---
title: "Bus Route 33/X33"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0613c7"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0613c7"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0613c7.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0613c7.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "MILTON KEYNES CITY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-04-21"
---

# Bus Route 33/X33

Buyer: MILTON KEYNES CITY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0613c7

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0613c7)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0613c7.json)

## Summary

Milton Keynes City Council is conducting a public procurement process to award a contract for operating the Bus Route 33/X33, which connects Milton Keynes and Northampton. As of April 2026, the procurement has progressed to the award and contract stage with the process having been initiated through an open procedure tender. The council did not engage the market prior to tender submission due to having developed a thorough service specification. The successful bidder will begin the contract on 1st June 2026, with the initial term lasting one year, and the possibility of two additional one-year extensions subject to funding confirmation. The procurement is within the scope of public road transport services, with a regulation requiring the provider to hold a valid operator licence. The standstill period concludes at the end of April 2026.

This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in transport services, specifically those with expertise and licences in public road transport, to expand their operations within the UK. With an overall contract budget exceeding £1 million, there is ample scope for growth and sustainable operation. Companies experienced in offering competitive pricing combined with high-quality service provision will be in a favourable position to succeed. Additionally, businesses that are capable of easily navigating open tenders and can adhere to Milton Keynes City Council's tendering requirements will find this opportunity lucrative. Given the initial one-year term with potential extensions, this contract offers solid growth prospects for operators ready to engage with local government transport needs.

## Notice

The Council is seeking an Operator for the replacement service Milton Keynes-Northampton 33/X33 Bus Route. The operator is required to comply with the detail as laid put in the service specification . The contract will be for an initial term of 1 year with an option to extend for a two extensions of 12 month each with the successful tenderer The Council has not engaged with the market prior to issuing the ITT as it has already developed the most appropriate specification for the works they require to be procured. The market is regulated and the provider must hold a current valid operator license

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: option for the Council to extend for two extensions of 12 month each

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036070-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 21 Apr 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 27 Feb 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 1 Apr 2026 |
| Contract period | 31 May 2026 - 31 May 2027 |
| Recurrence | 2028-11-01 |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £1,400,000 |
| Lots value | £1,400,000 |
| Awards value | £1,037,610 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | MILTON KEYNES CITY COUNCIL |
| Locality | MILTON KEYNES |
| Post town | Milton Keynes |
| Postcode | MK9 3EJ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLJ12 Milton Keynes |
| Local authority | Milton Keynes |
| Electoral ward | Central Milton Keynes |
| Westminster constituency | Milton Keynes Central |
| Delivery location | TLJ12 Milton Keynes |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | ARRIVA THE SHIRES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60112000 - Public road transport services

## Release History

- 21 Apr 2026 at 12:16 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036070-2026
- 2 Feb 2026 at 09:46 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008766-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036070-2026
  21st April 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008766-2026
  2nd February 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://in-tendhost.co.uk/milton-keynes
  To access tender documents please log into above portal

## Notice URLs

- https://in-tendhost.co.uk/milton-keynes/
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.milton-keynes.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-h6vhtk-0613c7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0613c7.json.