PIN for Soft Market Test for Supply of a web-based route planning, scheduling and tracking application to support their mainstream and special educational needs home to school transport provision.

Tender description

The Council invites expressions of interest from suitably qualified companies to attend a soft market test to help formulate the specification for the supply of a web-based route planning, scheduling and tracking application to support their mainstream and special educational needs home to school transport provision. Route planning, scheduling and tracking are currently done by hand and as such this procurement offers the Council an opportunity to assess what innovations are available to improve the delivery of this service and what efficiencies can be made. The Council currently holds data on children, drivers, guide escorts, schools and the like in the Capita One system. The application will need to electronically exchange data with this system and bidders will need to evidence their ability to provide this functionality. Similarly the Council manages all of its accounts via Agresso. The application may need to electronically exchange data with this system (if this proves preferable to processing payments via the Capita One system). Ideally the application will also have the ability to bring in (a) scheduled transport data from bus and train operators and (b) demand responsive transport data from taxi firms, community transport providers and car or lift sharing platforms so as to provide an integrated view of all the options available to transport children from home to school. Preferably the application will also have the ability to capture actual passenger usage data via smart card readers or similar and generate management reports that enable planned usage to be compared with actual usage. Finally on conclusion of the contract the successful bidder will be required to make all of the data held in the application available to others in a common data format. The intention is to procure a system within the next 3-6 months. Prospective suppliers will be required to host and maintain the application, undertake any development required to meet the specification (including any systems integration), set up users and provide initial on-site training and ongoing remote support via telephone, email and similar. As part of the soft market test bidders will be expected to provide evidence of their ability to provide the necessary functionality by way of similar projects in development or technical capabilities already in use. The format for the soft market test will be individual supplier presentations followed by individual question and answer sessions. Keywords: Transport, Home to School, Scheduling