Published date: 5 February 2025

Last edited date: 7 February 2025

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Closing: 6 March 2025, 2pm

Contract summary

Industry

  • Transport services (excl. Waste transport) - 60000000

  • Public road transport services - 60112000

  • Taxi services - 60120000

    • Special-purpose road passenger-transport services - 60130000

    • Non-scheduled passenger transport - 60140000

    • Hire of passenger transport vehicles with driver - 60170000

Location of contract

PO1 2BJ

Value of contract

£350,000 to £6,350,000

Procurement reference

IT-26-5070-P00005070

Published date

5 February 2025

Closing date

6 March 2025

Closing time

2pm

Contract start date

2 June 2025

Contract end date

31 March 2026

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure (above threshold)

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

This procedure can be used for procurements above the relevant contract value threshold.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

Portsmouth City Council - the 'Council' - is seeking tenders from suitably qualified and experienced operators for the delivery of a Dynamic Demand Response Transport service (DDRT) on an initial pilot basis with the facility to extend subject to performance, demand and access to funding.

The Council is targeting to have awarded the contract by 28th March with mobilisation following on 31st March 2025. The council is seeking to award a contract on the basis of the longest achievable pilot period on the condition that commencement is no later than 2nd June 2025. The pilot service will then be required to operate until 31st March 2026.

Depending on any future funding availability, success of the pilot and demand, at the Councils option this could be extended on a year-by-year basis by a further 6 years. In addition to extending the term of the contract the council may also extend the service into additional areas of the city and number of dedicated vehicles allocated to the service. The council will be using Bus Service Improvement Plan funding of approx. ?350,000 to cover the initial pilot period.

Whilst the Council can provide no guarantees that it would extend the term, geographical coverage or number of vehicles as this will be subject to review of demand and availability of funding, if all of these options were taken up spend via the contract could equate to approx. ?1M per annum. This figure is based upon a position where the Council expands the service to cover another area of the city and increases the number of vehicles in operation for both areas from 2 to 3.

Under the contracting model the successful operator will be paid a fixed monthly amount for delivery of the services excluding for fuel / charging costs which will be paid on a cost reimbursable basis. A cap of ?300,000 for delivery of 1st year operations - from no later than 2nd June 2025 to 31st March 2026 - will apply to costs excluding fuel / charging. Any tender received which exceeds this cap may be set aside.

The Council will run the procurement process in accordance with the 'Open Procedure' as set out within the Public Contracts Regulations (2015). The procurement timetable is set out below.

1 Contract notice published on Find a Tender - 4th February 2025
2 Procurement documents available on In-tend - 4th February 2025
3 Bidder Briefing (Teams Meeting) - 10th February 2025, 12:00 - 13:00
4 Deadline for requests for clarification - 25th February 2025 - 23:59
5 Tender return deadline - 6th March 2025 - 14:00
6 Award Decision Notification - 17th March 2025
7 Standstill period starts - 18th March 2025
8 Standstill period ends - 27th March 2025 - 23:59
9 Contract Award - 28th March 2025
10 Mobilisation - 31st March 2025
11 Commencement of Service - No later than 2nd June 2025
12 End of initial pilot period - 31st March 2026

The Council reserves the right at its absolute discretion to vary th...

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Is a Recurrent Procurement Type? : No

About the buyer

Contact name

Procurement Service

Address

Guildhall Square
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO1 2BJ
United Kingdom

Telephone

023 9268 8235

Email

procurement@portsmouthcc.gov.uk