Ends in 7 weeks
WCC DRT West Midlands
Warwickshire County Council · West Midlands
Held by Liftango ltd, Stagecoach
Demand responsive transport tenders and contracts
UK public sector, covering 600+ buyer sites
321 demand responsive transport tenders and contracts, 62 this year.
Updated 4 November 2026 · compiled by BidSkim Limited · How we count
- Awarded a month£1.1m
- Contracts a month1.8
- Won by SMEs70%
- Renewing in 6 months2
- Frameworks and DPSs7
- Live now8See them →
Demand responsive transport contracts
Tap a region to see its contracts. Pick as many as you like.
How many demand responsive transport contracts do keyword alerts miss?
In the last year, a "demand responsive transport" alert would have missed 5 of 24 demand responsive transport contracts (21%) and an expert list of 14 phrases 1 (4%). How we measured this
Keyword alert"demand responsive transport"
21% missed
5 of 24
Expert list14 phrases
4% missed
1 of 24
Expert list: demand responsive transport, drt, flexible bus service, local link, taxibus, dial a ride, on demand bus, demand responsive bus, flexible transport service, community transport, rural bus service, minibus service, local bus service, passenger transport dps
BidSkim reads every notice in full and matches the work, not the words.See what BidSkim finds for you
42 contracts across the UK, of any size
Live now
8 demand responsive transport opportunities are open now
- OpenCloses in 3 weeksCPCA Bus Service Tendering – Demand Responsive Transport (Tiger on Demand)Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority · East of EnglandEst.£6m
- OpenCloses Nov 2037Road Based Passenger Transport ServicesBracknell Forest Council · South EastEst.£12m
- Awarded7 Oct 2026East Manchester Local Link - TFGM DPS Lot DTransport for Greater Manchester · North WestWon by Eco Travel Limited£568k
- Awarded7 Oct 2026Saddleworth Local Link - TFGM DPS Lot DTransport for Greater Manchester · North WestWon by Eco Travel Limited£255k
- Awarded7 Oct 2026Middleton & Heywood Local Link - TFGM DPS Lot DTransport for Greater Manchester · North WestWon by Eco Travel Limited£822k
- Awarded7 Oct 2026Wythenshawe Local Link - TFGM DPS Lot DTransport for Greater Manchester · North WestWon by Eco Travel Limited£1.4m
- Awarded26 Aug 2026Opportunity T191MFAOP - July 2026 Flexible Bus ServiceWarrington Borough Council · North WestWon by Direct Access Taxis Ltd£41k
- Awarded13 Aug 2026TT0007- Modification 3 of Taxibus ContractFife Council · Scotland£2.6m
- Awarded13 Aug 2026TT0007- Modification 3 of Taxibus ContractFife Council · Scotland£3.7m
- Awarded9 Jun 2026Dynamic Purchasing System For Passenger Transport Services 2023Aberdeenshire Council · ScotlandWon by Kininmonth Cabs Ltd£1.4m
- Awarded2 Jun 2026Tender for the Supply of Local Bus Services for June 2026Angus Council · ScotlandWon by Stagecoach and 1 more
- Awarded18 May 2026Digital Demand Responsive Transport Service - FlexibusEast Sussex County Council · South EastWon by East Surrey Rural Transport Partnership£314k
- Awarded18 May 2026Digital Demand Responsive Transport Service - FlexibusEast Sussex County Council · South EastWon by East Surrey Rural Transport Partnership£562k
- Awarded18 May 2026Digital Demand Responsive Transport Service - FlexibusEast Sussex County Council · South EastWon by East Surrey Rural Transport Partnership£562k
- Awarded18 May 2026Digital Demand Responsive Transport Service - FlexibusEast Sussex County Council · South EastWon by East Surrey Rural Transport Partnership£562k
- Awarded18 May 2026Digital Demand Responsive Transport Service - FlexibusEast Sussex County Council · South EastWon by East Surrey Rural Transport Partnership£562k
- Awarded13 Apr 2026Demand Responsive Transport itravelCheshire West and Chester Council · North WestWon by Diamond Bus£1.8m
- Awarded30 Mar 2026Demand Responsive Transport PilotSouth Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by Via£630k
- Awarded27 Mar 2026Demand Responsive TransportNorth Lincolnshire Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by East Yorkshire Buses£523k
- Awarded25 Aug 2025Demand Responsive Transport Service - Tees Flex Bus ServiceTees Valley Combined Authority · North EastWon by Stagecoach£897k
