Find a TenderAwarded without competitionContract award notice
Published 2 Apr 2026, 15:18 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Bus Grant Fares & Ticketing - Fare Offer Initiatives 2026 - First Bus

Official notice

Authority: West of England Combined Authority (Local council)

Direct award
Awarded value£472,138published award · exc. VAT
Award in standstill 25 Mar 2026no call for competition
Award (standstill) to First West of England Ltd

What is being bought

Published requirement description

This contract will cover the Kids Go Free (Easter Holidays), Care Leavers and Youth Guarantee Fare Offer schemes with this supplier

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Direct award
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Notice status
Awarded without competition
Procurement threshold
Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Direct award (no call for competition)
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
2 Apr 2026, 15:18 BST
Last source update
2 Apr 2026, 15:26 BST
Authority reference
C0668
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-031042
Latest notice
Contract award notice (UK6)
Delivery area
South West (UKK)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-067c13 Find a Tender
Why no open competition
Single Suppliers Intellectual Property Exclusive Rights
Published justification

Single supplier - intellectual property or exclusive rights

The Procurement Act 2023 (the Act) permits direct awards to be made in certain circumstances. The relevant justification is contained in Paragraph 5 of Schedule 5 of the Act which states:

"The following conditions are met in relation to the public contract-

(a) due to a particular supplier having intellectual property rights or other exclusive rights, only that supplier can supply the goods, services or works required, and

(b) there are no reasonable alternatives to those goods, services or works.

Each of the bus operators has been awarded competitively tendered bus routes which they have exclusive rights to operate so that both limbs (a) and (b) are satisfied.

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
—

Timeline

2 Apr 2026 → 15 Apr 2026 · 2 dates
  1. Notice published205 days ago
    2 Apr 2026, 15:26 BST
  2. Standstill ends192 days ago
    15 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST

Notice history

3 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 2 Apr 2026
  1. Transparency notice published
    2 Apr 2026, 15:18 BST
    UK5
  2. Contract award notice published
    2 Apr 2026, 15:26 BST
    UK6
  3. Contract signature expected
    17 Apr 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £472,1381 award exc. VAT
Awarded toValueDateStatus
First West of England Ltd17 Apr 2026 – 30 Sept 2026£472,13825 Mar 2026standstill to 15 Apr 2026Standstill

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

The West of England Combined Authority

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PGWR-9284-XMRY 70 Redcliff Street, Bristol, South West, BS1 6ALContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice
  • FIRST WEST OF ENGLAND LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-COH: 00025088GB-PPON: PGWR-9284-XMRY Enterprise House, Bristol, South West, BS5 0DZContact email

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Transparency notice awardTransparency noticeUK5Transparency notice on Find a Tender