The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has commenced the first steps towards procuring bus franchising contracts in the region with the opening of a dynamic market for interested suppliers.
The dynamic market currently invites expressions of interest from those parties. It is split into two rounds: one for the large Tier A contracts that will be operated from WYCA-owned depots, and the other for smaller Tier B local services and Tier C home-to-school contracts that will run from depots provided by the successful operator.
For the Tier A round, the closure date for expressions of interest is 1200hrs on 19 September. For the Tier B and Tier C round, it is noon on 3 October. Applicants may take part in one or both rounds. Only members of the respective part of the dynamic market will then receive subsequent invitations to tender for franchise contracts.
In a tender notice for the dynamic market published on the gov.uk website, it is noted that for Tier A contracts, the estimated value range for individual awards is expected to be between £50 million and £300 million over seven years. “Some” WYCA-owned vehicles will be involved, but provision of others will be by the winning operator.
For Tier B and Tier C contracts, it is estimated that individual awards will be worth between greater than £1 million and less than £80 million over the same seven-year term. No depot facilities will be provided by WYCA, and while a small amount of Combined Authority-owned vehicles could be used, procuring others will be the winner’s responsibility.
WYCA hopes to award the first bus franchising contracts in spring and summer 2026 for commencement the following year. Parts of Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield are due to open that rollout process in 2027, with the Weaver Network brand recently adopted for locally controlled public transport in West Yorkshire.
Technical ability conditions for membership of the dynamic market depend on which round the operator is applying for.
For Tier A, the applicant must demonstrate that it has provided bus services under contract or to a similar scope with a PVR of at least 35. For Tier B and Tier C, that PVR is one, and holders of Section 22 community bus permits are also included in scope of Tier B and Tier C.
WYCA says its conditions for membership of the dynamic market are “strict” and will help “to raise standards and ensure value for money.”
Adds Transport Committee Chair Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe: “We are eager to see franchised services running as soon a possible, and the new dynamic market ensures that we are on the road to better buses.
“This is our opportunity to challenge operators to show us what they can offer as part of a new system where the passenger comes first. I invite operators large and small to get in touch and get involved and help us to create a better-connected West Yorkshire.”
