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This is a dynamic purchasing system or similar standing arrangement, not a one-off tender.

Suppliers can apply to join at any time until 20 April 2034. The buyer then invites admitted suppliers to compete for individual contracts, each with its own short deadline.

Open to joinDynamic purchasing systemUnited Kingdom

DPS Transport for Education, Social care and other transport requirements (East Lothian Council)

Issued by East Lothian Council · via UK Find a Tender Service

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Published
17 Apr 2026
Open to join until
20 Apr 2034, 11:00 UTC
Value
GBP 43,717,860
Reference
ELC-26-0730
Location
United Kingdom
Sector
Transport & Logistics
Type
services

At a glance

East Lothian Council in United Kingdom has published an open-admission purchasing arrangement in transport & logistics: “DPS Transport for Education, Social care and other transport requirements (East Lothian Council)”. Suppliers can apply to join until 20 April 2034. The stated value is GBP 43,717,860. Quote reference ELC-26-0730 in any correspondence with the buyer. FreeTender has recorded 3 notices from this buyer since 2026, 2 of them currently open. There are 325 open transport & logistics notices in United Kingdom on FreeTender. Bids are submitted to the buyer through UK Find a Tender Service, not through FreeTender.

Details

East Lothian Council ("ELC") are responsible for the procurement of service transport contracts to meet the education and social care needs as well as other passenger requirements. Most of the transport will be within East Lothian area. ELC is setting up a Dynamic Purchasing System ("DPS") to procure these contracts. A DPS is completely electronic system and is similar to a framework agreement but a key difference is that, unlike a framework agreement, suppliers can join a DPS at any time. Contracts operated through this DPS can generally be undertaken by taxis, private hire cars, minibuses and buses, including the requirement for those of these vehicles to be capable of carrying passengers in wheelchairs. The DPS will be split into the following categories:

-Category 1: MPVs (5-8 seats), including salon cars (4 seats).

-Category 2: MPV- Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV)- (5-8 seats)

-Category 3: Minibus (9-16 seats), including wheelchair accessible vehicles

-Category 4: Vehicles above 17 seats

Contracts under the DPS will be awarded following mini competitions.

Context for bidders

We hold 3 notices from East Lothian Council, going back to April 2026 — 2 of them still open. They buy mostly in Education & Training, Sports, Recreation & Events and Transport & Logistics. There are 325 open Transport & Logistics tenders in United Kingdom. This one closes in 2735 days.

Before you bid on this tender

A quick checklist to help you decide whether to bid and prepare a compliant submission for this transport & logistics opportunity. Always verify the details on the official source.

  • Confirm the exact closing date and time (and time zone) on the official portal — deadlines are strict and can be revised by a corrigendum.
  • Read the full notice and every attached document, including the scope, specifications and any bill of quantities or terms of reference.
  • Check the eligibility criteria — prior similar experience, annual turnover, certifications and registrations — and make sure you qualify before investing effort.
  • Prepare any earnest-money deposit (EMD) or bid security and the required formats early; missing or wrongly-formatted documents are a common cause of rejection.
  • Note how bids must be submitted (online or physical), in what format, and whether a digital signature or portal registration is required.
  • Watch for corrigenda and clarifications right up to the deadline — requirements and dates can change.
Common bidding mistakes to avoid →Writing a winning proposal

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