Contracted Enhancements to Local Bus Services
- Buyer
- Bedford Borough Council
- Value
- £800,000
- Closes
- 18 November 2026
- Where
- Bedford, the East of England
- Type
- Open tender
In plain English
Bedford Borough Council wants bus companies to run extra local bus services to four areas of Bedford: Hillgrounds Road and Saxon Centre, Putnoe Lane, Woodlands Park and Abbeyfields. The aim is for every resident in these areas to be within 400 metres of a bus stop, with links to Bedford Hospital, the bus station and Bedford and Kempston town centres. The contract is split into seven lots, so a bidder can apply for one area or a combination.
What the buyer wants
• Run contracted bus services on the routes, days and times set out in the specification, as a minimum level of service. • Design routes that bring each resident in the listed areas within 400 metres of public transport, and link them to the hospital, bus station and town centres. • Optionally add extra journeys on a commercial basis where the operator considers it worthwhile, and bid for one lot or several.
Lots
- Lot 1 – Hillgrounds Road and Saxon Centre
- Lot 2 – Woodlands Park
- Lot 3 – Abbey Fields
- Lot 4 – Putnoe
- Lot 5 – Hillgrounds and Putnoe
- Lot 6 – Abbey Fields and Woodlands Park
- Lot 7 – All destinations
Likely requirements
Our reading of the notice. Always check the tender documents.
Without a Public Service Vehicle operator licence, a suitable fleet of accessible buses and qualified drivers, a business cannot run these services, so most businesses without an existing bus operation would be excluded.
How to bid
This is an open tender: any eligible business can respond directly to the buyer by the deadline, with no framework membership needed.
How to write a tender response
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