Home to School Transport and Adult Social Care Transport Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)

Wigan Council is seeking to receive applications for admittance to a Home to School Transport and Adult Social Care Transport Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). The DPS will be used as the mechanism to procure services by entering into calls for competition with providers on the DPS.

In accordance with The Public Contract Regulations 2015, Regulation 34 (28(a)), Wigan Council is extending the DPS originally advertised in The Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) with reference number 2015/S 078-138444 and extended by notices 2019/S 093-224781 and 2023/S 000-017392. For indicative purposes, the DPS will be extended until 23rd February 2029.

Providers already on the DPS do not need to reapply as they will automatically remain on the DPS. Within this Contracts Finder notice a 'closing date' and 'contract start date' have had to be provided; interested applicants may however apply to join the DPS at any time during its period of validity.

Transport services to be provided under the DPS include home to school transport for children with special educational needs, home to college transport for young adults with special educational needs, and adult social care transport. Services may be required on a daily, weekly, fortnightly or term time only basis for young people attending special educational needs schools, mainstream schools, mainstream colleges, alternative and complementary education and residential services, and respite care; and for adults attending day care facilities owned and managed by Wigan Council, community interest companies and respite care.

Clients using the service may be vulnerable and suffer from learning disabilities, behavioural problems, sensory or hearing difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder or another physical disability. Therefore, some journeys will require that a Passenger Assistant be provided by Wigan Council to accompany them.

In order to meet the variety of transport needs contractors must be able to provide as a minimum one of the following vehicle options to be considered for admittance to the DPS: (i) Standard Car (up to four seats); (ii) Accessible Taxi; (iii) Black Cab; (iv) Minibus (up to eight seats); (v) Minibus (sixteen seats); (vi) Tail Lift Vehicle (minimum of 300kg tail lift required); and, (vii) Coach. The DPS will be used as the mechanism through which Wigan Council will procure home to school and adult social care transportation services and it will be used as a basis to enter into calls for competition with providers on the DPS.

Individual contracts raised under the DPS may commence at any time and will depend on the local circumstances of Wigan Council. It is however envisaged that the majority of the home to school contracts will run from the beginning of the Autumn term until the end of the academic year in which they are awarded. The DPS period can be later amended (shortened or terminated), subject to the notification on the relevant standard forms.