Bus Reform Support

Tender description

Since becoming a Mayoral Combined Authority earlier this year, the Combined Authority now has mayoral powers to make a bus franchising scheme. To do so, the Combined Authority would need to prepare and publish an Assessment of the need for a Franchising Scheme (essentially a business plan), subject the Assessment to independent audit and instigate a public consultation. This process will take around two years to arrive at a decision point on franchising with procurement and implementation to follow.To enable swift delivery of the above, funding has been allocated to create a team to develop the assessment and provide / commission additional support such as legal and commercial advice. This tender will aim to secure the resources needed to deliver these requirements. Lot 1: Since becoming a Mayoral Combined Authority earlier this year, the Combined Authority now has mayoral powers to make a bus franchising scheme2. To do so, the Combined Authority would need to prepare and publish an Assessment of the need for a Franchising Scheme (essentially a business plan), subject the Assessment to independent audit and instigate a public consultation. This process will take around two years to arrive at a decision point on franchising with procurement and implementation to follow.To enable swift delivery of the above, funding has been allocated to create a team to develop the assessment and provide / commission additional support such as legal and commercial advice. This tender aims to secure the resourced needed to deliver these requirements. Since becoming a Mayoral Combined Authority earlier this year, the Combined Authority now has mayoral powers to make a bus franchising scheme2. To do so, the Combined Authority would need to prepare and publish an Assessment of the need for a Franchising Scheme (essentially a business plan), subject the Assessment to independent audit and instigate a public consultation. This process will take around two years to arrive at a decision point on franchising with procurement and implementation to follow.To enable swift delivery of the above, funding has been allocated to create a team to develop the assessment and provide / commission additional support such as legal and commercial advice. This tender aims to secure the resourced needed to deliver these requirements.