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Published 23 May 2025, 18:29 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Bus Services (Cumberland) · UK public procurement notice

Official notice

Authority: Cumberland Council (Local council)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableVCSE suitable
Sectors: Transport & Passenger Services (60) Delivery: North West (UKD1)
Published estimate£3,565,574≈ £3.6m / year · £4,278,688 inc. VAT · 1 value update
Submissions closed 9 Sept 2025awarded 14 Oct 2025
Award (standstill) to Reays Coaches Ltd, STAGECOACH (NORTH WEST) LIMITED
Contract term 1 yrends 2 Nov 2026 · starts 3 Nov 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Bus services are integral in Cumberland and establishing innovative approaches to the delivery of bus services and infrastructure, particularly within rural areas, can improve the lives of local people.

With this in mind, Cumberland Council advertised a procurement opportunity that sought suitably qualified transport operators to deliver high quality subsidised bus services across a number of bus routes.

This procurement has concluded and contracts are to be awarded to two suppliers for a total of 10 routes. These contracts will be awarded to start on 3rd November 2025 for a term of up to one (1) year, with no extensions available. The total value is £2,585,499.

Bids were evaluated and moderated according to the criteria as set out in the Invitation to Tender.

From the date of this notice and in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023, the council will be observing a standstill period of 8 working days before entering into any contract.

CPV: Public road transport services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published
Lot #1Awarded 1 yrSMEVCSEPublished value£3,565,574
Contract period: 3 Nov 2025 – 2 Nov 2026 (1 yr)Value: £3,565,574 exc. VAT · £4,278,688 inc. VAT
Delivery: North WestEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible
60112000 Public road transport services

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored
Quality: 20%Price: 70%Social value: 10%
Published award criteria (3)
  • Price
  • Quality
  • Social value
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 70 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 7 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
23 May 2025, 18:29 BST
Last source update
14 Oct 2025, 17:12 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 24 Sept 2025
FTS notice number
2025/S 000-046323
Latest notice
Contract award notice (UK6)
Classification (CPV)
Public road transport services
Delivery area
North West (UKD1)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05251e Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Submission deadline
9 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
Clarification deadline
29 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Bids must be uploaded to www.the-chest.org.uk ↗

Timeline

23 May 2025 → 3 Nov 2025 · 11 dates
  1. Planning notice published
    23 May 2025, 18:29 BST
  2. Market engagement
    30 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST

    You have been invited to a session on Wednesday 30 July at 5.30 with Cumberland's procurement team to discuss any procurement queries you may have.

    Please note we will not be discussing the routes which we will be going out for procurement just the process to support you to submit a tender.

    We are looking forward to seeing you at the session. Please advise [email protected] of your attendance

    Thank you and best wishes

  3. Next notice expected
    4 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
  4. Tender notice published
    5 Aug 2025, 18:24 BST
  5. Clarification questions by
    29 Aug 2025, 23:59 BST
  6. Submission deadline
    9 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
  7. Award decision expected by395 days ago
    24 Sept 2025, 23:59 BST
  8. Assessment summaries sent376 days ago
    14 Oct 2025, 00:00 BST
  9. Latest notice published376 days ago
    14 Oct 2025, 17:12 BST
  10. Standstill ends366 days ago
    23 Oct 2025, 23:59 BST
  11. Contract starts356 days ago
    3 Nov 2025

Notice history

11 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 23 May 2025
  1. Pipeline notice published
    23 May 2025, 18:29 BST
    UK1
  2. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    23 Jul 2025, 17:43 BST
    UK2
  3. Tender notice published
    5 Aug 2025, 18:24 BST
    UK4
  4. Published value updated to £3,565,574
    5 Aug 2025, 18:24 BST
    was £3,600,000
  5. Status changed to active
    5 Aug 2025, 18:24 BST
  6. Deadline published: 5 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
    5 Aug 2025, 18:24 BST
  7. Tender notice published
    1 Sept 2025, 12:38 BST
    UK4
  8. Deadline moved to 9 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
    1 Sept 2025, 12:38 BST
    +4 days · was 5 Sept 2025, 10:00 BST
  9. Contract award notice published
    14 Oct 2025, 17:12 BST
    UK6
  10. Status changed to complete
    14 Oct 2025, 17:12 BST
  11. Contract signature expected
    27 Oct 2025, 23:59 GMT
    scheduled
Published amendments (1)

The deadline for the receipt of tender has been extended to 9th September 2025 at 10am.

Routine re-releases (5)
  • 2025-07: 1 release · 23 Jul 2025
  • 2025-05: 1 release · 23 May 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Awards 1
Awarded value £2,585,4991 award exc. VAT
Bids received 31 from SMEs
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Reays Coaches LtdSME, STAGECOACH (NORTH WEST) LIMITEDjoint award3 Nov 2025 – 2 Nov 2026£2,585,49914 Oct 2025standstill to 23 Oct 2025Standstill

Bid statistics published by the authority

BidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
3final-stage tenders10—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Cumberland Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PJGX-9191-DYLV Cumbria House, 107-117 Botchergate, Carlisle, North West, CA1 1RDContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

2 commercial parties on the notice
  • REAYS COACHES LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-COH: 03910309GB-PPON: PWQG-3146-WJXR Strawberry Fields, Wigton, North West, CA7 9NEContact email
  • STAGECOACH (NORTH WEST) LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-COH: 00123665GB-PPON: PZJT-7876-CQMQ One Stockport Exchange, Stockport, North West, SK1 3SWContact email

Official documents & specifications (6)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Bidding documents and specificationstenderBidding documents and specifications

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender
  • Preliminary market engagement notice planningPreliminary market engagement noticeUK2Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
  • Pipeline notice planningPipeline noticeUK1Pipeline notice on Find a Tender