SS15 96 DPS - Supported Local Bus (including Kent Karrier) and Home to School Transport Services

Buyer
Kent County Council
Value
£100,000,000
Closes
22 February 2029
Where
Maidstone, the South East
Type
Dynamic purchasing system (open to join)

In plain English

Kent County Council is extending their existing bus transport service contract to cover subsidized local bus routes (including Kent Karrier) and home-to-school transport for eligible pupils. They're looking for operators with proper bus licenses to run these services where commercial viability doesn't exist but social need does.

What the buyer wants

• Operate supported local bus services using PSV (Public Service Vehicle) or Community Bus Permits (Section 19 or 22) to provide socially necessary routes in rural and underserved areas • Provide home-to-school transport using minibuses, coaches or buses for pupils determined eligible by the council • Run services either as public bus services or privately hired vehicles depending on route requirements

Likely requirements

Our reading of the notice. Always check the tender documents.

You must hold a valid PSV Operating License or Community Bus Permit, without this legal requirement, you cannot operate this service; additionally, this is an extension of an existing 2016 DPS with established operators, making it very difficult for new entrants to break in.

How to bid

This is a Dynamic Purchasing System: an open list of approved suppliers. You can apply to join at any time while it runs, and once accepted you can bid for the individual contracts the buyer runs through it.

How dynamic purchasing systems work

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