--- title: "CN250575 - Concessionary Travel Management" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05f31b" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05f31b" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05f31b.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05f31b.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "KENT COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2025-12-19" --- # CN250575 - Concessionary Travel Management Buyer: KENT COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05f31b [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05f31b) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05f31b.json) ## Summary Kent County Council has initiated a procurement process titled "CN250575 - Concessionary Travel Management," focusing on services related to transport systems consultancy. The main objective is to seek commercial market responses to enhance management functions and services regarding concessionary travel schemes like the English National Concessionary scheme (ENCTS) and others such as the Kent Travel Saver. This planning stage, detailed in a market engagement notice, targets the region of Maidstone, UKJ4, with the contract period starting from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2030, with possible extensions to 2032. The total project value is estimated at £720,000. The deadline for responding to the engagement notice is scheduled for 14 January 2026. This procurement process provides a lucrative opportunity for enterprises specialising in transport systems consultancy services. Businesses with expertise in managing travel schemes, analysing data from transport operators, and interpreting complex transport-related legislation can significantly benefit from this tender. Companies adept at engaging with local authorities to provide cost-effective transport solutions, particularly those familiar with the handling of reimbursement systems and budget monitoring for public transport schemes, stand a good chance of competing successfully. The engagement involves managing a significant user base, including around 250,000 passholders and interactions with over 40 bus operators, offering extensive growth prospects for the right service providers. ## Notice Kent County Council is seeking responses from the commercial market to help shape the management functions and services in relation to administering its concessionary travel schemes; the English National Concessionary scheme (ENCTS) also known as the older persons and disabled persons bus pass, and other concessionary schemes, the Kent Travel Saver and 16+ Travel saver. Kent has traditionally engaged with the market, and commissioned contracts to deliver and support our operations of managing concessionary fare schemes. Key components provided by the commissioned supplier is to manage information obtained from bus operators to supplement forecasting concessionary passenger journeys but also includes capturing operator fare chart information and make use of the Department for Transport's (DFT) reimbursement calculator that informs budget setting and budget monitoring procedures. Additionally, our requirements are for the commissioned supplier to provide expert analysis and interpretation of complex legislation to respond to bus operator disputes and/ or challenges regarding the administration of specific concessionary schemes such as ENCTS. ENCTS: The ENCTS scheme is a devolved statutory scheme that is administered locally by concessionary travel authorities and local authorities. The requirement to deliver the scheme is underpinned by primary legislation within the Transport Act 1985 and within the Bus Concessionary Travel Act 2007. The purpose of the scheme is to provide free bus travel to those who reach pensionable age, and for eligible disabled users. Should users meet the relevant entry requirements determined by the Local Authority, they will be issued with a travel pass that can be used between specified times on bus services throughout the week. As part of the devolved responsibilities on Local Authorities, it is incumbent on them to make suitable arrangements for transport operators providing bus services to facilitate the ENCTS to be reimbursed in accordance with the formulas defined by national government. Local Authorities are required by law to reimburse bus operators for carrying concessionary passengers. In respect of the mandatory concession, Local Authorities must reimburse bus operators for all concessionary journeys starting within their boundaries on a 'no better and no worse off' basis, regardless of where the concessionary passholder making the journey is resident. Typically, Kent has circa 250,000 passholders that equates to circa 11mil journeys each year. Kent Travel Saver and 16+ Travel Saver: Kent offers concessionary travel schemes that support children and young people by providing a subsidised bus pass that can be used to enable access to their educational placement or for specific cohorts of service uses the opportunity to access work placements. The scheme requirements and definitions are determined by the Local Authority. For the Travel Saver scheme, it will support students in year groups 7-11 (secondary school provision), Monday to Friday between 6am and 7pm. Any journeys undertaken outside of the scheme days and times are not supported under the terms of the scheme. The 16+ Travel Saver scheme operates in a similar fashion to the Travel Saver scheme but provides unlimited travel to those young people aged between 16- 19. Each Travel Saver scheme has different contributions to be made by the service users subject to age and further concessions due to families on low-incomes or those within the care category. Further options are available for users that wish to pay for the scheme using direct debit facilities. The Travel Saver schemes have a combined total of more than 27,000 service users. As articulated above, Kent County Council has a large and diverse group of service users making use of the concessionary schemes and similarly engages and manages more than 40 bus operators delivering vital services around the county. To view this notice, please click here: https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=1002524032 ### Planning Information Kent County Council is seeking responses from the commercial market to help shape the management functions and services in relation to administering its concessionary travel schemes; the English National Concessionary scheme (ENCTS) also known as the older persons and disabled persons bus pass, and other concessionary schemes, the Kent Travel Saver and 16+ Travel saver. Kent has traditionally engaged with the market, and commissioned contracts to deliver and support our operations of managing concessionary fare schemes. Key components provided by the commissioned supplier is to manage information obtained from bus operators to supplement forecasting concessionary passenger journeys but also includes capturing operator fare chart information and make use of the Department for Transport’s (DFT) reimbursement calculator that informs budget setting and budget monitoring procedures. Additionally, our requirements are for the commissioned supplier to provide expert analysis and interpretation of complex legislation to respond to bus operator disputes and/ or challenges regarding the administration of specific concessionary schemes such as ENCTS. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084849-2025 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 19 Dec 2025 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 14 Jan 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 30 Sep 2026 - 30 Sep 2030 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £600,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | KENT COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | MAIDSTONE | | Post town | Rochester | | Postcode | ME14 1XQ | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLJ4 Kent | | ITL 3 | TLJ45 Mid Kent | | Local authority | Maidstone | | Electoral ward | Penenden Heath | | Westminster constituency | Maidstone and Malling | | Delivery location | TLJ4 Kent | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services ### Codes - 71311200 - Transport systems consultancy services ## Release History - 19 Dec 2025 at 12:05 - PlanningUpdate - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084849-2025 - 10 Dec 2025 at 16:05 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081652-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/084849-2025 19th December 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081652-2025 10th December 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.delta-esourcing.com/delta/viewNotice.html?noticeId=1002524032 - 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-05f31b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05f31b.json.