--- title: "Demand Responsive Transport Service - Tees Flex Bus Service" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0504d4" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0504d4" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0504d4.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0504d4.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "TEES VALLEY COMBINED AUTHORITY" published: "2026-04-07" --- # Demand Responsive Transport Service - Tees Flex Bus Service Buyer: TEES VALLEY COMBINED AUTHORITY Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0504d4 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0504d4) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0504d4.json) ## Summary The Tees Valley Combined Authority was involved in a procurement process for the provision of a Demand Responsive Transport Service, known as the Tees Flex Bus Service. This procurement fell under the industry category of public road transport services. The buying organisation is a public authority - sub-central government and is located at Teesside International Airport, Darlington, UK. The procurement process moved through various stages including planning, award, and ultimately contract termination. The contract, initially awarded to CLEVELAND TRANSIT LTD., started on 25th August 2025 and was completed on 28th March 2026, with the contract subsequently being terminated on 7th April 2026. This was a direct award process in line with relevant transport and subsidy regulations. This procurement provided opportunities for businesses specialising in public road transport services, particularly those able to offer on-demand transport solutions. The tender was structured to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs), ensuring a diverse range of businesses could compete. The opportunity was suited to enterprises with a strong capacity for flexible service provision across the Tees Valley region, leveraging around £897,000 in contract expenditure. This tender demonstrates the potential for growth through public sector contracts in transport services, particularly for businesses capable of delivering innovative and responsive transport solutions. ## Notice Tees Valley Combined Authority (the 'Contracting Authority'), part of the Tees Valley Combined Authority Group, have awarded a contract for the provision of Demand Responsive Transport Service - Tees Flex Bus Service. The contract start date was 25th August 2025 however there has been a delay with signing due to resource. The contract was signed on 15th September 2025. Award of De Minimis bus transport subsidy contract in line with the Transport Act and Service Subsidy Agreements (Tendering) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2004. Local authorities or Passenger Transport Authorities/Executives with forecast expenditure on bus service subsidies in any one year of PS600,000 or more will be able to spend up to 25% of this on de minimis contracts; within this 25% there is no limit on the expenditure in any one year that may be incurred on an individual de minimis contract or the amount of de minimis contract expenditure in any year with any single operator. ### Planning Information Tees Flex is an on-demand bus service which was introduced to the TVCA local area in early 2020. The service is currently contracted until August 2025, and we are therefore engaging with the local market to understand operator capacity and interest moving forward. Covering various locations across the Tees Valley. Responses to this pre-tender market engagement opportunity can be submitted through Proactis at: https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=ce67c92c-831b-f011-8136-005056b64545 Queries regarding this process and/or the content of this PTME should be submitted as clarification requests via the portal, no communication will be accepted via other means. ### Procurement Information Award of De Minimis bus transport subsidy contract in line with the Transport Act and Service Subsidy Agreements (Tendering) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2004. Local authorities or Passenger Transport Authorities/Executives with forecast expenditure on bus service subsidies in any one year of PS600,000 or more will be able to spend up to 25% of this on de minimis contracts; within this 25% there is no limit on the expenditure in any one year that may be incurred on an individual de minimis contract or the amount of de minimis contract expenditure in any year with any single operator. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031282-2026 | | Notice type | UK11 - Contract Termination Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Direct | | Procurement method details | Direct award | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Large | | All stages | Planning, Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 7 Apr 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 12 May 2025 | | Award date | 30 Jun 2025 | | Contract period | 24 Aug 2025 - 28 Mar 2026 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | £897,000 | | Contracts value | £897,000 | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Complete | | Lots status | Complete | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Terminated | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | TEES VALLEY COMBINED AUTHORITY | | Additional buyers | Missing | | Locality | DARLINGTON | | Post town | Darlington | | Postcode | DL2 1NJ | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley | | ITL 3 | TLC33 Darlington | | Local authority | Darlington | | Electoral ward | Sadberge & Middleton St George | | Westminster constituency | Stockton West | | Delivery location | TLC1 Tees Valley and Durham | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | CLEVELAND TRANSIT | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport) ### Codes - 60112000 - Public road transport services ## Release History - 7 Apr 2026 at 08:52 - ContractTermination - UK11 - Contract Termination Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031282-2026 - 25 Sep 2025 at 13:23 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059737-2025 - 1 Jul 2025 at 10:23 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036340-2025 - 1 Jul 2025 at 10:07 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036333-2025 - 17 Apr 2025 at 12:25 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015908-2025 - 17 Apr 2025 at 12:22 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015904-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031282-2026 7th April 2026 - Contract termination notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/059737-2025 25th September 2025 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036340-2025 1st July 2025 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036333-2025 1st July 2025 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015908-2025 17th April 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015904-2025 17th April 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - http://www.stagecoachbus.com - https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=ce67c92c-831b-f011-8136-005056b64545 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## 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-h6vhtk-0504d4. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0504d4.json.