Official UK procurement notice
Supply, Installation and Support of On-Bus Destination Display Equipment and Audio Visual Announcements (AVA)
Authority: South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (Local council)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionSouth Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is procuring the design, supply, installation, commissioning, integration, maintenance and support of on-bus destination display equipment and an audio visual announcement (AVA) system for the South Yorkshire franchised bus fleet, together with the supporting back office and content management software.
The requirement covers 723 vehicles, being the whole franchised fleet including vehicles used on school services, driver training vehicles and operator spare vehicles. Destination display equipment is required for all 723 vehicles together with a 2% spares allowance, giving 738 destination display units, and AVA is required for all 723 vehicles. The assumed fleet composition is 35% single deck and 65% double deck.
The fleet is brought into service in three phases, with Go Live Dates of 4 September 2027, 10 September 2028 and 10 September 2029. The estimated split is approximately 406 vehicles in Phase 1, 190 in Phase 2 and 127 in Phase 3. These are estimates and the number of vehicles in each phase may be more or less. The Authority may elect not to proceed with Phase 2 and/or Phase 3, on written notice given not less than three months before the first purchase order for that phase falls to be issued under the agreed delivery and installation programme, in accordance with the contract terms.
Equipment is expected to be fitted at the vehicle manufacturer's premises during vehicle build, and ordered in batches against an agreed delivery and installation programme. The supplier is required to provide a fully maintained service for the contract term, including remote monitoring and diagnostics, fault response and repair, spares, software and firmware updates, obsolescence management and a helpdesk.
The solution must comply with the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 and must operate without dependency on the Authority's separately procured AVL system or Vehicle Compute / IP Edge Gateway.
The requirement is not divided into lots. The destination display equipment and the AVA system are technically interdependent, both presenting route, destination and next stop information drawn from a single source of timetable, route and stop data, and dividing the requirement would place the risk of that interface with the Authority rather than the supplier.
The Authority reserves the right to order up to a maximum of 1,100 destination display units and up to a maximum of 1,100 AVA units during the contract period at the rates tendered, without a further tendering exercise, to allow for fleet growth and replacements. These are separate maximums for each type and not a combined total. Orders are subject to the maximum contract value stated in this notice.
The contract has an initial term to 10 September 2032, with up to four further periods of twelve months each at the Authority's sole discretion, to a maximum end date of 10 September 2036. The total value stated includes the optional additional orders and the extension periods.
- Not divided into lots: The destination display equipment and the AVA system are technically interdependent. Both present route, destination and next stop information drawn from a single source of timetable, route and stop data, and both must present that information consistently to passengers. Dividing the requirement would create an interface at the heart of the passenger information experience and would place the risk of that interface with the Authority rather than with a single supplier. A single contract also provides single point accountability for installation at the vehicle manufacturer's premises and for ongoing maintenance across the fleet.
CPV: Installation services (except software) · Passenger information system · Repair and maintenance services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1RenewalPublished value£20,000,000
- Economic & financial standing
Suppliers must have a minimum annual turnover of at least twice the expected annual contract value in each of the last two financial years. For this procurement that threshold is £3,340,000. Suppliers self-certify against the threshold at tender stage.
Where a supplier does not itself meet the turnover threshold, it may rely on a guarantor.
A financial viability assessment will be carried out on the intended awardee and any guarantor only, using the Government Commercial Function financial viability assessment tool. A red rating triggers consideration of proportionate mitigation rather than automatic exclusion.
Suppliers are asked to confirm that they hold, or are able to commit to obtaining by the date of contract award, the levels of insurance required by the contract. Insurance is not required to be in place before contract award.
Full details are set out in ITT Part 4 (Procurement Specific Questionnaire).
- Technical & professional ability
Suppliers must provide details of up to three contracts from the public or private sector demonstrating relevant experience. At least two of those contracts must involve the supply, installation and support of destination display and/or audio visual announcement equipment, or comparable on-bus passenger information equipment, for bus fleets of at least 200 vehicles, delivered within the past five years.
Suppliers must confirm their cyber security arrangements. Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO/IEC 27001 or any equivalent certification or standard will be accepted.
Where any part of the contract is to be subcontracted, suppliers must demonstrate how they have previously maintained healthy supply chains with their subcontractors.
Where organisational qualifications or standards are specified, suppliers may provide details of equivalent standards that equal or exceed those requested.
Full details are set out in ITT Part 4 (Procurement Specific Questionnaire).
