Bus Services Framework

The proposed Bus Services Framework is being established to support the future procurement of a wide range of bus and passenger transport services. These include secured local bus services, schools and works transport, group travel, seasonal services, Metro replacement services, and other operational or emergency transport requirements.

The framework will operate as a closed framework agreement for an initial three-year period, with the option to extend for up to 24 months. The total estimated framework value is up to £200 million across the potential five-year term.

Nexus currently spends around £20 million each year on bus service contracts procured through a number of separate tendering exercises. The new framework aims to provide a more efficient and flexible procurement route, reducing the need for repeated procurements while maintaining competition and supporting effective service delivery.

Provision of secured local bus services, including supported routes, socially necessary services, evening and Sunday services, network links, and other tendered bus operations. Call-offs may be awarded for individual routes, route packages, geographic areas, or service tranches.

Provision of dedicated school, college, works and education-related transport services, including home-to-school transport, scholar services, academic-year contracts, and associated route requirements. Provision of fixed-route and timetabled Taxibus services using smaller vehicles such as taxis, private hire vehicles, MPVs, or accessible minibuses operated as registered local bus services.

Provision of demand responsive, community, accessible and flexible transport services, including feeder services, rural transport, community transport operations, mobility pilots and specialist passenger transport solutions. Provision of planned and unplanned emergency replacement transport services to support disruption, engineering works, maintenance programmes and operational incidents affecting Metro and Ferry services.

Provision of transport services for special events, seasonal requirements, Boxing Day operations, park-and-ride services and other services funded by partner organisations, employers, educational institutions or public bodies. Provision of short-term emergency replacement bus services required to maintain bus service continuity.

Call-offs may be awarded by direct award using the ranked supplier selection mechanism detailed in the ITT, or through a short-form mini-competition requiring suppliers to submit requirement-specific pricing. Access route for eligible partner organisations to procure their own passenger transport services through the framework, including bus, school, replacement, community and event transport requirements, in accordance with the framework rules and access arrangements.