---
title: "North-South Wales Coach Operator Service (Bangor - Carmarthen)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-069f20"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-069f20"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069f20.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069f20.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "TRANSPORT FOR WALES (TFW)"
published: "2026-07-13"
---

# North-South Wales Coach Operator Service (Bangor - Carmarthen)

Buyer: TRANSPORT FOR WALES (TFW)  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-069f20

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## Summary

Transport for Wales (TfW) is at the helm of an active procurement endeavour to appoint operators to run a new express coach service connecting Bangor and Carmarthen, in support of the Welsh Government's sustainable transport objectives. This open procurement, steered by a competitive flexible procedure, is centralised in the public road transport services industry, delivering along the west coast of Wales within the UKL region. Potential bidders should note significant dates: the tender closing on 3rd August 2026, with the awarding expected by 18th August 2026, and the service operational by 25th October 2026. The ambition is to boost public transport connectivity, enhancing passenger experience and aligning with strategic national transport plans.

This tender offers considerable opportunities for businesses involved in road transport and public service operations, with a total contract value of £10.4 million. The service aims to cater to students, tourists, and other long-distance travellers, presenting an attractive proposition for operators skilled in high-quality service delivery. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are particularly suitable candidates, given the tender's bespoke criteria allowing for potential contract renewals extending to October 2030. Engaging in this venture could facilitate business growth by embedding operators within a critical public transport supply chain, fostering innovation and future-proofing through strategic sector collaboration with government efforts for an integrated transport network.

## Notice

The Welsh Government (WG) and Transport for Wales (TfW) share a clear ambition to deliver a more accessible, efficient and sustainable transport network across Wales. Along the west coast of Wales, this includes improving public transport connectivity and encouraging a modal shift away from private car use, in line with the National Transport Delivery Plan and Regional Transport Plans. A Welsh Transport Appraisal Guidance (WelTAG) Stage 3 appraisal identified the introduction of an express coach service between Bangor and Carmarthen as the preferred intervention to support these objectives. By reducing the number of intermediate stops, improving journey times and providing a high-quality onboard passenger experience, the service is intended to attract longer-distance travellers, including students, tourists and local residents. It will also aid future strategic investment in the wider public transport network and support the delivery of integrated, multimodal travel across Wales. Transport for Wales intends to introduce the service in October 2026 through the appointment of one or more operating partners following completion of a competitive procurement process. The contract will appoint one or more suitably qualified operators to deliver the express coach service on behalf of Transport for Wales. The successful operator(s) will be responsible for the operation of the service in accordance with the contract specification, including day-to-day service delivery, and compliance with all operational, safety and performance requirements established by Transport for Wales.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: While additional purchases are not anticipated at this time, TfW may require variation to volumes and frequencies of scope in the future. If such a requirement is established, variations will be processed via the contracted change control process and subject to compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 Regulations and internal governance procedures.

Renewal: Initial term of one (1) year, with the option to extend for three (3) x further periods of up to one (1) year, at TfW's sole discretion.

### Planning Information

The purpose of this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) Notice is to test market appetite, operator capability, and understand route optimisation and feasibility. 
To register your interest in this Preliminary Market Engagement, please follow the link below (or copy and paste into your browser) and complete the Microsoft Form by 17:00 on Monday 8th June 2026: 
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JNDchxkwJkiZVrp2sqBP9GQHxZZpmRBEpZb6y9KNSQVUQzNRN0FSMDY2MUhSN05XRFdEOU1MNDRJVC4u
TfW may wish to engage further with interested operators, but this is not guaranteed, depending on timescales. 
For any queries or issues, please contact: supplychain@tfw.wales

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065439-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning, Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 13 Jul 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 3 Aug 2026 |
| Future notice date | 2 Jul 2026 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 24 Oct 2026 - 24 Oct 2027 |
| Recurrence | 2030-02-01 |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £10,400,000 |
| Lots value | £10,400,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Active |
| Lots status | Active |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | TRANSPORT FOR WALES (TFW) |
| Additional buyers | TRANSPORT FOR WALES |
| Locality | PONTYPRIDD |
| Post town | Cardiff |
| Postcode | CF37 4TH |
| Country | Wales |
| ITL 1 | TLL Wales |
| ITL 2 | TLL5 South East Wales |
| ITL 3 | TLL51 Central Valleys and Bridgend |
| Local authority | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| Electoral ward | Pontypridd Town |
| Westminster constituency | Pontypridd |
| Delivery location | TLL Wales |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation
- 50 - Repair and maintenance services
- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 34121100 - Public-service buses
- 50100000 - Repair, maintenance and associated services of vehicles and related equipment
- 60100000 - Road transport services

## Release History

- 13 Jul 2026 at 08:33 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065439-2026
- 6 Jul 2026 at 14:00 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063266-2026
- 21 May 2026 at 12:03 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/047065-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/065439-2026
  13th July 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/063266-2026
  6th July 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/047065-2026
  21st May 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Assets/NoticeBuilder_FileDownload.aspx?id=373081
  Supplier Guide to Atamis (TfW)

## Notice URLs

- http://tfw.wales/
- https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=JNDchxkwJkiZVrp2sqBP9GQHxZZpmRBEpZb6y9KNSQVUQzNRN0FSMDY2MUhSN05XRFdEOU1MNDRJVC4u
- https://tfw.my.site.com/s/Welcome
- 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-069f20. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-069f20.json.