AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport awarded a £163,305 passenger transport services contract for the FR555 school transport route to THOMPSONS COACHES LIMITED. The award notice identifies a service period from 1 September 2026 to 31 July 2029.
Published outcomeOne active award was published for THOMPSONS COACHES LIMITED.
Market significanceThis is a £163,305 school passenger transport award made through a mini-competition under a Dynamic Purchasing System.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
THOMPSONS COACHES LIMITED
99% confidenceAward ocds-b5fd17-e4670c2d-c46e-4d7f-baab-7fc88b6b3574-1 · 163305 GBP · Verified supplier named on an active award.
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The award names source supplier "Thompsons Coaches Ltd"; supplier verification provides legal name THOMPSONS COACHES LIMITED and company number 04607949 through an exact-name match.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice status
98% confidenceAwarded; source record marked complete, with the award marked active.
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Process display status is "awarded" and source status is "complete"; award status is "active".
Award decision date
98% confidence10 July 2026
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Award record date: 2026-07-10.
Award notice publication date
98% confidence10 July 2026
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Award notice document datePublished: 2026-07-10T10:04:20+01:00.
Later notice update
95% confidence19 October 2026
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Award notice dateModified and process source_updated_at: 2026-10-19T11:49:18+01:00.
Contract signature status
99% confidenceUnknown
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The supplied award notice and award data do not explicitly state that a contract was signed.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value
99% confidence£163,305
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Award value amount is 163305, currency GBP.
Value allocation
97% confidenceAllocated to the single published award and supplier.
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One award is supplied, with one named supplier and a £163,305 award value.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Clarification question deadline
91% confidence7 July 2026, 09:00 BST
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Tender description states a clarification deadline of 0900 2026-07-07.
Tender submission deadline
99% confidence9 July 2026, 09:00 BST
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Tender period endDate: 2026-07-09T09:00:00+01:00.
Award date
98% confidence10 July 2026
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Award date: 2026-07-10.
Published contract period
99% confidence1 September 2026 to 31 July 2029
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Award contractPeriod startDate 2026-09-01 and endDate 2029-07-31.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
98% confidenceFR555 school passenger transport route: Debenham – Pettaugh – Ashfield – Earl Soham – Saxtead Green – Thomas Mills High School, Framlingham; 36 seats.
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Tender title and description state the route and "(36 seats)".
Category
99% confidenceTransport services excluding waste transport (CPV 60000000).
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Tender classification: CPV 60000000, "Transport services (excl. Waste transport)".
Procurement category
99% confidenceServices
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mainProcurementCategory is "services".
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Route to market
96% confidenceMini-competition under the Dynamic Purchasing System for the supply of Passenger Transport Services.
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Tender description states that Suffolk County Council was seeking a mini competition against that DPS, referencing OJEU Notice 2018/S 031-067685.
Published procurement method
99% confidenceNot specified
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procurementMethodDetails is "Not specified".
Competition data
99% confidenceNumber of bids, bidders and evaluation results are unknown.
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Information not supplied in the published notice data.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Published service period
99% confidence1 September 2026 to 31 July 2029
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Award contractPeriod provides these start and end dates.
Extension or renewal options
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice data.
Pricing structure and performance terms
99% confidenceUnknown
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Information not supplied in the published notice data.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Route-specific operating requirement
97% confidenceThe requirement is a defined 36-seat school transport route serving Thomas Mills High School, Framlingham.
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Tender title and description identify the route, school and seat count.
Market access signal
96% confidenceThe buyer used a mini-competition under an existing passenger transport DPS rather than publishing a standalone procedure in this record.
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Tender description explicitly identifies a mini competition against the passenger transport DPS.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award and supplier evidence
98% confidenceOne active award, one named supplier and one award value are published; supplier identity is verified by exact-name match.
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Award, party and supplier-verification records.
Contract conclusion evidence
99% confidenceThe record supports an award and a published service period, but not an explicit signed-contract statement.
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No supplied contract document or signature field confirms execution.
Delivery geography
96% confidenceDelivery-address data includes broad and seemingly non-route-specific territories alongside IP1 2BX; route wording is the more specific published description.
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Tender items list delivery addresses including British Oversea Territories, Channel Islands, Europe, Isle of Man, Rest of the World, United Kingdom and IP1 2BX, while the title describes Suffolk locations and Framlingham.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- No explicit evidence of contract signature or a signed contract document was supplied.
- The published notice does not state bid counts, bidder identities, evaluation criteria, scores or reasons for award.
- No extension, renewal, termination, pricing-breakdown or performance terms were supplied.
- No individual lot record or lot title is published; the requirement is described as a single route in the tender title.
- Published delivery-address fields contain broad territories that do not clearly align with the route-specific wording; no definitive delivery geography beyond the route description is inferred.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
THOMPSONS COACHES LIMITEDSuffolk County Council Passenger TransportFR555school transportpassenger transport servicesContracts FinderThomas Mills High SchoolFramlingham
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the FR555 school transport award?
THOMPSONS COACHES LIMITED, verified under company number 04607949. The source notice names the supplier as Thompsons Coaches Ltd.
What is the published award value?
£163,305.
When is the published service period?
From 1 September 2026 to 31 July 2029.
Was the contract explicitly confirmed as signed?
No. The supplied data confirms an active award and published contract period, but does not explicitly confirm signature.
ProcuraAxis award analysis supplements, but does not replace, the official award notice, contract data or procurement documents. “Awarded” does not by itself prove that a contract has been signed.