---
title: "Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) VEAT notice"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000792898"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000792898"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000792898.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000792898.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "TRANSPORT SCOTLAND"
published: "2025-05-09"
---

# Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) VEAT notice

Buyer: TRANSPORT SCOTLAND  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000792898

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## Summary

Transport Scotland, on behalf of Scottish Ministers, has completed the procurement stage for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3). The tender, a limited procurement without prior competition call, led to the award of a 10-year contract valued at £3.9 billion to CalMac Ferries Limited. This contract covers services on the west coast of Scotland, encompassing 30 ferry routes that link the mainland with the Hebrides and Clyde Estuary. This award follows extensive review and adjustment of governance structures, permitting the contract to be awarded under Regulation 13 exemptions, thus balancing public control and efficient service delivery. The contract was signed on 6 May 2025, with an anticipated commencement of services on 1 October 2025.

This procurement presents substantial business growth opportunities, particularly for companies in the transportation and service provision sectors. Large-scale enterprises with expertise in maritime operations, logistics management, and passenger services would find this contract well-suited to their capabilities. The scope involves managing ferry operations, staffing terminals, handling reservations, and providing real-time travel information, which highlights the need for comprehensive service coordination and customer engagement. Businesses aiming to collaborate or subcontract under this framework can leverage the established infrastructure and demand for integrated transport solutions to solidify their market presence and expand their service offerings.

## Notice

This VEAT notice sets out the intention of Transport Scotland (TS) on behalf of Scottish Ministers to award to CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) a 10-year public contract for the delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS3 Contract).

### Lot Information

Lot 1

This VEAT notice sets out the intention of the Transport Scotland (TS) on behalf of Scottish Ministers to award to CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) a 10-year public contract for the delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS3 Contract). TS has undertaken an extensive review of the provision of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS). As part of that review, the current governance arrangements for CHFS are being amended. The CHFS3 Contract is going to be awarded to CFL on the basis of those amended arrangements." The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (as amended) (Regulations) do not apply to the procurement because TS is awarding the CHFS3 Contract pursuant to the exemption for "in-house" contractual arrangements provided for in Regulation 13(1)(a) of the Regulations. The scope of the CHFS3 Contract includes the provision of ferry and associated services on the CHFS network. The CHFS network covers the west coast of Scotland, from Campbeltown in the south to Stornoway in the north. The CHFS network is currently comprised of 30 ferry routes between harbours on the Scottish mainland and on islands in the Hebrides and Clyde Estuary. The services to be provided include but are not limited to the provision of: scheduled and unscheduled ferry services; staffing of terminals and harbour facilities; facilities for accepting reservations, issuing tickets, and other relevant documentation; marketing the operation of a common timetable, ticketing, and fares database for all routes; a website and smartphone app, seasonal timetables, a help-desk facility, and an early warning notice board for disruptions and changes due to bad weather; real-time information to passengers; the operation of variable message boards; the participation in public transport information and/or journey planning websites specified by TS; cooperation with relevant organisations and operators of other services to facilitate integrated services; the operation of a passenger recording system; the management and operation and maintenance of the vessels; additional sailings in certain circumstances; and lifeline support to the emergency services as required.

### Procurement Information

The Regulations do not apply to the procurement because TS is awarding the CHFS3 Contract to CFL on the basis of the exemption available in Regulation 13(1)(a) (award of a public contract by a contracting authority to a controlled person). TS is satisfied that, following the amendment of the current governance arrangements for CHFS, CFL will meet the definition of a "controlled person" provided for in Regulation 13(2) of the Regulations because: (a) TS will exercise over CFL control similar to that which they exercise over their own departments; (b) CFL will have carried out more than 80% of its activities in the relevant period in the performance of tasks entrusted to it by TS or by other persons controlled by TS; and (c) no other person will have direct private capital participation in CFL. As this award will satisfy all of the requirements of Regulation 13 meaning the Regulations do not apply, prior publication of a call for competition is therefore not needed.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAY529943 |
| Notice type | OJEU - F15 - Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 9 May 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 6 May 2025 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £3,900,000,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | TRANSPORT SCOTLAND |
| Locality | GLASGOW |
| Post town | Glasgow |
| Postcode | G2 7ER |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM3 West Central Scotland |
| ITL 3 | TLM32 Glasgow City |
| Local authority | Glasgow City |
| Electoral ward | Anderston/City/Yorkhill |
| Westminster constituency | Glasgow North |
| Delivery location | TLM Scotland |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CALMAC FERRIES |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60610000 - Ferry transport services

## Release History

- 9 May 2025 at 00:00 - Award - OJEU - F15 - Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAY529943

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=MAY529943
  Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services 3 (CHFS3) VEAT notice - This VEAT notice sets out the intention of Transport Scotland (TS) on behalf of Scottish Ministers to award to CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) a 10-year public contract for the delivery of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS3 Contract).

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=792898
- http://www.transport.gov.scot
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000792898
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=792898

## 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-r6ebe6-0000792898. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000792898.json.