---
title: "CHFS3 - Contract award notice"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-050f59"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-050f59"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050f59.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050f59.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "TRANSPORT SCOTLAND"
published: "2026-03-11"
---

# CHFS3 - Contract award notice

Buyer: TRANSPORT SCOTLAND  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-050f59

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## Summary

The Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) contract has been awarded by Transport Scotland on behalf of Scottish Ministers to CalMac Ferries Limited, under a 10-year agreement valued at £3,900,000,000, for the provision of ferry transport services. The contract encompasses operations across the CHFS network, covering the west coast of Scotland and includes various services such as ferry operations, terminal management, and passenger systems. This procurement was carried out through a limited procedure, without prior publication of a call for competition, adhering to the exemption for 'in-house' arrangements under Regulation 13(1)(a) of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. The process is currently at the award stage, and services commenced on 1 October 2025.

This contract presents significant opportunities for growth, particularly for businesses engaged in maritime services, logistics, transport infrastructure, and associated technologies. The scope demands a diverse array of services including maintenance, marketing, passenger services, and technical support, suited to businesses with expertise in ferry operations or those looking to expand into the transport sector. With the broad geographical coverage and integrated service requirements, firms specialising in regional cooperation, innovative transport solutions, or software development could greatly benefit from subcontracting prospects and collaborative opportunities throughout the contract's duration.

## Notice

The scope of the CHFS3 Contract includes the provision of ferry and associated services on the CHFS network. The CHFS network covers the west coast of Scotland, from Campbeltown in the south to Stornoway in the north. The CHFS network is currently comprised of 30 ferry routes between harbours on the Scottish mainland and on islands in the Hebrides and Clyde Estuary. The services to be provided include but are not limited to the provision of: scheduled and unscheduled ferry services; staffing of terminals and harbour facilities; facilities for accepting reservations, issuing tickets, and other relevant documentation; marketing the operation of a common timetable, ticketing, and fares database for all routes; a website and smartphone app, seasonal timetables, a help-desk facility, and an early warning notice board for disruptions and changes due to bad weather; real-time information to passengers; the operation of variable message boards; the participation in public transport information and/or journey planning websites specified by TS; cooperation with relevant organisations and operators of other services to facilitate integrated services; the operation of a passenger recording system; the management and operation and maintenance of the vessels; additional sailings in certain circumstances; and lifeline support to the emergency services as required.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Transport Scotland (TS) on behalf of Scottish Ministers was awarded to CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) a 10-year public contract on a rolling basis for the delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS3 Contract). TS has undertaken an extensive review of the provision of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS). As part of that review, the governance arrangements for CHFS were amended. The CHFS3 Contract was awarded to CFL on the basis of those amended arrangements. The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (as amended) (Regulations) do not apply to this procurement because TS is awarding the CHFS3 Contract pursuant to the exemption for "in-house" contractual arrangements provided for in Regulation 13(1)(a) of the Regulations. The scope of the CHFS3 Contract includes the provision of ferry and associated services on the CHFS network. The CHFS network covers the west coast of Scotland, from Campbeltown in the south to Stornoway in the north. The CHFS network is currently comprised of 30 ferry routes between harbours on the Scottish mainland and on islands in the Hebrides and Clyde Estuary. The services to be provided include, but are not limited to, the provision of: scheduled and unscheduled ferry services; staffing of terminals and harbour facilities; facilities for accepting reservations, issuing tickets, and other relevant documentation; marketing the operation of a common timetable, ticketing, and fares database for all routes; a website and smartphone app, seasonal timetables, a help-desk facility, and an early warning notice board for disruptions and changes due to bad weather; real-time information to passengers; the operation of variable message boards; the participation in public transport information and/or journey planning websites specified by TS; cooperation with relevant organisations and operators of other services to facilitate integrated services; the operation of a passenger recording system; the management and operation and maintenance of the vessels; additional sailings in certain circumstances; and lifeline support to the emergency services as required. Additional information: The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (as amended) (Regulations) do not apply to the procurement because TS is awarding the CHFS3 Contract pursuant to the exemption for "in-house" contractual arrangements provided for in Regulation 13(1)(a) of the Regulations

### Procurement Information

The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (as amended) (Regulations) do not apply to the procurement because TS is awarding the CHFS3 Contract pursuant to the exemption for "in-house" contractual arrangements provided for in Regulation 13(1)(a) of the Regulations

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021893-2026 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 11 Mar 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 5 May 2025 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £3,900,000,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | TRANSPORT SCOTLAND |
| Locality | GLASGOW |
| Post town | Glasgow |
| Postcode | G2 7ER |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM3 West Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM32 Glasgow City |
| Local authority | Glasgow City |
| Electoral ward | Anderston/City/Yorkhill |
| Westminster constituency | Glasgow North |
| Delivery location | TLM Scotland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CALMAC FERRIES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60610000 - Ferry transport services

## Release History

- 11 Mar 2026 at 15:28 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021893-2026
- 9 May 2025 at 08:25 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/019928-2025

## Notice URLs

- http://www.transport.gov.scot
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000792898
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000824538
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00099

## 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-050f59. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-050f59.json.