Find a TenderAwarded

Published 22 Jun 2026, 11:28 BST

Official UK procurement notice

Provision of School Transport Services, Ulva & Mull (1148L)

Official notice

Authority: Argyll and Bute Council (Local council)

ServicesOpen procedureSME suitable

Sectors: Transport & Passenger Services (60) Delivery: Scotland (UKM63)

Awarded value£133,621published contract · exc. VAT

Submissions closed 23 Jul 2026awarded 14 Aug 2026

Awarded to The Ulva Ferry

Contract term 4 yrs 11 moends 4 Jul 2031 · extension options published · starts 17 Aug 2026

What is being bought

Published requirement description

Argyll and Bute Council are looking to Contract with a vessel transport operator who will provide safe and secure school transport between Ulva & Mull.

Recurrence: 4 years, 4 months, 20 days or 6 years, 4 month

CPV: Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

The lotProcurement structure

single lot · no lot value published

Lot #1Argyll and Bute Council are looking to contract with a vessel transport operator who…AwardedRenewal 4 yrs 11 mo

Argyll and Bute Council are looking to contract with a vessel transport operator who will provide safe and secure school transport between Ulva & Mull.

Contract period: 17 Aug 2026 – 4 Jul 2031 (4 yrs 11 mo)

Delivery: Scotland

Extensions: The Contract may be extended for up to 2 years at the option of Argyll and Bute Council, subject to satisfactory performance of the Contract and following discussions with the successful Tenderer.Variant bids: allowed

60000000 Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

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: 25%Price: 75%

Published award criteria (2)

Quality: 25%
Price: 75%

Conditions of participation2

Suitability
As described in the Invitation to Tender
Technical & professional ability
Navigation and piloting of ferries on designated routes.
Compliance with all maritime safety and operational regulations.

What this means for your bid

Price carries 75 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 7.5 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 · publisher note attached

Procedure method: Open procedure
Legal basis: CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
Procurement category: Services
Notice status: Awarded
Procurement threshold: Unspecified in notice
Regulatory regime: Standard
Commercial structure: Stand-alone contract (no framework)
Competition type: Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered: Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement: Yes · 4 years, 4 months, 20 days or 6 years, 4 month
First published: 22 Jun 2026, 11:28 BST
Last source update: 27 Aug 2026, 16:48 BST
Award evaluation window: 23 Jul 2026 – …
Authority reference: (1148L)
FTS notice number: 2026/S 000-081951
Classification (CPV): Transport services (excl. Waste transport)
Delivery area: Scotland (UKM63)
Official registry OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06b9e4 Find a Tender

Contract terms

Electronic trading: e-invoicing allowed · electronic ordering · electronic payment
Performance terms: As described in the Invitation to Tender

Publisher note: As described in the Invitation to Tender (SC Ref:841399)

How it was run

Official notice

Run through: Public Contracts Scotland · Who buys & how to bid on PCS

Supplier login requiredLanguage: EN

Access & registration note: Free single registration for Scotland; PCS-Tender (Jaggaer) for full bidding

Tender documents are also served through a separate tool: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk ↗

Submission deadline: 23 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
Submission channel: {"electronicSubmission"}
Accepted languages: en
Bids opened: 23 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST

Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk ↗

Timeline

23 Jul 2026 → 9 Oct 2026 · 5 dates

Submission deadline94 days ago
23 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
Bids opened94 days ago
23 Jul 2026, 12:00 BST
Contract starts69 days ago
17 Aug 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice published58 days ago
27 Aug 2026, 16:48 BST
Bids must remain valid until15 days ago
9 Oct 2026, 23:59 BST

Notice history

1 event · 2 releases on Find a Tender

Status changed to complete
27 Aug 2026, 16:48 BST

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast

Awards 1

Awarded value £133,6211 contract exc. VAT

Bids received 11 from SMEs

Contracts signed 1latest 14 Aug 2026

Awarded to	Value	Date	Status
The Ulva FerrySME	£133,621 †	—	Awarded

Contracts

Contract 081951-2026-JUN558424-1 · The Ulva FerrySME
Signed
14 Aug 2026
Value
£133,621
Period
… – 4 Jul 2031
Status
active

Bid statistics published by the authority

Bids	SME	VCSE	Valid bid range
1bids · 1 electronic · 1 from abroad	1	—	—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Argyll and Bute Council

Contracting authorityLocal CouncilRegional or local authorityGeneral public services Kilmory, Lochgilphead, Scotland, PA31 8RTContact name, email, phone Published organisation website ↗

Dispute resolution & review bodies

Oban Sheriff CourtReview body ObanContact email, phone

Bidders & participating suppliers

1 commercial party on the notice

The Ulva FerryAwarded supplier Ulva Ferry, Isle of Mull, UK, PA736LZContact phone

Official documents & specifications (2)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

Economic and financial selection criteriatenderEconomic and financial selection criteria
Technical selection criteriatenderTechnical selection criteria