---
title: "Bus Grant Fares & Ticketing - Fare Offer Initiatives 2026 - First Bus"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-067c13"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-067c13"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067c13.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067c13.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE WEST OF ENGLAND COMBINED AUTHORITY"
published: "2026-04-02"
---

# Bus Grant Fares & Ticketing - Fare Offer Initiatives 2026 - First Bus

Buyer: THE WEST OF ENGLAND COMBINED AUTHORITY  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-067c13

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-067c13)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067c13.json)

## Summary

The West of England Combined Authority, a sub-central government body located in Bristol, United Kingdom, has concluded the procurement for the "Bus Grant Fares & Ticketing - Fare Offer Initiatives 2026 - First Bus." This initiative encompasses fare schemes including Kids Go Free during Easter Holidays, Care Leavers, and the Youth Guarantee Fare Offer. The procurement was completed using a direct award method primarily due to exclusive rights held by the supplier. The contracting process was initiated on April 2, 2026, with the award notice published the same day. The service falls under the public road transport services category, with the contract period running from April 17, 2026, to September 30, 2026, and a contract value of £472,138.40.

The direct award presents a strategic growth opportunity for FIRST WEST OF ENGLAND LIMITED, the supplier, due to its unique position with intellectual property and exclusive rights to operate specific bus routes. Businesses that hold similar exclusive rights or intellectual property might find opportunities in engaging partnerships or subcontracts through such direct awards. Organisations in the transport industry or those offering innovative fare systems and customer-focused services could find this sector lucrative owing to its substantial budget and focus on public service initiatives. This contract underscores the potential for enhancing public transport offerings and attracting more customers during high-travel periods like holidays.

## Notice

This contract will cover the Kids Go Free (Easter Holidays), Care Leavers and Youth Guarantee Fare Offer schemes with this supplier

### Procurement Information

Single supplier - intellectual property or exclusive rights The Procurement Act 2023 (the Act) permits direct awards to be made in certain circumstances. The relevant justification is contained in Paragraph 5 of Schedule 5 of the Act which states: "The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract- (a) due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and (b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works. Each of the bus operators has been awarded competitively tendered bus routes which they have exclusive rights to operate so that both limbs (a) and (b) are satisfied.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031042-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 2 Apr 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 25 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 16 Apr 2026 - 30 Sep 2026 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £472,138 |
| 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 | THE WEST OF ENGLAND COMBINED AUTHORITY |
| Locality | BRISTOL |
| Post town | Bristol |
| Postcode | BS1 6AL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK5 West of England |
| ITL 3 | TLK51 Bristol, City of |
| Local authority | Bristol, City of |
| Electoral ward | Central |
| Westminster constituency | Bristol Central |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | FIRST WEST OF ENGLAND |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60112000 - Public road transport services

## Release History

- 2 Apr 2026 at 14:26 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031042-2026
- 2 Apr 2026 at 14:18 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031030-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031042-2026
  2nd April 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031030-2026
  2nd April 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00025088/officers
- https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00025088/persons-with-significant-control
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/about-us/contact-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-h6vhtk-067c13. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-067c13.json.