AWARD OUTCOME
What happened
Scottish Borders Council awarded Mellor Bus Ltd a direct framework call-off to purchase two buses. The contract record states that it was signed and started on 24 August 2026, with an end date of 2 November 2026.
Published outcomeOne active award and contract are recorded for verified supplier MELLOR BUS LTD. The stated contract value is £250,312 excluding VAT (£300,374.40 including VAT).
Market significanceThis is an above-threshold, non-competitive direct award under Lot 3 of the TPPL Purchase of Bus & Coach Framework Agreement for bus supply.
AWARDED SUPPLIERS AND LOTS
1 supplier record analysed
MELLOR BUS LTD
99% confidenceAward 1 · Lots Call-off lot 1; linked to framework Lot 3 · 250312 GBP · Active award; active contract
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Award 1 names supplier GB-COH-14729062. Supplier verification confirms legal name MELLOR BUS LTD and company number 14729062. The award relates to call-off lot 1, while the related framework process identifies Lot 3.
LIFECYCLE
Award or contract stage
Record status
98% confidenceActive contract and active award
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The award and contract records both have status 'active'.
Contract signature
99% confidence24 August 2026
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Contract 1 provides dateSigned as 2026-08-24 and includes a document classified as 'contractSigned'.
Contract start
99% confidence24 August 2026
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Contract 1 period startDate is 2026-08-24.
Contract end
99% confidence2 November 2026
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Contract 1 period endDate is 2026-11-02T23:59:59Z.
VALUES
Published values explained
Contract value excluding VAT
99% confidence£250,312
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Contract 1 value.amount is 250312 GBP.
Contract value including VAT
99% confidence£300,374.40
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Contract 1 value.amountGross is 300374.4 GBP.
Value allocation
96% confidenceThe published contract value applies to the single recorded contract and supplier.
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Contract 1 is linked to award 1, which names only MELLOR BUS LTD.
TIMELINE
Procurement timeline
Award decision date
97% confidence17 August 2026
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Award 1 award_date is 2026-08-17.
Initial release published
99% confidence20 August 2026
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Release history records release 079255-2026 as published on 2026-08-20.
Contract signed and started
99% confidence24 August 2026
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Contract 1 dateSigned and period startDate are both 2026-08-24.
Contract details notice published
99% confidence9 October 2026
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Document 095448-2026 and release history give publication date 2026-10-09.
Stated contract end
99% confidence2 November 2026
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Contract 1 period endDate is 2026-11-02T23:59:59Z.
SCOPE
What was awarded
Requirement
99% confidencePurchase of two buses
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Process title and description state 'Purchase of two buses'.
Category
99% confidenceGoods: buses and coaches
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Award item classification is CPV 34121000, 'Buses and coaches'; award main procurement category is goods.
Delivery region
96% confidenceScotland (UKM)
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Award item delivery address specifies region UKM.
Framework route
99% confidenceDirect call-off under Lot 3 of the TPPL Purchase of Bus & Coach Framework Agreement
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The process description states this, and the related framework process links to framework Lot 3.
PROCEDURE
Procedure and competition
Procedure
99% confidenceSelective procedure; award under framework
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Tender fields specify procurementMethod 'selective' and procurementMethodDetails 'Award under framework'.
Competition
99% confidenceNon-competitive direct award
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Tender competitive is false, and the description calls this a direct award under the framework call-off provisions.
Supplier selection rationale
96% confidenceThe buyer determined Mellor Bus Ltd to be the appropriate supplier under the framework call-off provisions.
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This rationale is stated in the process description.
CONTRACT TERMS
Published contract terms
Term
99% confidence24 August 2026 to 2 November 2026
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Contract 1 period gives these start and end dates.
Above-threshold status
99% confidenceAbove threshold
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Contract 1 aboveThreshold is true.
Performance measures
90% confidenceExisting framework KPIs may be used if required.
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The contract's noAgreedMetricsRationale says the framework KPIs will be used if required.
COMMERCIAL VIEW
Commercial observations
Route to market
98% confidenceThe procurement used an existing bus and coach framework rather than an open competition for this call-off.
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The notice describes a direct award under the TPPL Purchase of Bus & Coach Framework Agreement and marks competition as false.
Pricing visibility
93% confidenceA total net and gross contract value is published, but no unit pricing or vehicle specification breakdown is provided.
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Contract value fields provide total amounts; the published scope only identifies two buses.
DATA QUALITY
Gaps and source limitations
Lot reference clarity
98% confidenceThe call-off award is recorded against lot 1, while the source description and linked framework identify framework Lot 3.
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Award 1 relatedLot is 1; the description and relatedProcesses entry identify framework Lot 3.
Published detail limitation
95% confidenceInformation not supplied in the published notice: bus specifications, individual unit prices, bid or evaluation information, and extension or renewal terms.
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These details do not appear in the supplied process, award, contract, lot or document metadata.
Notice chronology
99% confidenceThe contract details notice was published after the recorded signature and start date.
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Signature/start are 24 August 2026, while contract details notice 095448-2026 was published on 9 October 2026.
SOURCE DATA LIMITATIONS
Information not supplied in the published notice
- Bus specifications, technical requirements and unit-level pricing are not published in the supplied data.
- The notice provides no bid count, evaluation scores, comparative supplier information or detailed rationale beyond the framework call-off statement.
- No extension, option or renewal terms are published.
- The call-off lot is numbered 1, whereas the linked framework reference is Lot 3; the source does not explain this numbering difference.
MARKET THEMES
Relevant award themes
Scottish Borders CouncilMELLOR BUS LTDbus purchaseTPPL Purchase of Bus & Coach Frameworkdirect awardpublic procurement
COMMON QUESTIONS
About this award
Who won the Scottish Borders Council bus contract?
MELLOR BUS LTD, verified against company number 14729062, is the sole supplier named on award 1.
What is the value of the bus purchase contract?
The published value is £250,312 excluding VAT and £300,374.40 including VAT.
Was the contract signed?
Yes. The contract record states it was signed on 24 August 2026 and includes a document classified as a signed contract.
Was this competitively tendered?
The notice records a non-competitive direct award under the TPPL Purchase of Bus & Coach Framework Agreement.
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.