Scope
Reference
NNC00000656
Description
North Northamptonshire Council wish to develop a bus framework which will play a role in enhancing accessibility across North Northants. As a relatively new authority, this framework aims to either replace services previously Procured by the former Northamptonshire County Council, and/or to introduce new services, with the potential for them to be commercially viable by the end of the contracts. This framework will be opened in accordance with the requirements under the Procurement Act 2023 (or sooner if deemed necessary by the Council) and all call off contracts will be awarded via further competition only.
Please review the full document set for further details.
Commercial tool
Establishes an open framework
Total value (estimated)
- £36,000,000 excluding VAT
- £43,200,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 2 February 2026 to 1 February 2030
- 4 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 60112000 - Public road transport services
Contract locations
- UKF25 - North Northamptonshire
Justification for not using lots
Although this requirement could be broken into lots, perhaps by vehicle type / size doing so would not benefit providers or the Council.
The market is small and it would be likely that lots would consist of very few providers / very low competition.
There are no direct awards via this framework, only further competitions which will consist of all providers being invited to take part. Further competitions will consist of a variety of contract sizes and requirements which would suit both large providers SME's and VCSE.
Framework
Open framework scheme end date (estimated)
1 February 2030
Maximum number of suppliers
Unlimited
Maximum percentage fee charged to suppliers
0%
Framework operation description
Prices will be determined via further competition, however indicative pricing is requested for information purposes only.
The selection process requires providers to complete and submit a number of questionnaires to determine providers ability to meet the Councils minimum criteria.
Award method when using the framework
With competition
Contracting authorities that may use the framework
Establishing party only
Participation
Particular suitability
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
- Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
28 November 2025, 4:00pm
Tender submission deadline
5 December 2025, 1:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
English
Award decision date (estimated)
16 December 2025
Recurring procurement
Publication date of next tender notice (estimated): 1 December 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| At Further competition stage only | At further competition stage both quality and price will be considered criteria for each individual further competition required. |
Quality |
Weighting description
After tenders are submitted, successful providers will be admitted onto the framework only where there is no guarantee of work. All call offs from the framework will be via further competition, which will be scored on both price and quality with those criteria being tailored on a case by case basis.
Other information
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Open procedure
Justification for not publishing a preliminary market engagement notice
The Procurement in this instance is to create a framework, which was considered that engagement did not materially affect the procurement procedure, criteria, or specifications. The window to apply is also longer than the minimum requirement allowing more time for providers to ask clarification questions, if this is deemed necessary.
Contracting authority
North Northamptonshire Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PQCM-5634-HGCN
The Corby Cube, George Street
Corby
NN17 1QG
United Kingdom
Region: UKF25 - North Northamptonshire
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government