Contracted Enhancements to Local Bus Services

What the buyer is asking for

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.

How this is scored

Published by the buyer. A winning response is written to these weightings, not to the question.

• 7%qualityWidest Passenger Benefits
• 7%qualityCommercial Conflicts
• 2%qualityTicketing Options
• 2%qualityDriver Training
• 2%qualityCustomer Communications
• 2.5%qualitySocial Value - Local Employment
• 2.5%qualitySocial Value - Environmental Impacts
• 2.5%qualitySocial Value - Local Supply Chain
• 2.5%qualitySocial Value - Local Community
• 70%pricePrice

7 lots

You can usually bid for one lot without bidding for all of them.

• 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.

• Lot 2 – Woodlands Park

  To provide transport provision to Woodlands Park to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document.

• Lot 3 – Abbey Fields

  To provide transport provision to Abbey Fields to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document.

• Lot 4 – Putnoe

  To provide transport provision to Putnoe to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document.

• Lot 5 – Hillgrounds and Putnoe

  To provide transport provision to Hillgrounds and Putnoe to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document.

• 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.

• Lot 7 – All destinations

  To provide transport provision to all locations to the minimum service level stipulated in the Specification document.

How contested is this?

Buyers publish how many bids they received. Across 42 comparable procurements we can tell you the typical field size, how often one of these goes uncontested, and whether the buyer awards on price or on quality.

Timeline

3 published dates · Europe/London

1. Tender notice published14 days ago

   23 Oct 2026, 15:49 BST
2. Submission deadlinein 12 days

   18 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
3. Award decision expected byin 34 days

   10 Dec 2026, 23:59 GMT

Commercial outcome and contract awards

Nothing awarded yet

Notice history

1 event · 1 release on Find a Tender

1. Tender notice23 Oct 2026, 15:49 BST100673-2026

Documents

• The tender documents are available from the Council's tender portal linked above. Project ref BBC EN 04318
• Tender notice on Find a Tender