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published award criteria (3)
- Price: The total maximum percentage available for price is 40%. The lowest priced compliant tender receives the full 40%. Marks are deducted from other tenders in proportion to the percentage by which they exceed the lowest price. For example, where a tender is 10% more expensive than the lowest, 10% is deducted from the maximum available. Price is evaluated on the Evaluated Total Price calculated in Part 6 (Pricing Schedule).
- Quality: The total maximum percentage available for quality is 50%. Quality is assessed through seven questions set out in Part 5 (Tender Submission), weighted as follows as a percentage of the quality score: Q1 Bus franchising, passengers and accessibility 13%; Q2 Delivery and installation 21%; Q3 Integration and dependencies 14%; Q4 Service, support and performance 29%; Q5 Team and contract management 8%; Q6 Relevant experience 7%; Q7 Desirable requirements 8%. Each response is scored on a 0 to 5 scale. A minimum score of 3 (Acceptable) is required on every quality question other than Q7, and an overall quality threshold of 50% of the available quality marks applies. Tenders failing either threshold will be eliminated. Q7 is scored but is not subject to the minimum score threshold. Part 3 Annex A (Technical Response Schedule) is assessed on a pass or fail basis and is not scored. A response of 'Non-compliant' against any requirement marked 'Must' will result in the tender being rejected.
- Social Value: The total maximum percentage available for social value is 10%. Social value is assessed through the Social Value Portal using the National TOMs framework, split 40% quantitative and 60% qualitative. Tenderers must select and commit to measures from the TOMs available on the Portal for this procurement and return the Social Value Delivery Plan with their tender, in accordance with Appendix A (Social Value Instructions). Commitments made will be monitored through the Portal for the duration of the contract and will form part of the contract.
- Economic & financial standing
Suppliers must have a minimum annual turnover of at least twice the expected annual contract value in each of the last two financial years. For this procurement that threshold is £3,340,000. Suppliers self-certify against the threshold at tender stage.
Where a supplier does not itself meet the turnover threshold, it may rely on a guarantor.
A financial viability assessment will be carried out on the intended awardee and any guarantor only, using the Government Commercial Function financial viability assessment tool. A red rating triggers consideration of proportionate mitigation rather than automatic exclusion.
Suppliers are asked to confirm that they hold, or are able to commit to obtaining by the date of contract award, the levels of insurance required by the contract. Insurance is not required to be in place before contract award.
Full details are set out in ITT Part 4 (Procurement Specific Questionnaire).
- Technical & professional ability
Suppliers must provide details of up to three contracts from the public or private sector demonstrating relevant experience. At least two of those contracts must involve the supply, installation and support of destination display and/or audio visual announcement equipment, or comparable on-bus passenger information equipment, for bus fleets of at least 200 vehicles, delivered within the past five years.
Suppliers must confirm their cyber security arrangements. Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO/IEC 27001 or any equivalent certification or standard will be accepted.
Where any part of the contract is to be subcontracted, suppliers must demonstrate how they have previously maintained healthy supply chains with their subcontractors.
Where organisational qualifications or standards are specified, suppliers may provide details of equivalent standards that equal or exceed those requested.
Full details are set out in ITT Part 4 (Procurement Specific Questionnaire).
- Price carries 40 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 4 points. The method statement decides this lot, not the discount.
- Turnover usually expected at this size: about £7,149,999 (twice the annual value).
Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula. Turnover is an indicative market norm (≈2× annual value), not a published condition.
Competition analysis · published record, not a forecast of who will bid
How South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority buys Television and audio-visual equipment (CPV 3232), and who usually turns up
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s published record next to the market for the same work. Frameworks and DPS are left out: they draw different bid counts. Whole-market view: Television and audio-visual equipment (CPV 3232) →
How the contest usually goes
Winner shares use published awards; bid and price charts use contested lots.
i
How often small and medium firms win.
Share of awards where the winner’s size is known.
The counts under this question show how many awards have a known supplier size.
Small firms have won here. Neither number says whether you qualify; it describes who has been winning.
i
How often local firms win similar work.
Winners with a registered address in the delivery region, out of awards with a known address.
Local means the winner is registered in the region where that award was delivered. The market figure counts awards delivered in Yorkshire and the Humber.
A local branch does not count if the registered address is elsewhere.
Most of this buyer’s recorded winners were registered outside the region where that award was delivered.
i
How long buyers here take to decide after bids close.
