Tenders

Bus Fleet Diesel and Electric Vehicles

Open
Deadline
6 days left
March 09, 2026
Contract Details
Category
Other
Reference
012075-2026
Value
£118,800,000
Location
Merseyside, United Kingdom
Published
February 24, 2026
CPV Code
Project Timeline

Tender Published

February 10, 2026

Deadline for Questions

March 02, 2026

Submission Deadline

March 09, 2026

Contract Start Date

April 30, 2026

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Budget
£118,800,000
Duration
60 months
Location
Merseyside
Type
Other
61
Quality Score/100
Good

Original Tender Description

In April 2023, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) published an Assessment on Bus Franchising in the Liverpool City Region, which set out a proposed bus Franchising Scheme in accordance with the Transport Act 2000. In October 2023, the Liverpool City Region Mayor made the decision to introduce a Franchising Scheme covering the Liverpool City Region. Franchising is a legal model where buses are under the control of a public sector authority (LCRCA) who set the routes, frequency, fares and overall standard of buses in the region. The existing commercially led market will be replaced and private bus operators will no longer be able to run most services independently. Instead, bus services will be operated under franchise contracts and bus operators will bid to run the services through a competitive procurement process managed by the Combined Authority. LCRCA intend to introduce the second Tranche of franchised bus services from September 2027, covering Liverpool, Sefton and Knowsley. This follows the first Tranche of franchised bus services introduced in September 2026 covering St Helens and the Wirral. For Category 1 franchise contracts, LCRCA will provide the successful operator with a fleet of vehicles which the operator will then operate, manage and maintain the fleet throughout the franchise term. In preparation for the commencement of the Tranche 2 bus franchising programme in September 2027, LCRCA wish to procure a fleet of new vehicles including diesel and electric vehicles. A number of double-decker, single-decker and midi-sized buses are required to be delivered in May 2027 ahead of the commencement date of franchised services.

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Requirements & Qualifications

11 requirements across 5 categories

Submission (1)
Mandatory (1)
Compliance (1)
Technical (7)
Financial (1)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS1
--Submit the bid by 2026-03-09 at 12:00:00+00:00.
MANDATORY EXCLUSION GROUNDS1
--No specific mandatory exclusion grounds are detailed in the provided information.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS1
--No specific eligibility requirements are detailed in the provided information.
TECHNICAL CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS7
--Ability to supply new vehicles.
--Ability to supply diesel vehicles.
--Ability to supply electric vehicles.
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS1
--No specific financial requirements are detailed in the provided information.

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Documents

4 documents available with AI summaries

OCDS RecordDOC
012075-2026_ocds_record.json

This OCDS record details the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's planned procurement of new diesel and electric double-decker, single-decker, and midi-sized buses for the second phase of its bus franchising scheme, with delivery expected by May 2027.

OCDS Release PackageDOC
012075-2026_ocds_release.json

This document is an OCDS Release Package providing structured data about the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's tender for a new fleet of diesel and electric buses for its Tranche 2 bus franchising program, scheduled for delivery by May 2027.

Official PDF VersionPDF
012075-2026_official.pdf

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is procuring a fleet of new diesel and electric double-decker, single-decker, and midi-sized buses for its Tranche 2 bus franchising programme, requiring delivery by May 2027.

Tender NoticeHTM
012075-2026.html

This document is a tender notice from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority announcing the procurement of a new fleet of diesel and electric buses (double-decker, single-decker, midi) for its Tranche 2 franchised bus services, with delivery required by May 2027.

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61
Good

Tender Quality Score

This tender is clear in its project description and scope, but exhibits significant gaps in legal compliance, clarity, and completeness due to the absence of critical requirements and evaluation criteria.

Score Breakdown

Legal Compliance50/100

The procedure type and CPV codes are correctly identified, and there are no reported disputes. However, the AI-extracted requirements explicitly state that mandatory exclusion grounds, eligibility requirements, and financial requirements are not detailed. This is a critical omission for legal compliance, as these are fundamental elements of a tender notice.

No specific mandatory exclusion grounds detailed
No specific eligibility requirements detailed
Clarity60/100

The project description and technical capability requirements are clear and understandable. However, the overall clarity is significantly hampered by the explicit lack of specified evaluation criteria, as well as the missing exclusion, eligibility, and financial requirements, which are crucial for bidders to understand the full scope and process.

No evaluation criteria specified
Absence of detailed exclusion, eligibility, and financial requirements
Completeness65/100

Basic information such as title, reference, organization, value, duration, and contract start date are provided. Documents are also listed. However, the tender is incomplete due to the critical absence of mandatory exclusion, eligibility, financial requirements, and evaluation criteria, which are essential for a comprehensive tender package.

Missing mandatory exclusion, eligibility, and financial requirements
Missing evaluation criteria
Fairness55/100

The estimated value is disclosed, and technical requirements appear generic. However, the absence of specified evaluation criteria severely compromises the objectivity and transparency of the process. The lack of e-submission also presents a barrier to equal access for all potential bidders.

No evaluation criteria specified
No e-submission support
Practicality65/100

The contract start date and duration are clearly specified. However, the lack of electronic submission support is a practical drawback in modern procurement. The absence of detailed financial requirements for bidders also creates practical challenges for preparing comprehensive bids.

No e-submission support
Missing detailed financial requirements for bidders
Data Consistency90/100

Key fields are mostly populated, and dates are logical and consistent. There are no reported disputes or suspensions. Minor inconsistencies include empty codes for 'Type' and 'Procedure', and a missing 'Liable Person' field.

Empty codes for 'Type' and 'Procedure'
Missing 'Liable Person'
Sustainability50/100

The tender includes the procurement of electric vehicles, which is a positive step towards green procurement. However, the continued inclusion of diesel vehicles limits its overall sustainability score. There is no explicit mention of social aspects or innovation focus within the provided information.

Continued procurement of diesel vehicles alongside electric
No explicit social criteria

Strengths

Clear project description and scope (bus franchising, types of buses)
Value, duration, and contract start date are clearly specified
Inclusion of electric vehicles in the fleet procurement
CPV code and procedure type are correctly identified
Documents are listed and summarized

Concerns

Absence of mandatory exclusion, eligibility, and financial requirements for bidders
Lack of specified evaluation criteria
No support for electronic submission
Limited focus on broader sustainability (social, innovation) and continued procurement of diesel vehicles

Recommendations

1. Publish comprehensive tender documents detailing all mandatory exclusion, eligibility, financial requirements, and clear evaluation criteria.
2. Implement an e-submission platform to enhance accessibility and efficiency for bidders.
3. Integrate more explicit social and innovation criteria into the tender to align with modern sustainability goals.

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