- Awarded15 Jul 2025Tender for the Supply of Local Bus Services for September 2025Angus Council · ScotlandWon by Shorts Travel Ltd
- Awarded1 Jul 2025Tees Flex Bus ServiceTees Valley Combined Authority · North EastWon by Stagecoach£533k
- Awarded30 Jun 2025Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Passenger Transport Services in Neath Port TalbotNeath Port Talbot County Borough Council · Wales
- Awarded8 Jun 2025PL0066 - Transport DPS 2023 - Local Bus - DL0156 - Service DaRT 3 (Monday to Saturday): Braintree to BraintreeEssex County Council · East of EnglandWon by Central Connect Transport Limited£213k
- Awarded29 Mar 2025DEMAND RESPONSIVE TRANSPORT IN COVENTRYWest Midlands Combined Authority · West MidlandsWon by WeMove Solutions Ltd£330k
- Awarded22 Mar 2025DDRT Book-a-Bus service CTSWest Sussex County Council · South EastWon by Community Transport Sussex£66k
- Awarded22 Mar 2025DDRT Book-a-Bus service HoppaWest Sussex County Council · South EastWon by Hoppa Limited£57k
- Awarded13 Mar 2025Provision of Local Bus Services in Leicestershire (LBS1)Leicestershire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Centrebus
- Awarded25 Feb 2025Demand Responsive Transport ServiceMilton Keynes City Council · South EastWon by Via£5.4m
- Awarded18 Feb 2025Demand Responsive Transport Service - AWARDMilton Keynes City Council · South EastWon by ViaVan£5.4m
- Awarded20 Dec 2024Local Bus Services in Leicestershire - Multiple LotsLeicestershire County Council · East MidlandsWon by Centrebus and 1 more
- Awarded7 Nov 2024LDC-408a - On Demand Transport Project (Vehicle and Drivers)Lichfield District Council · West MidlandsWon by WEDRT£150k
- Open to joinOpen nowWales DPS57 suppliers on it
- Open to joinOpen nowScotland DPS28 suppliers on it
- Open to joinOpen nowScotland DPS19 suppliers on it
- Open to joinOpen nowUK-wide DPS8 suppliers on it
- Open to joinOpen nowSouth East DPS1 supplier on it
- Open to joinOpen nowSouth East DPS1 supplier on it
Where to bid
Where demand responsive transport tenders are run
EU-Supply3 43%
In-Tend1 14%
Open (NEPO)1 14%
ProContract1 14%
The Chest1 14%
Tenders published in the last year that name the bid portal they run on.
Frameworks and DPS
7 frameworks and DPSs for demand responsive transport work are running. 6 are open to join now.
East Surrey Rural Transport Partnership won the most demand responsive transport contracts
Via won the most by value. Each dot is one contract, coloured by who bought it.
CouncilsTransport and utilities
| Rank | Contractor | Contracts won, by buyer | Contracts | Value won | Buyers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Surrey Rural Transport Partnership South East · SME · See every contract | 12 | £4.4m | 1 | ||
| 2 | Eco Travel Limited North West · See every contract | 4 | £3m | 1 | ||
| 3 | Stagecoach North East · 1 framework place · See every contract | 3 | £1.4m | 2 | ||
| 4joint | Via Yorkshire and the Humber · SME · See every contract | 2 | £6m | 2 | ||
| 4joint | Centrebus East Midlands · See every contract | 2 | Not published | 1 | ||
| 4joint | Shorts Travel Ltd Scotland · SME · 1 framework place · See every contract | 2 | Not published | 1 | ||
| 7joint | ViaVan South East · See every contract | 1 | £5.4m | 1 | ||
| 7joint | Diamond Bus North West · See every contract | 1 | £1.8m | 1 | ||
| 7joint | Kininmonth Cabs Ltd Scotland · 1 framework place · See every contract | 1 | £1.4m | 1 | ||
| 7joint | East Yorkshire Buses Yorkshire and the Humber · See every contract | 1 | £523k | 1 |
8 more demand responsive transport contractors ranked. See the full ranking →
Win demand responsive transport contracts? Share your ranking.
Who buys
Councils award 90% of demand responsive transport contracts
Contracts with a published value in the last 2 years, from the type of buyer to the size of the contract.
9 buyers bought demand responsive transport more than once in the last 2 years
Each dot is a buyer, by how many demand responsive transport contracts it awarded in the last 2 years.
See who they are and when they usually buy →
Few and big, or many and small
Each dot is a buyer: how many demand responsive transport contracts it awarded against what they were worth. The busiest and biggest are named.
