---
title: "Supply & Maintenance of College Minibuses"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0776d4"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0776d4"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0776d4.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0776d4.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "East Durham College"
published: "2026-09-21"
---

# Supply & Maintenance of College Minibuses

Buyer: East Durham College  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0776d4

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## Summary

East Durham College is procuring five new wheelchair-accessible minibuses through a fully maintained operating lease. The requirement covers supplying the vehicles, delivering them to the college in Peterlee, and providing the associated support throughout the lease. The supplier must include ongoing servicing and maintenance, breakdown and recovery services, MOT testing, statutory inspections and fleet management support. The arrangement is intended to be fully inclusive except for any exclusions expressly identified in the tender response. This is a goods requirement for minibuses and related fleet support, suited to vehicle leasing providers that can supply accessible passenger vehicles and manage their maintenance and operational support for a further education college.

The process has reached tender: East Durham College invited offers through an open procedure. Enquiries had to be submitted by 16 October 2026 at 12:00, and tenders by 17 October 2026 at 12:00. The proposed contract runs from 16 November 2026 to 16 November 2031. Its estimated value is £250,000 excluding VAT and £300,000 including VAT. The college expected to complete the award decision by 16 November 2026 at 23:59. One package covers the full requirement. The most advantageous tender will be selected using quality and price: whole-life cost carries 50%, while vehicle specification and suitability, delivery capacity and relevant experience, delivery programme and implementation, maintenance and support, and social value each carry 10%.

This opportunity suits vehicle leasing providers with experience supplying new wheelchair-accessible minibuses and delivering fully maintained fleet arrangements. Strong bidders will be able to demonstrate that their vehicles meet the required specification and are suitable for the college’s transport needs, alongside reliable delivery and implementation planning. The service model requires capacity for scheduled servicing, maintenance, breakdown response, recovery, MOT testing and statutory inspections, supported by effective fleet management. Relevant contract delivery experience is part of the assessment, so established operational processes and evidence of comparable work will be useful. The evaluation also rewards the quality of the maintenance and support package, practical delivery arrangements and social value. Small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community or social enterprises are identified as suitable participants.

## Notice

East Durham College invites tenders from suitably qualified and experienced vehicle leasing providers for the supply of five new wheelchair accessible minibuses under a fully maintained operating lease arrangement. Tenderers are invited to submit proposals for a 5-year lease inclusive of a fully maintained package. The college intends to award the contract to the supplier submitting the Most Advantageous Tender, considering both quality and price. Contract Scope The successful supplier shall provide: * Five (5) new minibuses. * Delivery to the College. * Fully maintained lease agreement. * Ongoing servicing and maintenance support. * Breakdown and recovery services. * MOT testing and statutory inspections. * Fleet management support throughout the contract term. The contract shall be fully inclusive except where exclusions are expressly identified within the tender response.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089335-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 21 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 17 Oct 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 16 Nov 2026 - 16 Nov 2031 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £250,000 |
| Lots value | £250,000 |
| 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 | East Durham College |
| Locality | PETERLEE |
| Postcode area | Sunderland |
| Postcode | SR8 2RN |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear |
| ITL 3 | TLC41 Durham |
| Local authority | County Durham |
| Electoral ward | Peterlee |
| Westminster constituency | Easington |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

### Codes

- 34114400 - Minibuses

## Release History

- 21 Sep 2026 at 16:42 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089335-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089335-2026
  21st September 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://suppliers.multiquote.com
- 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-0776d4. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0776d4.json.