Hire of buses and coaches with driver

Tender description

Kent County Council (the Council) is the largest local authority in England covering an area of 3 500 km². It has an annual expenditure of over 1 000 000 000 GBP on goods and services and a population of 1 300 000. The Council provides a wide range of personal and strategic services on behalf of its residents, operating in partnership with 12 district councils and 289 parish/town councils. The Council consists of four directorates: Social Care, Health and Wellbeing Education and Young People's Services Growth, Environment and Transport Strategic and Corporate Services. This requirement from the Growth, Environment and Transport Directorate is for the future provision of services operated using PSV or Community (Section 19 or 22) Bus Permits. The requirements relate to the Council's activity in respect of Supported Local Bus (including Kent Karrier) and Home to School Transport Services. Supported Bus services are procured for the delivery of socially necessary bus services (including Kent Karrier), where the authority will fund the provision of a local bus service which is not commercially viable, which would therefore not otherwise run but which the authority has identified as meeting a social need i.e. rural connectivity. Home to School Transport services are procured to provide school transport for those pupils who are determined by our Education and Young People's Directorate as eligible for free home to school transport. Where the volume of pupils is sufficient to justify a larger vehicle (minibus, coach or bus) these will require provision of this transport by a Public Service Vehicle Licensed Operator who can run services either as a public bus service or as a privately hired vehicle. In accordance with best procurement practice, EU & UK Procurement Directives & Regulations and Kent County Council's Standing Orders, the Council wishes to create a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) listing of approved suppliers of Supported Local Bus and Home to School Transport Services. Applicants may apply to join the DPS provided they are able to meet, and keep meeting, the Council's requirements. During the period of the DPS, the list will remain open to new organisations to apply to become an approved supplier. Organisations wishing to be added to the DPS will have to meet the Minimum Standards as defined in this document. Successful organisations appointed to the DPS will be given equal standing with existing DPS members. Unsuccessful organisations will have the opportunity to re-apply to join the DPS at any time during the contract. The DPS is anticipated to commence upon January 2016, and will continue for a period of ten (10) years. The estimated value of work through this DPS is £100m but no guarantee is given to the actual value of any call-off contracts.