SCC South Local Bus Service

Southend-on-Sea City Council (SCC) seeks to engage the market through this Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise in preparation for the potential procurement of a South Local Bus Service. The detail of which can be found in the Engagement section below. Scope: Description: Currently there are no commercial bus services which provide a service with a direct link into Airport land, operating between Southend Travel Centre and London Southend Airport and Temple Farm Industrial Estate. This new bus service will support residents within St. Laurence; Prittlewell; St. Luke's; Southchurch; Victoria; Kursall; Milton Wards and enable new connections across the city. Consultation for the BSIP identified many residents wanted to see a route from the Eastern area of Southend-on-Sea into London Southend Airport and considered that such a service could enable new connections across the city and avoid the need to travel into the city centre to change buses. This new bus service will also support local businesses along the route including the Temple Farm Industrial areas of the city, that have no, or very few, bus services linking them direct to other parts of the city. Contract dates (estimated): • 18 October 2026 to 21 October 2028 • Possible extension to 20 October 2029 • (2 years + 1 year) Engagement: Engagement deadline 30 March 2026 Engagement process description: Southend-on-Sea City Council will be holding an online Teams market engagement event for this service on 31st March 2026 (subject to availability). The Market Engagement Event will cover the following: - Overview of the Service - Proposed Procurement Approach - Indicative Procurement Timeline - Q&A Session with Suppliers The Council will use all reasonable endeavours to respond to questions raised within the session. The session will be recorded. To register your interest in this opportunity, please email Procurement at lucygayler@southend.gov.uk and provide the following information: - Name of your registered organisation - Names and Email Addresses of Attendees for the Market Engagement Event - Acceptance of your availability. Important Information: Respondents are advised that the purpose of this notice is to engage in dialogue with the market. The scope of service, date of publication or potential contract value should not be taken as a final "version" of requirement. This notice is not a call for competition to procure any services and is not published to reduce time limited for the receipt of tenders. Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response or (lack) to this notice. Nor shall a response to this notice guarantee an invitation to participate in any future procurement process that Southend-on-Sea City Council may conduct.