Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice

Published 12 Mar 2025, 16:06 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

North and South Bus Service

Authority: Southend-on-Sea City Council (Local council)

ServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdConcessionSME suitableVCSE suitable

Sectors: Transport Equipment & Vehicles (34)Transport & Passenger Services (60)Supporting and auxiliary transport services; travel agencies services (63) Delivery: East of England (UKH31)

Concession value (operator's revenue)£900,000operator revenue, not the authority's budget · 1 value update

Submissions closed 9 Jun 2025awarded 11 Nov 2025

Awarded to MARSTON (HOLDINGS) LIMITED, Stephensons of Essex Limited2 awards

Contract term 2 yrs 2 moends 30 Aug 2027 · up to 1 Sept 2028 with extensions · starts 3 Jul 2025

What is being bought

Published requirement description

The majority of route is within the administrative boundary of Southend-on-Sea City Council with a short section within the administrative boundary of Essex County Council and within London Southend Airport.

CPV: Public-service buses · Road transport services

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · value published

Lot #1AwardedRenewal 2 yrs 2 moSMEVCSEPublished value£900,000

Contract period: 3 Jul 2025 – 30 Aug 2027 (2 yrs 2 mo) · up to 1 Sept 2028 with extensionsValue: £900,000 exc. VAT · £1,080,000 inc. VAT

Delivery: East of EnglandEligibility: SME eligibleVCSE eligible

Extensions: Option to extend for a further 12 months

34121100 Public-service buses 60100000 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: 30%Price: 70%

Published sub-criteria (2)

Quality: 30%
Cost: 70%

Published award criteria (2)

Quality
Cost

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: Concession
Commercial structure: Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type: Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered: Unspecified in notice
Recurring procurement: Unspecified in notice
First published: 12 Mar 2025, 16:06 GMT
Last source update: 13 Nov 2025, 16:37 GMT
Award evaluation window: Submission end – 20 Jun 2025
Authority reference: DN773041
FTS notice number: 2025/S 000-018212
Latest notice: Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV): Public-service busesRoad transport services
Delivery area: East of England (UKH31)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-04ec58 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice

Run through: ProContract (Due North) · Who buys & how to bid on ProContract

Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN

Access & registration note: Free · short registration with manual review; public opportunity list

Submission deadline: 9 Jun 2025, 15:00 BST
Submission channel: Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission: Allowed
Accepted languages: en

Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at:

procontract.due-north.com ↗

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via procontract.due-north.com ↗

Timeline

12 Mar 2025 → 21 Nov 2025 · 10 dates

Planning notice published
12 Mar 2025, 16:06 GMT
Market engagement
1 Apr 2025, 23:59 BST
Southend-on-Sea City Council will be holding an online Teams market engagement event for this service before the last working day in March
Next notice expected
2 Apr 2025, 23:59 BST
Tender notice published
30 Apr 2025, 19:05 BST
Submission deadline
9 Jun 2025, 15:00 BST
Award decision expected by
20 Jun 2025, 23:59 BST
Contract starts
3 Jul 2025, 00:00 BST
Assessment summaries sent339 days ago
11 Nov 2025
Latest notice published337 days ago
13 Nov 2025, 16:37 GMT
Standstill ends328 days ago
21 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT

Notice history

14 events · 6 releases on Find a Tender · since 12 Mar 2025

Preliminary market engagement notice published
12 Mar 2025, 16:06 GMT
UK2
Tender notice published
30 Apr 2025, 19:05 BST
UK4
Published value published: £900,000
30 Apr 2025, 19:05 BST
Status changed to active
30 Apr 2025, 19:05 BST
Procurement method changed
30 Apr 2025, 19:05 BST
Deadline published: 30 May 2025, 15:00 BST
30 Apr 2025, 19:05 BST
Tender notice published
15 May 2025, 17:35 BST
UK4
Deadline moved to 9 Jun 2025, 15:00 BST
15 May 2025, 17:35 BST
+10 days · was 30 May 2025, 15:00 BST
Contract award notice published
23 Jun 2025, 12:39 BST
UK6
Status changed to complete
23 Jun 2025, 12:39 BST
Contract signature expected
3 Jul 2025, 23:59 BST
scheduled
Contract award notice published
12 Nov 2025, 19:54 GMT
UK6
Contract details notice published
13 Nov 2025, 16:37 GMT
UK7
Contract signature expected
7 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
scheduled

Routine re-releases (6)

2025-05: 1 release · 15 May 2025
2025-04: 1 release · 30 Apr 2025
2025-03: 1 release · 12 Mar 2025

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 2some still in standstill

Awarded value £2,049,2262 awards exc. VAT

Bids received 44 from SMEs

Contracts signed 1latest 1 Aug 2025

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
MARSTON (HOLDINGS) LIMITEDSME5 Jan 2026 – 4 Jan 2029 · up to 4 Jan 2030Extensions: 12 months	£280,000	11 Nov 2025standstill to 21 Nov 2025	Standstill
Stephensons of Essex LimitedSMENorth / South Bus Service3 Jul 2025 – 30 Aug 2027 · up to 1 Sept 2028Extensions: One (1) Option for twelve (12) Months.	£1,769,226	23 Jun 2025	Awarded

Contracts

North / South Bus Service · Stephensons of Essex LimitedSME
Signed
1 Aug 2025
Value
£1,769,226
Period
4 Aug 2025 – 30 Aug 2027 · up to 1 Sept 2028 with extensions
Status
active
Extensions
12 Months extension

Bid statistics published by the authority

Bids	SME	VCSE	Valid bid range
4final-stage tenders · 6 at stage one	4	0	—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Southend-on-Sea City Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PJDT-6566-GZNX Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend On Sea, Essex, Southend On Sea, East of England, ss2 6faContact email

Bidders & participating suppliers

2 commercial parties on the notice

MARSTON (HOLDINGS) LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-COH: 04305487GB-PPON: PHZR-5319-ZRXR Rutland House 8th Floor, Birmingham, West Midlands, B3 2JRContact email
STEPHENSONS OF ESSEX LIMITEDAwarded supplierGB-COH: 01815977GB-PPON: PPDN-2856-TWMX Monometer House, Leigh On Sea, East of England, SS9 2HNContact email

Official documents & specifications (6)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Notices published for this procedure

Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender13 Nov 2025, 16:37 GMT
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender12 Nov 2025, 19:54 GMT
Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender23 Jun 2025, 12:39 BST
Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender15 May 2025, 17:35 BST
Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender30 Apr 2025, 19:05 BST
Preliminary market engagement notice planningPreliminary market engagement noticeUK2Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender12 Mar 2025, 16:06 GMT