Information for transport operators

Find out how to apply to be a school transport operator and what the requirements are.

Dynamic Purchasing System for the provision of transport services (DPS)

The Council tenders transport contracts via the DPS to pre-approved suppliers that can bid for School Transport contracts via mini-competitions, quick quotes, and electronic auctions.

Tendering

The County Council uses Intend for tendering School Transport contracts. You must be an approved supplier on the DPS to view and bid on tenders.

E-Auctions

The majority of School Transport contracts are tendered via E-Auction. This is a reverse bidding process.

Mini-Competitions

Some services will be tendered via mini-competition, when there is only one opportunity to submit a price via ‘sealed bid’. Other information may also be requested.

Contract end dates

An award letter is issued for every Call Off Contract. The contract end date is stated on this letter. You will be contacted if the Call Off Contract is to be terminated earlier.

Driver and Passenger Assistant authorisation

All drivers and passenger assistants on School Transport routes must be authorised by the County Council and work to the respective Codes of Conduct. You can follow the guidance and check the pre-requisite certification/training:

If you still have a query relating to contracts and tenders, please use the online form.

Invoice requirements

Invoices should be raised in arrears, one per contract per month. Find out more about getting paid on time.

In addition, School Transport invoices need to include:

month charged for
information about the service provided, including the school name
daily rate
number of days charged

You can check the status of your invoices and view further information via the Supplier Self Service Portal.

Some suppliers submit invoices via email to our Integrated Processing Centre (IBC). If you submit invoices via this method, you will not be able to check your invoice status or its progress.

Invoice payment terms

Supplier invoice payment terms are 30 calendar days for valid and undisputed invoices submitted.

This means that we process invoices within 30 days of whichever is the later of:

First day of the month, in arrears i.e. following the month during which the service was provided, or;
the invoice received date (date on which the invoice was scanned onto our system)

Example (invoice for transport provided during December):

correct/valid invoice submitted on 3 January is expected to be processed by 5 February
correct/valid invoice submitted 20 December may be expected to be processed before 30 January

Invoice payment queries

An invoice will be rejected or put on hold if it does not match our records.

An invoice can be put on hold due to:

price discrepancy, where a daily contract rate invoiced does not match the rate recorded on our system
quantity discrepancy, where a number of school days invoiced is incorrect or overstated (due to cancelations or INSET days)
date discrepancy, when contract start/end dates do not match information on our system

Invoice issues, or where invoices have been put on hold, will be communicated to operators.

We will inform you that your invoice has been put on hold due one of the above reasons. You may be contacted if any additional information is required. The invoice will be paid once the query is resolved.

Invoices submitted in advance (‘too early’)

Invoices submitted in advance will be rejected. An invoice is considered to be submitted ‘in advance’ if it is received while the service is still being provided and so provides a risk to being overstated (for example, cancellations not reflected correctly).

Any invoices rejected by School Transport will include a rejection reason and some advice on required steps to take (where relevant).

Invoices can also be rejected automatically on submission – this would indicate that the Purchase Order has not been generated yet. This can be due to invoices being submitted too early or because the contract has not yet been recorded on the system.

Changing bank details

It is the Operator’s responsibility to ensure their details, including bank account details, are correct and up to date. These can be updated via the Supplier Self Service Portal.

You can contact us via our online enquiry form if you still have a query relating to:

Updates from the School Transport service:

In an emergency, you can find information about how to contact us to report the following incidents, which would be dealt with urgently:

You can complete the online enquiry form if you have a query about your route, such as:

a change of route schedule
a child’s behaviour (has a PA)
a child’s behaviour (no PA)
a Passenger Assistant
roadworks
a request for vehicle equipment (such as a harness, child seat)

If you have another enquiry, or do not find the answer to your query on our website, you can contact the School Transport service via our online enquiry form.