West Yorkshire Bus Franchising - Round 2 Opportunities

{
  "id": "045066-2026",
  "tag": [
    "planning"
  ],
  "date": "2026-05-15T16:31:43+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-04fb55",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PHYG-7328-ZLQJ",
    "name": "West Yorkshire Combined Authority"
  },
  "tender": {
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-04fb55",
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "status": "planning",
        "hasRenewal": true,
        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2033-01-31T23:59:59Z",
          "startDate": "2028-01-31T00:00:00Z",
          "maxExtentDate": "2035-01-31T23:59:59Z"
        }
      }
    ],
    "items": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "relatedLot": "1",
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "region": "UKE4",
            "country": "GB",
            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
          }
        ],
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "id": "60112000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Public road transport services"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "title": "West Yorkshire Bus Franchising - Round 2 Opportunities",
    "status": "planning",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
      "scheme": "UKPGA"
    },
    "description": "A decision was made on the 14th of March 2024 by Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, to bring buses back under local control in the biggest shake-up of the region's transport network in decades.\nSince that decision, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has continued to engage with bus operators and prepare for the transition to franchising. Contracts for Round 1 are expected to be awarded in August 2026, with Round 2 scheduled to launch in early July 2026.\nThe previous notice indicated that the franchising programme would be delivered through nine geographic baskets of contracts. The first three baskets are currently being evaluated, and WYCA is now preparing to launch the procurement process for the next three baskets, each comprising a varying number of contracts depending on size and operational complexity.",
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-PPON-PHYG-7328-ZLQJ",
      "name": "West Yorkshire Combined Authority",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKE42",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "Leeds",
        "postalCode": "LS1 2DE",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Wellington House, 40 - 50 Wellingon Street"
      },
      "details": {
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PHYG-7328-ZLQJ",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "commercialteam@westyorks-ca.gov.uk"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "planning": {
    "documents": [
      {
        "id": "045066-2026",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045066-2026",
        "format": "text/html",
        "noticeType": "UK2",
        "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
        "datePublished": "2026-05-15T16:31:43+01:00"
      }
    ],
    "milestones": [
      {
        "id": "engagement",
        "type": "engagement",
        "status": "scheduled",
        "dueDate": "2026-06-05T23:59:59+01:00",
        "description": "This Preliminary Market Engagement notice is being issued to:\n1) Invite bus operators to West Yorkshire Combined Authority's Round 2 Market Engagement Day, and\n2) Remind interested operators to apply for membership of the relevant Dynamic Market.\nFollowing the initial market engagement for the creation of the Dynamic Market and Round 1, held between November 2024 and June 2025, we now plan to undertake operator engagement for Round 2 in June 2026.\nThank you to everyone who engaged with the previous WYCA Bus Franchising procurement activities - your participation and feedback are greatly valued.\nWe now welcome both existing operators and new potential entrants who are interested in Round 2 franchising opportunities to attend an upcoming market engagement session:\nDate: Thursday 18 June 2026\nLocation: Wellington House, Leeds (Combined Authority offices)\nPlease save the date in your calendar.\nThis session will cover the latest Round 2 developments and provide an opportunity for operators to ask questions and share feedback.\nTopics are expected to include:\n•\tProcurement process \n•\tFleet\n•\tDepots\n•\tNetwork\n•\tCustomer experience\n•\tTechnology systems and data insights\nFurther details, including a full agenda and formal invitation, will be shared shortly.\nTo express interest in attending, please contact: bus.reform@westyorks-ca.gov.uk\nPlease note: attendance is limited to a maximum of two delegates per organisation due to room capacity.\nDynamic Market \nThe Dynamic Market was established for use by the Combined Authority or any successor authorities. The Invitation to Apply for Membership is still available to all potential operators (Applicants) that are interested in tendering for Franchised Bus Services contracts and associated services to the Combined Authority (the Services). Operators who are already members, do not need to re-apply. \nThe Dynamic Market has two Parts. Applicants may make an application to one or both Parts, at any time. Membership or previous Application status of one Part makes no difference to the ability of an Applicant to apply to the other Part. Part \"Tier A\" of the Dynamic Market will be for the Combined Authority to procure Tier A Franchised Bus Services contracts that: (a) require the use of an Authority-owned depot to perform contractual operations (lease arrangements will be part of each contract) (b) require the use of Authority-owned fleet to perform contractual operations. Part \"Tier B and C\" of the Dynamic Market will be for the Combined Authority to procure Tier B and C Franchised Bus Services contracts that: (a) do not require the use of an Authority-owned depot to perform contractual operations (operators will source their own arrangements) (b) may make use of Authority-owned fleet to perform contractual operation but usually will involve an Operator providing its own fleet. Further information about the Parts of the Dynamic Market is set out in the associated documents. \nAs this is a Qualifying Utilities Dynamic Market, the Combined Authority does not intend to publish tender notices for individual procurements under this Dynamic Market via the central digital platform. Pursuant to section 40 of the PA23, a tender notice and associated Invitation to Tender inviting all Members of the applicable part of the Dynamic Market will be issued only to Members of the relevant Part. Pending Applications will not receive such an invitation. Therefore, it is essential that all operators who wish to receive Invitations to Tender are Members of the relevant Part of the Dynamic Market before any tender notice or Invitation to Tender is issued in relation to individual procurements under the Dynamic Market. The Combined Authority reserves the right to extend the Dynamic Market or terminate it early. The latest date an Application can be made to join the Dynamic Market to be able to tender for Round 2, Tiers A, B and C (all round 2 contracts) is 1200 hrs (BST) on Thursday, the 25th June 2026. \nOPERATORS WHO DO NOT APPLY ON OR BEFORE THIS DATE MAY BE UNABLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR ROUND 2. \nApplicants must submit their Applications via YORtender, using the link at the bottom of this notice. The application form must be, completed (the document, with the project-specific questions added to the PSQ, is available to download at the link contained within this notice). No other methods of applying are available.\nhttps://uk.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/rwlentrance_s.asp?PID=96045&B= \nGo4Growth Support for Operators \nTo support all operators - including new entrants and Small and Medium Operators (SMOs) , the West Yorkshire Combined Authority works in partnership with Go4Growth, an independent organisation that helps businesses build capability and confidence when bidding for public sector contracts.\nYou can access support here:\nwww.go4growth.co.uk \nThis resource is available to all potential bidders and we encourage operators of all sizes to make use of it.\nWe look forward to your continued engagement."
