AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Suffolk County Council Passenger Transport awarded a passenger transport service for the Hadleigh/Ipswich-to-Hillside Special School, Sudbury route, stated as four seats with a Passenger Assistant, to UNIVERSAL CABS LTD.
Published outcomeThe published award record names UNIVERSAL CABS LTD as supplier and reports an active award valued at £102,470.80.
Market significanceThis is a specialist school passenger transport requirement awarded through a mini-competition under the stated Passenger Transport Services Dynamic Purchasing System.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
UNIVERSAL CABS LTD
99% confidenceAward ocds-b5fd17-52b23130-c89e-4037-bbb6-aaa4946bc909-1 · 102470.80 GBP · verified; named supplier on active award
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The award names Universal Cabs Ltd as supplier; supplier verification provides verified legal name UNIVERSAL CABS LTD and company number 13485605 through an exact-name match.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Notice type
99% confidenceAwarded contract notice on Contracts Finder
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The process notice type and award document are both labelled “Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder”.
Published status
98% confidenceAwarded; award status active
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Process display status is “awarded”; the award record status is “active”.
Award date
98% confidence16 October 2026
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Award record date: 2026-10-16.
Contract signature
99% confidenceUnknown
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No supplied field explicitly states that a contract was signed.
Stated service start
96% confidence19 October 2026
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Tender and award contract-period start fields state 2026-10-19.
VALUES
Published values explained
Award value
99% confidence£102,470.80
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The single award record states value amount 102470.8 GBP.
Value allocation
98% confidenceAttributed to the single published award and its sole named supplier
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One award is supplied, with one listed supplier and a GBP 102470.8 award value.
Pricing basis and breakdown
99% confidenceUnknown
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No pricing schedule, unit rates, VAT treatment, or cost breakdown is supplied.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Clarification deadline
94% confidence13 October 2026, 09:00 (UTC+01:00)
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The description states a clarification-question deadline of 2026-10-13 0900.
Tender submission deadline
98% confidence14 October 2026, 09:00 (UTC+01:00)
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Tender period endDate and the description state 2026-10-14 0900.
Award date
98% confidence16 October 2026
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Award date: 2026-10-16.
Notice publication
99% confidence16 October 2026, 06:51 (UTC+01:00)
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Award notice datePublished: 2026-10-16T06:51:17+01:00.
Stated contract end
96% confidence31 July 2029, 23:59:59 (UTC+01:00)
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Tender and award contract-period end fields state 2029-07-31T23:59:59+01:00.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
94% confidencePassenger transport service for Hadleigh/Ipswich to Hillside Special School, Sudbury, for four seats with a Passenger Assistant
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The notice title and description identify QSC197 and describe the route and “4 seats with Passenger Assistant”.
Category
99% confidenceTransport services (excluding waste transport)
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Primary CPV classification is 60000000, described as “Transport services (excl. Waste transport)”.
Lot structure
98% confidenceNo lots published
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The supplied lots array is empty and no lot IDs are attached to the award.
Delivery geography
90% confidenceRoute references Hadleigh/Ipswich and Hillside Special School, Sudbury; structured delivery-location data is inconsistent
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The description names the route, while delivery addresses also list broad and unrelated geographic entries alongside IP1 2BX.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Route to market
97% confidenceMini competition under a Dynamic Purchasing System
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The description says Suffolk County Council was seeking a mini competition against “The supply of Passenger Transport Services” DPS, OJEU Notice Id 2018/S 031-067685.
Procurement method
99% confidenceNot specified in the published data
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procurementMethodDetails is “Not specified”.
Competition metrics
99% confidenceUnknown
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No bid count, participant list, scoring, evaluation outcome, or award rationale is supplied.
SME/VCSE suitability flags
97% confidenceSME: false; VCSE: false
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Tender suitability fields state sme false and vcse false.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Stated term
96% confidence19 October 2026 to 31 July 2029
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The published tender and award contract-period fields give these dates.
Approximate stated duration
91% confidenceAbout 33 months
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Calculated from the supplied start date of 19 October 2026 and end date of 31 July 2029.
Passenger Assistant
96% confidenceRequired in the described service
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The title and description state “4 seats with Passenger Assistant”.
Extension and renewal options
99% confidenceUnknown
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No extension, option, or renewal terms are supplied.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Addressable service profile
94% confidenceSpecialist passenger transport associated with school travel, with a Passenger Assistant requirement
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The published requirement is a route to Hillside Special School for four seats with a Passenger Assistant.
Route-to-market implication
93% confidenceSuppliers seeking similar work would need to be eligible for the referenced Passenger Transport Services DPS and compete in mini competitions
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The notice explicitly identifies a mini competition under that DPS.
Award economics
98% confidenceThe published award total is £102,470.80; underlying rates and service volumes are not published
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The award value is supplied, but no pricing or volume breakdown is provided.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Award-versus-contract status
99% confidenceThe record supports an awarded, active award and states a future service period; it does not explicitly evidence signature.
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Notice is an award notice, award status is active, and no signature field or signed-contract document is supplied.
Location data quality
98% confidenceStructured delivery locations contain broad or unrelated entries and should not be treated as the operating geography.
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Delivery addresses include British Oversea Territories, Channel Islands, Europe, Isle of Man and Rest of the World, while the narrative identifies a Suffolk school transport route.
Published detail gap
99% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice includes bid numbers, evaluation, award rationale, pricing breakdown, lot allocation, and extension terms.
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These fields and documents are absent from the supplied record.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- The supplied notice does not explicitly confirm contract signature; it should be reported as an awarded active award, not as a signed contract.
- No tenderer count, bid prices, evaluation scores, award rationale, or pricing breakdown is published.
- No lot titles, individual lot values, or extension/renewal terms are published.
- Structured delivery-location entries are inconsistent with the narrative route and include broad or unrelated geographies; the narrative route is the more specific description but does not resolve all operating-location detail.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
UNIVERSAL CABS LTDSuffolk County Council Passenger TransportHillside Special Schoolschool passenger transportSuffolk transport tenderDynamic Purchasing System
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the QSC197 school transport award?
UNIVERSAL CABS LTD is the verified legal supplier named on the published award.
What is the published award value?
The single published award is valued at £102,470.80.
When is the stated service period?
The published contract period runs from 19 October 2026 to 31 July 2029.
Was the contract signed?
The supplied award notice does not explicitly state that a contract was signed.
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.