Planning

Bus Shelter Operating Contract

  • Swale Borough Council

UK2: Preliminary market engagement notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-069513

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-05d697

Published 29 October 2025, 4:05pm



Scope

Reference

PA48

Description

Bus Shelter Operating Contract – Swale Borough Council Area

This Notice provides information of a future opportunity to provide a bus shelter supply, operation and maintenance service for bus shelter locations and infrastructure in the Swale Borough area in Kent.

Swale Borough Council (SBC) would like to engage with bus shelter providers in regard to supply, installation and maintenance of bus shelters, including some possible living roof shelters, for bus shelter infrastructure managed by SBC in the Swale area and to agree a preferred supplier and product as per SBC’s specification.

SBC requests that interested suppliers express an interest in this opportunity and share their thoughts and expertise to assist SBC to determine and shape the specification. The solution can be a new design or based on an existing design used elsewhere. Integrated advertising within the shelters can be traditional posters or, subject to location agreement, digital media screens.

Providers that are interested but are not registered on the Delta eSourcing portal should register at the following address in the first instance: https://login.bipsolutions.com/casDelta/login?service=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kentbusinessportal.org.uk%2Fdelta%2Fj_spring_cas_security_check

The Council intends to hold a competitive tendering process during 2025/26, to secure these new bus shelters. It is the Council’s aim to make the procurement process as easy as possible for bidders to complete. It is anticipated that the initial contract of supply and maintenance will run for approximately 5 years with the provision for an extension of up to 5 years, and a commencement date of April 2026.

We would be particularly interested to hear whether you think there is any potential for income generation for the Council through advertising, or whether there is scope to provide living roof shelters at particular locations.

For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:

https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Sittingbourne:-Bus-shelters./SC25RWNJ37

To respond to this opportunity, please click here:

https://www.delta-esourcing.com/respond/SC25RWNJ37

Total value (estimated)

  • £0 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Contract dates (estimated)

  • 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2031
  • Possible extension to 31 March 2036
  • 10 years

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 44212321 - Bus shelters
  • 50000000 - Repair and maintenance services
  • 50800000 - Miscellaneous repair and maintenance services
  • 79341000 - Advertising services

Contract locations

  • UKJ4 - Kent

Engagement

Engagement deadline

19 November 2025

Engagement process description

The proposed contract will commence in April 2026 and will runs for approximately 5 years with the provision for an extension of up to 5 years.

Does the proposed 5 year term for the contract make this financially viable in terms of supplying and installing at least 33 new shelters, including electrical connections?

If the new contract is not awarded to the current provider, the intention is for them to remove their existing assets within 3-4 months of the new contract commencing.

The new shelters would need to be installed as the existing shelters are removed to minimise the period of time when bus stops will not have accompanying shelters. Does this timeline provide you with any issues in terms of delivery?

The new contract will include a 4 hour response time to attend to any damage which occurs to your shelters, and a 3 hour response time for any broken glass within the shelter.

Are these response times achievable for your company?

The new contract would be looking at the existing Borough Council owned assets of around 43 shelters of varying specifications and condition to see whether the successful tenderer would offer to take over responsibility and maintenance for some or all of these shelters.

Is this something you could offer, either in terms of taking over some of all of these shelters, possibly adding advertising subject to the necessary planning permission?

The current contract does not incorporate a ban on adverts for foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), but this may be something considered in the future.

We will therefore request two options for the new contract, Option 1 with a ban on HFSS adverts and Option 2 without the ban.

With national plans currently being discussed relating to Local Government Re-organisation, the new contract will include a novation clause allowing Swale Borough Council to be replaced by any successor authority. Do you have any comments on this ?

Any other comments?

Comments should be submitted via the Delta eSourcing portal (Access code: SC25RWNJ37) or to procurement@swale.gov.uk


Procedure

Special regime

Concession


Contracting authority

Swale Borough Council

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PJVX-4924-XHDQ

Swale House, East Street

Sittingbourne

ME10 3HT

United Kingdom

Contact name: Charlotte Knowles

Email: procurement@swale.gov.uk

Region: UKJ43 - Kent Thames Gateway

Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government