--- title: "2026-08-18 0900 QOC593 Lowestoft - Aurora Eccles School, Quidenham, Norfolk (4 seater vehicle with a passenger assistant required) - AWARD" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-45aedb0d-a422-4785-bd26-294f3603836d" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-45aedb0d-a422-4785-bd26-294f3603836d" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-45aedb0d-a422-4785-bd26-294f3603836d.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-45aedb0d-a422-4785-bd26-294f3603836d.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport" published: "2026-08-19" --- # 2026-08-18 0900 QOC593 Lowestoft - Aurora Eccles School, Quidenham, Norfolk (4 seater vehicle with a passenger assistant required) - AWARD Buyer: Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-b5fd17-45aedb0d-a422-4785-bd26-294f3603836d [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-45aedb0d-a422-4785-bd26-294f3603836d) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-45aedb0d-a422-4785-bd26-294f3603836d.json) ## Summary Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport procured passenger transport services for the QOC593 route between Lowestoft and Aurora Eccles School in Quidenham, Norfolk. The requirement is for a four-seater vehicle with a passenger assistant. This is a scheduled education transport service intended to carry passengers to and from the school. The main work category is transport services (CPV 60000000). The named buying organisation is Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport, based in Ipswich, Suffolk. The requirement was run as a mini-competition under the council’s Dynamic Purchasing System for the supply of passenger transport services. The service relates specifically to the Lowestoft and Quidenham route rather than a broad regional transport operation. The procurement is complete and was awarded through a mini-competition under a Dynamic Purchasing System. Submissions were due by 09:00 on 18 August 2026, with clarification questions due by 09:00 on 17 August 2026. Rainbows Transport was awarded the contract on 19 August 2026 for £308,985. The awarded contract runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 July 2031. Suffolk County Council reserved the right to extend the contract up to 31 July 2033. The procurement was for services and the recorded tender status is complete. The published outcome identifies one active award and one supplier. The requirement was recorded as unsuitable for SMEs and voluntary, community or social enterprises. This award shows sustained demand from Suffolk County Council for dedicated school passenger transport on a defined route, using a small vehicle and a passenger assistant. A credible future supplier would need to provide a reliable four-seater vehicle, passenger-assistant cover and dependable daily operation between Lowestoft and Aurora Eccles School in Quidenham. The work would suit an established passenger transport operator with sufficient staffing resilience to cover absences, strong safeguarding and school-transport procedures, and the operational capacity to deliver a consistent service over a multi-year arrangement. Experience of transporting school passengers, managing route-based services and meeting council requirements would help demonstrate readiness for this buyer’s specific need. ## Notice Suffolk County Council is seeking a mini competition against the following Dynamic Purchasing System: 'The supply of Passenger Transport Services', OJEU Notice Id: 2018/S 031-067685. QOC593 Lowestoft - Aurora Eccles School, Quidenham, Norfolk (4 seater vehicle with a passenger assistant required). Further details can be found in the 'Tenders / My Tenders' area of this website, by selecting the 'View Details' button for this project. The deadline for returned submissions is Tuesday 18th August 2026 at 0900. Please note late returns will NOT be permitted. The deadline for clarification questions is Monday 17th August 2026 at 0900 which must be generated via the correspondence option on the website. The council reserves the right to extend this contract up until 31st July 2033. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2373d2f5-1057-43f5-95b0-0b96ed00ac4d | | Notice type | Award Notice | | Procurement type | Dynamic | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 19 Aug 2026 | | Submission deadline | 18 Aug 2026 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 19 Aug 2026 | | Contract period | 1 Sep 2026 - 31 Jul 2031 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | £308,985 | | 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 | Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport | | Locality | SUFFOLK | | Postcode area | Ipswich | | Postcode | IP1 2BX | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH6 Suffolk | | ITL 3 | TLH62 Ipswich | | Local authority | Ipswich | | Electoral ward | Gipping | | Westminster constituency | Ipswich | | Delivery location | Not specified | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | Rainbows Transport | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport) ### Codes - 60000000 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport) ## Release History - 19 Aug 2026 at 14:33 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2373d2f5-1057-43f5-95b0-0b96ed00ac4d ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/2373d2f5-1057-43f5-95b0-0b96ed00ac4d 19th August 2026 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder ## Notice URLs - https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/business/tenders-and-supplying-us ## 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-b5fd17-45aedb0d-a422-4785-bd26-294f3603836d. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-45aedb0d-a422-4785-bd26-294f3603836d.json.