CouncilsTransport and utilities
Top buyers by contracts awarded
| Rank | Buyer | Contracts | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Sussex County Council | 12 | £4.4m |
| 2 | Transport for Greater Manchester | 4 | £3m |
| 3 | Scottish Borders Council | 4 | Not published |
| 4 | Angus Council | 3 | Not published |
| 5 | Milton Keynes City Council | 2 | £10.8m |
| 6 | Fife Council | 2 | £6.2m |
| 7 | Tees Valley Combined Authority | 2 | £1.4m |
| 8 | West Sussex County Council | 2 | £123k |
| 9 | Leicestershire County Council | 2 | Not published |
| 10 | Cheshire West and Chester Council | 1 | £1.8m |
95 demand responsive transport contracts awarded since 2021
- 82021
- 142022
- 182023
- 162024
- 152025
- 242026 so far
Prices
Half of demand responsive transport contracts are worth less than £533k
CouncilsTransport and utilities
The 10 biggest demand responsive transport contracts
- Milton Keynes City CouncilViaVan · 18 Feb 2025
- Milton Keynes City CouncilVia · 25 Feb 2025
- Fife CouncilWinner not published · 13 Aug 2026
- Fife CouncilWinner not published · 13 Aug 2026
- Cheshire West and Chester CouncilDiamond Bus · 13 Apr 2026
- Aberdeenshire CouncilKininmonth Cabs Ltd · 9 Jun 2026
- Transport for Greater ManchesterEco Travel Limited · 7 Oct 2026
- Tees Valley Combined AuthorityStagecoach · 25 Aug 2025
- Transport for Greater ManchesterEco Travel Limited · 7 Oct 2026
- South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined AuthorityVia · 30 Mar 2026
Renewing contracts
2 demand responsive transport contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months
2 in the next 6 months. The 2 ending soonest are shown in full.
Ends Mar 2027
Demand Responsive Transport Service - AWARD
Milton Keynes City Council · South East · 2-year contract
Held by ViaVan
Where and when
The South East awards the most demand responsive transport contracts
Contracts by region and by month awarded. Click a region to filter the page.
FewerMore contracts
The regions as a table
| Region | Open now | Contracts | Value | Typical contract | Won the most | Bought the most | Renewing in 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South East | 1 | 16 | £15.4m | £314k | East Surrey Rural Transport Partnership (12) | East Sussex County Council (12) | 1 |
| Scotland | 0 | 10 | £7.7m | £2.6m | Shorts Travel Ltd (2) | Scottish Borders Council (4) | 0 |
| North West | 0 | 6 | £4.9m | £695k | Eco Travel Limited (4) | Transport for Greater Manchester (4) | 0 |
| North East | 0 | 2 | £1.4m | – | Stagecoach (2) | Tees Valley Combined Authority (2) | 0 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 0 | 2 | £1.2m | – | – | – | 0 |
| East Midlands | 0 | 2 | Not published | – | Centrebus (2) | Leicestershire County Council (2) | 0 |
| West Midlands | 0 | 2 | £480k | – | – | – | 1 |
| East of England | 1 | 1 | £213k | – | – | – | 0 |
| Wales | 0 | 1 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
| London | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
| South West | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
| Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
Often bought with demand responsive transport
Key findings
- £1.1m a month
of demand responsive transport contracts awarded.
Typical contract £562k x 2 contracts a month, last 12 months. - 1.8
demand responsive transport contracts are awarded in a typical month.
42 contracts in the last 2 years. - 2
demand responsive transport contracts come up for renewal in the next 6 months.
Recurring contracts with a named supplier and a published end date before 4 May 2027. - 7
frameworks and DPSs are running for demand responsive transport work.
6 open to join now. - 70%
of demand responsive transport contracts are won by SMEs.
As recorded by the buyer, on 27 award notices.
How many demand responsive transport tenders and contracts are there?
| Since November 2021 | Last 12 months | |
|---|---|---|
| Notices published | 321 | 62 |
| Contracts awarded | 87 | 24 |
8 demand responsive transport contracts and frameworks end in the next 12 months, 7 of them recurring services. In the last two years, 18 buyers awarded demand responsive transport contracts to 18 suppliers.
Source: Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI, to 4 November 2026. By Seamus White. How we count
Questions
How many demand responsive transport contracts does the UK public sector award?
42 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, from 18 public buyers.
How long are demand responsive transport tenders open for?
The median demand responsive transport tender is open for 29 days from publication to deadline.
How much is a typical public sector demand responsive transport contract worth?
The median is £533k, and 16% are worth less than £250k.
Who wins the most public sector demand responsive transport contracts?
East Surrey Rural Transport Partnership won the most (12). Via won the most by value (£6m).
Which buyers award the most demand responsive transport contracts?
Councils award 90% of them.
Which part of the UK awards the most demand responsive transport contracts?
The South East: 16 of 42 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, then Scotland (10) and the North West (6).
How many demand responsive transport contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months?
2 contracts end and are likely to be re-let, the first on 20 December 2026. Another 2 ending are one-off work.
Are there frameworks or DPSs for demand responsive transport work that are open to join?
7 frameworks and DPSs for demand responsive transport work are running. 6 are open to join now.
What is included
An operator runs flexible, bookable minibus or bus services within a zone or rural area with drivers and vehicles, sometimes with the booking software or using council-owned vehicles.
- DRT services in urban or rural zones
- DRT operation bundled with the booking and routing software
- Drivers employed and rostered by the supplier to run council-owned DRT vehicles
What is not included
- Dial-a-ride for older and disabled residents (see Community transport and volunteer car schemes)
- Fixed local bus routes (see Local bus service operation (tendered and franchised))
- DRT booking platforms bought alone (see Public transport planning and demand-responsive transport platform)
- Agency drivers directed by the buyer (see Agency drivers)