--- title: "Contracted Enhancements to Local Bus Services" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078f70" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078f70" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078f70.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078f70.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "Bedford Borough Council" published: "2026-10-23" --- # Contracted Enhancements to Local Bus Services Buyer: Bedford Borough Council Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078f70 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078f70) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078f70.json) ## Summary Bedford Borough Council is seeking operators to provide contracted enhancements to local bus services in Bedford. The work is public road passenger transport (CPV 60112000), serving Hillgrounds Road and Saxon Centre, Putnoe, Woodlands Park and Abbey Fields. Services should bring public transport within 400 metres of residents’ homes in the named areas and improve connections to Bedford Hospital’s North and South Wings, Bedford Bus Station, Bedford and Kempston town centres, and other socially necessary destinations. Operators may incorporate the areas into existing networks and provide additional commercially viable services beyond the minimum required. The procurement is divided into options covering each area individually, combinations of areas, and an all-destinations solution. The Council invited offers through an open procedure. Bids could be submitted for any or all of the seven lots, with no limit on the number a supplier could win. The Council will compare bids within each lot, then choose the combination of lots that gives it the best commercial position and value for money, aiming to cover all areas where possible. The bid deadline was 18 November 2026 at 12:00; the stated award decision date was 10 December 2026. Contracts were planned to run from 4 January 2027 to 3 January 2028, with an option to extend once for 12 months. The overall estimated value is £800,000 excluding VAT (£960,000 including VAT). Price carries 70% of the evaluation; quality accounts for the remaining 30%, covering passenger benefits, commercial conflicts, ticketing, driver training, customer communications and four local social-value measures. This suits bus operators able to run local services in Bedford and design routes that connect residential areas with hospitals, bus stations, town centres and other socially necessary destinations. Suppliers with an existing network may be able to build the required provision into their operations, while proposals can also offer additional commercially viable services. The scope ranges from a single neighbourhood to combined areas or the whole service, allowing operators to bid at a scale that fits their operations; the Council may select a combination of bids rather than award every lot. Strong proposals will demonstrate broad passenger benefits and address potential commercial conflicts, ticketing choices, driver training and customer communications. The evaluation also rewards commitments on local employment, environmental impacts, local supply chains and community benefits. No specific accreditation or prior experience requirement is stated in the procurement details. ## Notice Bedford Borough Council wishes to tender for contracted enhancements to local bus routes, enhancing the existing town centre network. Bidders will submit proposals to enhance bus services on a contracted basis. Key locations are: o Hillgrounds Road and Saxon Centre o Putnoe Lane o Woodlands Park o Abbeyfields Proposals must aim for each resident of the above locations to be able to access public transport within 400 metres of their home address. Services must provide enhanced access to key hubs and services, eg Bedford Hospital (North and South Wings), Bedford Bus Station and Bedford and Kempston Town centre, and should be designed more generally with the aim of providing enhanced connectively to socially necessary locations. Transport provision to these locations on the day of operation and time of service is a minimum provision required. Operators are permitted the flexibility to incorporate these areas into their existing network and enhance the minimum requirement on a commercial basis where they deem it is appropriate. Further details are contained within the specification. ### Lot Information Lot 1 - Hillgrounds Road and Saxon Centre To provide transport provision to Hillgrounds Road and Saxon Centre to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document. Renewal: Option to extend by one period of 12 months Lot 2 - Woodlands Park To provide transport provision to Woodlands Park to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document. Renewal: Option to extend by one period of 12 months Lot 3 - Abbey Fields To provide transport provision to Abbey Fields to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document. Renewal: Option to extend by one period of 12 months Lot 4 - Putnoe To provide transport provision to Putnoe to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document. Renewal: Option to extend by one period of 12 months Lot 5 - Hillgrounds and Putnoe To provide transport provision to Hillgrounds and Putnoe to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document. Renewal: Option to extend by one period of 12 months Lot 6 - Abbey Fields and Woodlands Park To provide transport provision to Abbey Fields and Woodlands Park to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document. Renewal: Option to extend by one period of 12 months Lot 7 - All destinations To provide transport provision to all locations to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document. Renewal: Option to extend by one period of 12 months ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100673-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 23 Oct 2026 | | Submission deadline | 18 Nov 2026 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 4 Jan 2027 - 3 Jan 2028 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £800,000 | | Lots value | Not specified | | 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 | Bedford Borough Council | | Locality | BEDFORD | | Postcode area | Milton Keynes | | Postcode | MK42 9AP | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire | | ITL 3 | TLH24 Bedford | | Local authority | Bedford | | Electoral ward | Cauldwell | | Westminster constituency | Bedford | | Delivery location | TLH24 Bedford | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport) ### Codes - 60112000 - Public road transport services ## Release History - 23 Oct 2026 at 15:49 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100673-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100673-2026 23rd October 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://supplier.in-tend.co.uk/bedford/home The tender documents are available from the Council's tender portal linked above. Project ref BBC EN 04318 ## Notice URLs - 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-078f70. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078f70.json.