Official UK procurement notice
Local Bus Services · UK public procurement notice
Authority: Wokingham Borough Council (Local council)
What is being bought8 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionThe Council is tendering a contract for Local Bus Services, for 21 bus services and bus links to improve access for local communities across the borough. These services are intended to connect residents to key local services where the existing local bus network does not fully meet local transport needs.
The services are organised into Lots based on either:
- the area in which the services operate; or
- the type of service being provided.
The tendered services represent approximately half of the registered local bus services in the borough. Many are a retender of existing supported services. However, some Lots include service enhancements, new services or amendments to existing services.
The tender includes a range of service types, including:
- local link town services connecting residential areas with local amenities;
- enhancements to otherwise commercial services;
- a small number of local shopper services serving more rural areas; and
- selected school services.
CPV: Public road transport services · Public-service buses
Lots and requirements (8)Procurement structure
8 lots · all with a published value · same evaluation weights on every lotLot #1Woodley / Earley: Existing Service 19a,19cRenewalPublished value£0
Lot A - Woodley / Earley: Existing Service 19a,19c
Lot #2Wokingham Town Services: Existing Services 121, 122, 123, 124, 125/A/BPublished value£0
Lot B - Wokingham Town Services: Existing Services 121, 122, 123, 124, 125/A/B
Lot #3A33 Corridor: Existing Service 600Published value£0
Lot C - A33 Corridor: Existing Service 600
Lot #4A4 Corridor: Existing Service 127/128/129Published value£0
Lot D - A4 Corridor: Existing Service 127/128/129
Lot #5Winnersh Triangle Park & Ride: Existing Service 500Published value£0
Lot E - Winnersh Triangle Park and Ride: Existing Service 500
Lot #6Other ServicesPublished value£0
LOT F, Service1: Lower Earley to Reading: Existing Service 19b
LOT F, Service2: Lower Earley to Wokingham: New Service
LOT F, Service3: Woodley to Wokingham: New Service
LOT F, Service 4: Wokingham to Twyford: Existing Services, 128/129
LOT F, Service 5: Shinfield, Arborfield and; Wokingham: Existing Route 3
Lot #7Shopper ServicesPublished value£0
LOT G, Service 1: Three Mile Cross to Wokingham & Winnersh: Existing Service 145
LOT G, Service 2: Upper Wargrave to Reading Town Centre: Existing Service 153
LOT G, Service3: Stratfield Saye, Beech Hill, Reading Town Centre: Existing Service 154
Lot #8School ServicesPublished value£0
LOT H, Service1: (Whiteley Wood to) Lower Earley to The Forest, Emmbrook and Holt Schools: Existing Service: 202
LOT H, Service 2: Three Mile Cross, Lower Earley & Woodley to Bulmersh School: Existing Service: 983
LOT H, Service 3: Reading to Shinfield and Wokingham via Finchampstead Existing Service: 244
What it takes to wini
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 morei
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).
Published sub-criteria (2)
- Quality and Social Value: 30%
- Price: 70%
Published award criteria (2)
- Price: Price Weighting
- Quality and Social Value: Quality and Social Value Weighting
- 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
- Closed
- 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
- 29 Apr 2025, 13:55 BST
- Last source update
- 29 Jul 2026, 09:14 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 2 Nov 2026
- Authority reference
DN822228- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-071509- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05092eFind a Tender
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 28 Sept 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission deadline
- 28 Sept 2026, 17:00 BST
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
29 Apr 2025 → 5 Apr 2027 · 7 dates- Planning notice published29 Apr 2025, 13:55 BST
- Market engagement158 days ago19 May 2026, 23:59 BST
Wokingham Borough Council is looking to engage with the market to discuss a future opportunity relating to contracted transport services across the borough. The Council manages 21 registered local bus routes, which include local link services to Wokingham Town, services from Shinfield, Woodley and Earley to Reading Town, enhancements to services on key bus corridors, as well as three school time only services and a small number of once-a-week shopper services. The current bus contracts are in place until Spring 2027. The tenders will primarily be for registered local bus service; however, alternative options may also be considered for the school time only and once a week shopper service.
The event is intended to have the format of an information session to present the Councils future plans for these services. The event will take place on Wednesday 20th May 10 – 11am virtually via MS Teams and will cover the following topics:
- Scope of services to be procured
- Overview of the Lots that will be included within the tender
- What documents will require to be completed and submitted to bid for the tender
- Overview of the evaluation approach
- Timelines
- How to submit a tender using WBC’s e-procurement solution
- Questions
If you are interested in discussing the above with us, please express interest via the messaging function of ProContract and provide the following details:
- Company name
- Point of contact
- Names and email addresses for all attendees
- Questions - We request that you submit any questions that you have ahead of the engagement so that these can be covered within the presentation.
- Tender notice published88 days ago29 Jul 2026, 09:14 BST
- Next notice expected84 days ago1 Aug 2026, 23:59 BST
- Submission deadline26 days ago28 Sept 2026, 17:00 BST
- Today25 Oct 2026
- Award decision expected byin 9 days2 Nov 2026, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 162 days5 Apr 2027, 00:00 BST
Notice history
6 events · 3 releases on Find a Tender · since 29 Apr 2025- Pipeline notice published29 Apr 2025, 13:55 BSTUK1
- Preliminary market engagement notice published15 Apr 2026, 16:09 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published29 Jul 2026, 09:14 BSTUK4
- Published value updated29 Jul 2026, 09:14 BST
- Status changed to active29 Jul 2026, 09:14 BST
- Procurement method changed29 Jul 2026, 09:14 BST
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Pipeline notice Pipeline notice on Find a Tender