      }
    ]
  },
  "initiationType": "tender"
}

{
  "id": "012261-2025",
  "tag": [
    "planning"
  ],
  "date": "2025-04-01T13:57:56+01:00",
  "ocid": "ocds-h6vhtk-04fb55",
  "buyer": {
    "id": "GB-PPON-PHYG-7328-ZLQJ",
    "name": "West Yorkshire Combined Authority"
  },
  "tender": {
    "id": "ocds-h6vhtk-04fb55",
    "lots": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "status": "planning",
        "contractPeriod": {
          "endDate": "2034-03-28T23:59:59+01:00",
          "startDate": "2027-03-28T00:00:00Z"
        }
      }
    ],
    "items": [
      {
        "id": "1",
        "relatedLot": "1",
        "deliveryAddresses": [
          {
            "region": "UKE4",
            "country": "GB",
            "countryName": "United Kingdom"
          }
        ],
        "additionalClassifications": [
          {
            "id": "60112000",
            "scheme": "CPV",
            "description": "Public road transport services"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "title": "West Yorkshire Bus Franchising",
    "status": "planning",
    "legalBasis": {
      "id": "2023/54",
      "uri": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents",
      "scheme": "UKPGA"
    },
    "description": "A decision was made on the 14th of March 2024 by Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, to bring buses back under local control in the biggest shake-up of the region's transport network in decades. \nSince then, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has engaged with bus operators, and will continue to do so until the tender opportunities are launches between August and October 2025.\nCurrent engagement is helping WYCA confirm its commercial positions.  At the time of publication of this notice, WYCA envisages 9 baskets of contracts based on geographic areas (these baskets of varying numbers of contracts based on size and complexity), let in three procurement rounds from Q4 2025 to Q8 2027",
    "communication": {
      "futureNoticeDate": "2025-10-01T23:59:59+01:00"
    },
    "aboveThreshold": true,
    "mainProcurementCategory": "services"
  },
  "parties": [
    {
      "id": "GB-PPON-PHYG-7328-ZLQJ",
      "name": "West Yorkshire Combined Authority",
      "roles": [
        "buyer"
      ],
      "address": {
        "region": "UKE42",
        "country": "GB",
        "locality": "Leeds",
        "postalCode": "LS1 2DE",
        "countryName": "United Kingdom",
        "streetAddress": "Wellington House, 40 - 50 Wellingon Street"
      },
      "details": {
        "url": "https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk",
        "classifications": [
          {
            "id": "publicAuthoritySubCentralGovernment",
            "scheme": "UK_CA_TYPE",
            "description": "Public authority - sub-central government"
          }
        ]
      },
      "identifier": {
        "id": "PHYG-7328-ZLQJ",
        "scheme": "GB-PPON"
      },
      "contactPoint": {
        "email": "commercialteam@westyorks-ca.gov.uk"
      }
    }
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "planning": {
    "documents": [
      {
        "id": "012261-2025",
        "url": "https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012261-2025",
        "format": "text/html",
        "noticeType": "UK2",
        "description": "Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender",
        "documentType": "marketEngagementNotice",
        "datePublished": "2025-04-01T13:57:56+01:00"
      }
    ],
    "milestones": [
      {
        "id": "engagement",
        "type": "engagement",
        "status": "scheduled",
        "dueDate": "2025-06-15T23:59:59+01:00",
        "description": "An online briefing event was held on the 25th of November 2024.  This was followed up by 1:1s held with suppliers looking through a list of questions about the outline commercial position that was the subject of the online brief.  These 1:1s lasted until early January.\nFeedback enables the CA to further define its commercial position.\nAnother online brief was held on the 24th of March 2025.  Further 1:1s will be held from this date, until mid-to-late May.  During this time, online briefs on smaller, specific may also be held to receive targeted feedback about certain any points.\nBroadly, topics over the next few months will be:\n* business case and lot strategy\n* assets and depots;\n* network planning and management;\n* fleet;\n* customer requirements;\n* contracting and commercial position, including timing and structure of the procurement process;\n* data, systems, processes.\nThe timings of these topics is subject to change, and we will publish further details in due course.  The best way to stay up to date is to join our mailing list (below).\nSuppliers wishing to join the maket engagement process should email: bus.reform@westyorks-ca.gov.uk."
      }
    ]
  },
  "initiationType": "tender"
}