Middle value in days from the bid deadline to the award date, on competitions that published both.
Only decided tenders count, so slow ones still waiting are not in.
Half of these awards have an award date within 36 days of the bid deadline.
i
How often work is awarded with no recorded rival.
Direct awards and tenders where every published lot count shows one bid.
Both shares are minimums: some awards have no bid count.
Thin markets produce this too; it is not proof of a tailored specification.
Direct awards or one recorded bid are common here. Check the route before spending time on a bid.
How many bids did past lots attract?
i
How many bids past lots received.
Each colour is a bid-count range. Only competed lots with a published count are included.
Past bids do not predict this tender.
1 bid4% / 18%
2–326% / 33%
4–633% / 30%
7+37% / 18%
How did awards compare with estimates?
i
Where winning prices landed against estimates.
Each colour shows awards below, close to or above the published estimate, one lot at a time.
Past prices are a guide, not a bid price.
Below estimate50% / 57%
Within ±2%45% / 24%
Above estimate5% / 19%
Assess each lot i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
i
What past awards tell you about each lot.
See the forecast, this buyer’s earlier suppliers and firms with relevant wins.
No supplier is confirmed as a bidder.
Open a lot for its forecast, this buyer’s previous supplier and possible competitors, from published award history, not a bid list
Lot #1CPV 4881Published estimate£20m
This lot is listed as CPV 4881. The table above uses the notice category.
i
How many bids this lot may attract.
The forecast uses similar past competitions. The bar shows either that forecast or past bid counts; the line below says which.
Each lot shows its own forecast based on its own category; forecasts for different lots of the same notice are not comparative. The bar shows 36 past lots.
A forecast, not a list of bidders.
1 bid14%
2–328%
4–633%
7+25%
i
Where the award price may land.
The forecast uses similar awards and the buyer’s estimate. The band covers the middle half of likely prices.
No comparable awards for this lot yet.
A statistical guide from past awards, not a price to bid.
Who has supplied this buyer on similar work? i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
i
Who has done similar work for this buyer.
Past contracts are matched by buyer, title and type of work.
A past supplier may not bid again.
No earlier contract of this buyer matches this lot on the published record.
Who could compete for this lot? i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
i
Who could compete for this lot?
Firms with relevant past wins. On a framework, we show firms on that agreement.
None is confirmed as a bidder.
Candidate suppliers for this notice have not been worked out yet, so this is not a verdict that nobody fits.
About this data
- Source. Official UK public procurement notices (Find a Tender), reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. New notices arrive through the day; the figures are rebuilt nightly.
- Two views, kept apart. The authority’s own track record and the wider market for the same kind of work sit side by side and are never mixed. Where the local picture is too thin, a figure widens to a broader market and says which one it used.
- Forecasts are labelled. The price forecast and its range, possible competitors and the earlier-work matches are our estimates from past awards: not published facts, not win chances and not price advice. Official notices do not say who is bidding.
- Every figure shows what it rests on. Not every notice publishes a bid count, a value or a delivery region, so each figure carries the number of records behind it, and one built on few records is marked as such. The on a figure explains it; the counting rules are in the methodology. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Open procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Goods
- Notice status
- Open for tender
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 22 Sept 2026, 15:47 BST
- Last source update
- 28 Oct 2026, 12:13 GMT
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 22 Jan 2027
- Authority reference
DN831969- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-102021- Latest notice
- Tender notice (UK4)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-0777d4Find a Tender- Contract terms summary
The audio visual announcement and destination display solution must operate independently of the Authority's AVL system and Vehicle Compute / IP Edge Gateway, which are being procured separately and have not been awarded. The outcome of those procurements, and the technical requirements of any platform subsequently contracted, are not known at the date of this notice. Integration with that platform, or changes required to accommodate it, may become necessary during the contract.
Equipment is to be fitted at vehicle manufacturers' premises during vehicle build. The Authority's vehicle procurement and delivery programme is being run separately, and changes to vehicle build slots, delivery dates or manufacturers may affect the installation programme and the phasing of the contract.
The size and composition of the franchised fleet may change during the contract term as a result of network review, changes to operator arrangements or changes to the Authority's franchising programme.
The Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 apply to this requirement and compliance deadlines are phased by vehicle age. Changes to those Regulations, or to other applicable accessibility, safety or data protection legislation, may require changes to the solution.
