PSEUDO DYNAMIC PURCHASING SYSTEM (DPS) FOR THE PROVISION OF TAXI AND MINIBUS SERVICES
Estimated Value
Up to £0
Deadline
31 July 2026
50 days remaining
Published
19 August 2020
Type
Services
Overview
This Pseudo Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) will cover the Council’s requirements for taxi and minibus services and will encompass Home to Care Transport, Home to School and College Transport, Transport for Adults, Looked After Children, People with Additional Needs, other Vulnerable People, Officers of the Council and any other transport requirement as authorised by the Authorised Officer.
AI Analysis
Powered by AI — always verify against official documents
A local council is setting up a framework agreement (called a Pseudo DPS) to buy taxi and minibus services for multiple purposes — school runs, care home transport, adult services, and council staff travel. They're looking for transport providers to join this framework so the council can call on them as needed rather than tendering each journey separately.
Requirements
- Ability to provide taxi and minibus services
- Compliance with all relevant transport legislation and regulations
- Appropriate insurance and liability coverage
- Driver qualifications and background checks (likely DBS clearance for vulnerable passenger transport)
- Vehicle maintenance and safety standards
- Availability to transport children, adults, looked-after children, and people with additional needs (including vulnerable adults)
- Willingness to work under the council's terms and pricing framework
- Ability to respond to ad-hoc and scheduled transport requests
- No specific requirements listed in the notice — check the full tender documents for insurance minimums, fleet size requirements, and safeguarding policies.
Key Tasks & Deliverables
- Provide taxi services for council officers and staff travel
- Operate home-to-school and home-to-college transport for children and young people
- Provide home-to-care transport for vulnerable adults and those with additional needs
- Transport looked-after children (children in council care) to appointments, school, and activities
- Transport vulnerable people to day centres, medical appointments, and other council-authorised destinations
- Respond to both scheduled regular routes and one-off transport requests as the council requires
- Maintain vehicle safety, cleanliness, and driver conduct standards
How to Read This Tender
- 1Understand what a 'Pseudo DPS' means: it's a framework list, not a single contract. The council will add you to their approved list, then call you as work comes up. You're not guaranteed work, but you get access to council contracts without re-tendering each time.
- 2Look carefully at the 'Authorised Officer' clause — it's broad. Find out in the full documents what counts as an 'authorised transport requirement' so you know the full scope of work you might be asked to do.
- 3Check safeguarding and DBS requirements separately — transporting children and vulnerable adults means strict background checks and training. Budget time and cost for this.
- 4Pricing is key: find out if the council sets fixed rates or if you bid your own prices. A 'pricing framework' usually means rates are set in advance, limiting your margin.
- 5Look for minimum service level obligations — some frameworks require 24-hour notice for cancellations, specific response times, or a minimum fleet size.
Tips for Small Businesses
- Consider partnering with other local taxi firms through a consortium bid — this reduces risk and lets you share a larger fleet without buying new vehicles. Councils often welcome this for reliability.
- Check if subcontracting is allowed. You might not need to own all vehicles yourself; some frameworks let you hire coaches or taxis from other operators when demand spikes.
- Safeguarding and compliance costs (DBS checks, training, insurance) are significant for transport to vulnerable groups. Factor these into your bid pricing and check if the council reimburses or expects you to absorb them.
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How to Apply
Step-by-step submission guide
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Key Dates
Published
19 August 2020
Submission deadline
31 July 2026
Notice type
DPS
Source
council:nepo-north-east
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