Rural Bus Franchising Studies

Contracts

• Contract 1 · Haskoning UK LtdSME

  Signed

  8 May 2026

  Value

  £450,000 inc. VAT

  Period

  8 May 2026 – 31 Mar 2027 · up to 30 Mar 2028 with extensions

  Status

  active

  Extensions

  The Authority may extend this agreement for a period of up to twelve months by not less than 30 calendar days notice in writing to the supplier prior to the expiry date.

  No agreed KPIs: Value for money was established at the procurement stage through a structured evaluation model, with tenders assessed on a 70% quality and 30% price weighting. This approach ensured that the appointed supplier demonstrated a strong balance of technical capability, methodology, and cost competitiveness, thereby providing assurance that the contract was awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender. Given the defined, finite, and advisory nature of the project, the contract has been structured around an output-based delivery model. Performance is managed through the achievement of clearly defined milestone deliverables, each aligned to the agreed scope of work and linked to the invoicing schedule. This approach provides structured control over delivery progress and ensures that payments are contingent upon evidenced completion of agreed outputs. Each milestone is supported by defined deliverables and subject to review and formal acceptance by the Authority. This provides a mechanism for assessing whether outputs meet the required standard, scope, and specification as set out in the contract and tender documentation. As such, while formal KPIs are not used, performance is actively managed through: • Defined deliverables aligned to contractual requirements • Stage-gated review and approval processes • Ongoing contract management and oversight • Clear linkage between delivery and payment The deliverables primarily measure the completion and adequacy of key project stages rather than continuous quantitative indicators such as efficiency or throughput. This reflects the one-off, analytical and advisory nature of the commission, where quality, completeness, and fitness-for-purpose are assessed at defined points rather than through ongoing operational metrics. The key deliverables are: • Inception meeting; including confirmation of scope, objectives, delivery arrangements, interfaces; an updated programme; data request; and establishment of Risk, Issue and Decision Log. • Development of a full project plan and stakeholder engagement plan; including initiation of local Pilot Steering Groups and agreement of an Objectives Framework. • Completion of a Franchise Options Assessment and identification of preferred approaches. • Submission of a Draft Report for review. • Agreement of a Final Report. This approach was considered appropriate and proportionate for ensuring control, accountability, and value for money within the context of a time-limited, deliverable-based consultancy commission, while maintaining sufficient assurance through defined acceptance criteria and governance oversight.

Bid statistics published by the authority

Tender pack and attachments

• Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsAll documents are available to download via Yortender. All submissions must be made through the e-tendering system.

Notices published for this procedure

• Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender21 May 2026, 14:20 BST
• Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender18 Mar 2026, 10:40 GMT
• Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender13 Jan 2026, 15:30 GMT
• Tender notice tenderTender noticeUK4Tender notice on Find a Tender15 Dec 2025, 15:51 GMT