Cornwall Council has launched a bus market engagement exercise as part of its participation in the Department for Transport (DfT) Franchising and Bus Reform pilot.
The engagement process opened on 9 December and will run to 14 January 2026. Through it, bus operators and other industry stakeholders have been invited to assist the local authority in developing a future delivery model for bus services in the county.
Under the DfT pilot, Cornwall Council will investigate potential models including Enhanced Partnership Plus and various franchising approaches. The latter will capture different levels of risk sharing between operators and the authority; phasing; and procurement methods.
The council describes the engagement work as “a soft market testing exercise” and says it will provide critical insights into interest and help to inform the procurement strategy for bus services in Cornwall.
While Cornwall Council is one of five local authorities in England to have been selected by DfT to participate in the Franchising and Bus Reform pilot, it further notes that the county’s existing single supported service contract, which requires over 100 buses, is due to end in March 2028.
That point is described as “a pivotal moment” for the region’s public transport strategy. The local authority adds that “it is vital that this [market engagement] work helps to guide the tender process and governance model from 2028, subject to ongoing investigations, modelling, and Cabinet approval.”
When combined, the multiple considerations leave the local authority seeking bus operators to engage with it to help to “achieve a viable and value for money bus network that meets the needs of residents and visitors.”
Responses will enable Cornwall Council to:
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- Assess the feasibility of different delivery models
- Develop a procurement approach that balances risk and value
- Prepare for a competitive tender process aligned with long-term network sustainability.
A separate gross cost contract is in place to cover park-and-ride services in Truro. It is currently operated by First Kernow and will soon gain Wrightbus GB Kite Electroliner battery-electric single-decks owned by Cornwall Council.
Full details of the market engagement exercise, including of how to respond, can be found here.
