SS15 124 - SEN Home to School Bulk Routes (September 2017)

Within the Council the management of SEN transport is the responsibility of the Client Transport Team (CTT), which forms part of the Public Transport Department. This team is responsible for the co-ordination of a range of transport services for children and vulnerable young adults to and from various establishments within and outside of Kent.

Transport services include; home to school transport for children with special educational needs and home to college transport for young adults with special educational needs. Following a pilot undertaken in early 2016, when the transport services to three main special schools in Kent were tendered on the basis of one school, one operator, the Council is looking to implement this concept across further schools in Kent.

Feedback from transport operators following the pilots has been built into the implementation program. The one school one operator concept has been modified, now school transport lots are being offered on the basis of a taxi/private hire lot and a PSV (bus) lot, so that operators of the related specialism are able to tender accordingly.

Lots have been planned so that the operating area is as constrained as possible, so providing a mass, within a local area which could be a district or two districts. There are seven schools in scope being tendered: They are: Ridgeview School (Upper Hayesden Lane, Tonbridge Kent TN11 8AA) Aspen School (Mayfield Road, Whitfield, Dover, Kent CT16 3LJ) Malling School (Beech Road, East Malling, West Malling, Kent ME19 6DR) Meadows School (20-22 London Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 0RJ) Oakley School (Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 4NE) Longfield Academy (Main Road, Longfield, Kent DA3 7PH) Meadowfield School (Main Road, Longfield, Kent DA3 7PH) Additional information: Instructions to Suppliers: Expression of Interest and Tender Process Expressions of interest will only be accepted via the Kent Business Portal.

In order to submit your interest in this opportunity please select the 'Login and Express an Interest' button. Note that in order to successfully submit your interest you will first need to register for an account.

After registration is complete and you've received your login details you should return to the advert for the opportunity and express your interest. You will then be emailed an invitation to submit a tender.

Further guidance regarding how to use this portal can be found in the public attachments section on the Kent Business Portal. Questions and Communication Please direct all questions and communication through the Kent Business Portal via the discussions facility. Further guidance can be can be found within the guide located in the public attachments section on the Kent Business Portal (kent.businessportal.org.uk).