---
title: "E-Scooter Hire Service in Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078b63"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078b63"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078b63.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078b63.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "Dorset Council"
published: "2026-10-20"
---

# E-Scooter Hire Service in Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland

Buyer: Dorset Council  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078b63

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078b63.json)

## Summary

Dorset Council plans to mobilise and provide an e-scooter hire service across Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland. The service is intended to provide shared e-scooter rental in these areas. The procurement is categorised as a service and is being considered as a concession. Dorset Council’s preliminary market engagement explored the feasibility of a wider potential scheme covering Weymouth, Portland, Chickerell and Dorchester; the stated procurement scope names Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland. The council is the buyer. The service will be delivered in Dorset, in the areas named above. This is an early-stage proposal: the council has set out its intention to procure, but has not issued an invitation to tender.

The process is at the planning stage, so there is no invitation to tender. Dorset Council has completed preliminary market engagement with e-scooter rental operators to test feasibility, understand market capability, capacity and innovation, and gauge interest. The discussions indicated potential supplier interest, subject to the final scope, contractual arrangements and procurement documents; no commitments were made. The council has not determined its route to market, and the expected procedure is not set out. The planned contract period runs from 1 February 2027 to 31 May 2028, with a maximum extent date of 26 June 2031. These are planned contract dates, not bid deadlines. The procurement is described as a concession and is below the relevant threshold. It is presented as one lot.

This proposal is likely to suit e-scooter rental operators able to mobilise and run a public-facing hire service in the named Dorset towns. The council’s market engagement focused on suppliers with experience and capability operating e-scooter services in the UK, so relevant operating experience and the capacity to deliver the service are likely to be important. The council also sought to understand market innovation, suggesting that suppliers able to explain practical service models and delivery options may be well placed to inform the eventual procurement. Market discussions found potential interest, but participation was conditional on the final scope and contract arrangements. The council says relevant insights from engagement will be shared with potential bidders through future tender documents. No particular accreditations or technical standards are identified at this planning stage.

## Notice

This procurement is for the mobilisation and provision of an e-Scooter hire service across the Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland areas.

### Planning Information

Dorset Council undertook preliminary market engagement with a number of e-scooter rental scheme operators that had the required experience and capability to operate e-scooter services within the UK.
The purpose of this engagement was to:
a) Scope out the feasibility of the Council's aspirations for a potential e-scooter rental scheme covering Weymouth, Portland, Chickerell and Dorchester. The decision to proceed with this procurement was published in papers from Dorset Council's Cabinet Meeting on 28th July 2026 (https://moderngov.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/documents/s53338/Recommendation to Cabinet - e-Scooter Micromobility Rental Service.pdf).
b) Better understand market capability, capacity and innovation relevant to the deliver of such a scheme.
c) Assess the level of market interest in participating in any future procurement exercise.
The engagement consisted of discussions conducted via Microsoft Teams with a range of potential suppliers.
At the time of the engagement, Dorset Council had not determined its preferred route to market. The purpose of the discussions was to inform the Council's understanding of the market and the feasibility of the proposed scheme.
The outcome of the market engagement indicated that there was potential market interest in the opportunity, subject to the final scope, contractual arrangements and procurement documentation. No written expressions of interest were requested or obtained, and no commitments were made by involved parties.
All relevant information and insights arising from the preliminary market engagement that are relevant to a future opportunity will be made available to all potential bidders through the tender documentation.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098772-2026 |
| 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 | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Feb 2027 - 31 May 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| 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 | Dorset Council |
| Locality | DORCHESTER |
| Postcode area | Dorchester |
| Postcode | DT1 1XJ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset |
| ITL 3 | TLK64 Dorset |
| Local authority | Dorset |
| Electoral ward | Dorchester West |
| Westminster constituency | West Dorset |
| Delivery location | TLK25 Dorset |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60100000 - Road transport services

## Release History

- 20 Oct 2026 at 09:37 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098772-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/098772-2026
  20th October 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://moderngov.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/documents/s53338/Recommendation
- 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-078b63. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078b63.json.