The contract term may extend to September 2036. Component obsolescence, end of manufacturer support, and changes to operating systems, security standards or communications infrastructure over that period may require equipment or software to be modified or replaced.
- Risks
Payment is made within 30 days of receipt of a valid and undisputed invoice. Equipment and installation charges are invoiced monthly in arrears for vehicles accepted in that month. Annual software, licence, hosting, maintenance and support charges are invoiced quarterly in arrears. The supplier is required to include 30-day payment terms as a minimum in all of its supply chain contracts and to require those terms to be passed down through the supply chain.
How to participate & submission route
Official notice Submit via ProContract (Due North)- Requests to participate (first stage)
- —
- Tender submission deadline
- 4 Dec 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 20 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en
Tenders must be submitted electronically through the Authority's e-tendering portal at procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index ↗
Suppliers must register on the portal and express an interest in this opportunity in order to access the tender documents and submit a tender. Registration is free and open to all suppliers, and expressions of interest are accepted automatically.
Tenders must be received by 12:00 noon on Friday 4 December 2026. Late tenders will not be considered. Hard copy submissions will not be accepted.
All clarification questions must be submitted through the portal by 12:00 noon on Friday 20 November 2026. Responses will be issued to all tenderers through the portal by Friday 27 November 2026.
Timeline
22 Sept 2026 → 8 Feb 2027 · 8 dates- Planning notice published36 days ago22 Sept 2026, 15:47 BST
- Market engagement29 days ago30 Sept 2026, 00:59 BST
SYMCA is carrying out preliminary market engagement to test its requirements, proposed approach, timescales and budget with the market before publishing a tender notice for the supply, installation and support of on-bus Destination Display equipment and Audio Visual Announcements (AVA) for the South Yorkshire franchised bus fleet (approximately 700 vehicles).
We welcome input from manufacturers, system integrators, installers and maintainers, including organisations that would expect to bid as part of a consortium or as a subcontractor.
Scope of the engagement: a short written Market Engagement Questionnaire covering market capability and partnering; integration with other on-bus systems (including a Vehicle Compute / ITxPT-aligned Gateway, which SYMCA will install from Day 1 but which is not a mandatory Day-1 dependency) and operation before the separately procured AVL system is available; accessibility and the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023; delivery, lead times and installation; commercial and pricing models, including indicative non-binding prices; contract length and proposed terms; and social value.
No events or one-to-one sessions will be held.
How to take part:
- Email Joanna.Driscoll@Southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk to register your interest and request the Market Engagement Questionnaire, quoting "PME - Destination Display and AVA".
- Return the completed questionnaire by email to the same address by 12 noon on Tuesday 29 September 2026.
Clarification questions must be sent by email to the same address. Where a question and answer are relevant to all participants, SYMCA will share them with everyone who has registered an interest, without identifying who asked.
This is not a call for competition. Participation, or non-participation, will not affect a supplier's ability to take part in any future procurement, and information provided will not be used in the evaluation of any future tender. SYMCA will not pay any costs incurred in responding. The anticipated procedure is an open procedure under the Procurement Act 2023, with a tender notice expected to be published in October 2026.
- Next notice expected16 days ago13 Oct 2026, 00:59 BST
- Tender notice published13h ago28 Oct 2026, 12:13 GMT
- Today29 Oct 2026
- Clarification questions byin 22 days20 Nov 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadlinein 36 days4 Dec 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected byin 85 days22 Jan 2027, 23:59 GMT
- Contract startsin 101 days8 Feb 2027
Notice history
6 events · 2 releases on Find a Tender · since 22 Sept 2026- Preliminary market engagement notice published22 Sept 2026, 15:47 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published28 Oct 2026, 12:13 GMTUK4
- Published value published: £20,000,00028 Oct 2026, 12:13 GMT
- Status changed to active28 Oct 2026, 12:13 GMT
- Procurement method changed28 Oct 2026, 12:13 GMT
- Deadline published: 4 Dec 2026, 12:00 GMT28 Oct 2026, 12:13 GMT
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Nothing awarded yet- Awards (0)
- No award published
- Contracts (0)
- No contract published
- Bid statistics
- No aggregate bid statistics published
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (3)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Bidding documents and specifications The full tender documents are available through the Authority's e-tendering portal. Suppliers must register on the portal and express an interest in this opportunity to access them. Registration is free and open to all suppliers, and expressions of interest are accepted automatic…
Notices published for this procedure
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender