shows that the requirement can be delivered by different supplier profiles: a large established regional operator took three services, while a smaller community-interest company took one. SMEs with proven bus operations and the capacity to serve individual routes may therefore be relevant when this council next tests similar requirements.

## Notice

The council required a bus operator to operate each of the following supported bus service contracts in North Somerset from 30 August 2026: * Bus Service 6 (ref: NSC-0750-26) - Weston-super-Mare to Worle Retail Park via Mead Vale - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS141,094) * Bus Service 9 / X11 (ref: NSC-0746-26) - Weston-super-Mare to Worle Retail Park via Worlebury (9) and Weston-super-Mare to Nailsea (X11) - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS669,239) * Bus Service X5 (ref: NSC-0751-26) - Hutton to Portishead - awarded to First West of England (annual contract value: PS430,255) * Bus Service X10 (ref: NSC-0740-26) - Wrington to Southmead - awarded to The Big Lemon CIC (annual contract value: PS293,576) Lot 3 of North Somerset Council's Passenger Transport Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) was used for this procurement.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Contracts Finder |
| Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/6af218c0-bb58-413d-a014-d5cf5ef47d78 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Dynamic |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Not Specified |
| Procurement method details | Other - |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Large, SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 7 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 19 May 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 6 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 30 Aug 2026 - 28 Aug 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £1,534,164 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £1,534,164 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Not specified |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | North Somerset Council |
| Locality | WESTON-SUPER-MARE |
| Postcode area | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS23 1UJ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset |
| ITL 3 | TLK61 North Somerset |
| Local authority | North Somerset |
| Electoral ward | Weston-super-Mare Central |
| Westminster constituency | Weston-super-Mare |
| Delivery location | TLK South West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 2 |
| Supplier names | The West of England Combined Authority; The Big Lemon CIC |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60000000 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

## Release History

- 7 Aug 2026 at 16:54 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/6af218c0-bb58-413d-a014-d5cf5ef47d78

## Documents

- https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/6af218c0-bb58-413d-a014-d5cf5ef47d78
  7th August 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder

## Notice URLs

- http://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-3147aa3d-9a90-43d9-be12-db871d26f902. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-3147aa3d-9a90-43d9-be12-db871d26f902.json.