School and Social Care Transport

Reading Borough Council is establishing an open framework for the provision of school and social care transport services across Reading and the wider Berkshire area.

The framework has an estimated total value of £36 million excluding VAT and will run for eight years from January 2027. It covers both school transport, including bespoke arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and ad hoc transport for children and young people known to social care.

The opportunity is divided into two lots, with an unlimited number of suppliers able to join the framework.

Lots Available

Lot 1 – School Transport

Reading Borough Council has a statutory responsibility to provide free travel assistance to pupils who meet the relevant eligibility criteria.

While many eligible pupils receive bus passes, some children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities require bespoke travel arrangements, including taxis and minibuses.

There are currently 536 pre-16 and 90 post-16 learners receiving transport arranged by the Council. The forecast cost of this provision for the 2025/26 financial year is £4.52 million.

The new framework will replace the Council’s existing arrangement for procuring these bespoke transport services.

Lot 2 – Ad hoc transport for children and young people known to social care

This lot covers transport required periodically for children and young people receiving support from social care.

Requirements may include transport to appointments and activities, as well as journeys required when children or young people move between placements.

Framework Operation

The framework will operate using a structured and ranked call-off methodology.

When a transport requirement is identified, the Council will establish the service need and identify suitable providers based on factors including:

• Vehicle type and capacity
• Relevant training
• Safeguarding compliance
• Submitted pricing

A formal call-off offer will then be issued to the selected provider, setting out route information, the applicable pricing basis, commencement date and any specific requirements.

Providers will have 10 working days to accept or reject the offer.

Where the selected provider declines or does not respond within the required timeframe, the Council will approach the next suitable qualified provider in ranking order until the requirement is accepted.

The framework will have no maximum number of suppliers, and no supplier fee will be charged.

Contract Information

• Buyer: Reading Borough Council
• Deadline: 7 October 2026, 11:59pm
• Contract Value: £36,000,000 excluding VAT
• Delivery Length: 5 January 2027 to 4 January 2035 – 8 years
• Tender Link: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/readingbc/aspx/Home

The estimated award decision date is 6 November 2026.

Evaluation Criteria

The procurement will be evaluated on:

• Quality – 50%
• Price – 50%

Quality assurance questions will include pass/fail and minimum-standard requirements. Bidders must achieve a quality score of 60% or above to meet the stated minimum standard.

The procurement documentation states that bidders meeting the required quality threshold will then be considered alongside their submitted pricing for appointment to the framework.

Participation Requirements

The opportunity has been identified as particularly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across both lots.

Tenders can be submitted electronically through Reading Borough Council’s procurement portal and submissions must be made in English.

Given the specialist nature of parts of the requirement, providers should also note that vehicle suitability, relevant training and safeguarding compliance form part of the Council’s provider suitability filtering process when individual transport requirements are allocated.

The framework represents a substantial long-term opportunity for passenger transport providers, particularly organisations experienced in delivering safe and appropriate transport for children and young people with SEND and those receiving support from social care. With an eight-year framework period and an estimated value of £36 million, the arrangement provides scope for ongoing call-off opportunities across both school and social care transport.

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