Buses And Coach Purchase
Framework Description
The Buses and Coach Purchase framework (NEPO EXT115 / TPPLPSBUS01) is a 48-month framework, closed to new applications, under the Procurement Act 2023, established by The Procurement Partnership Limited (TPPL) with Commercial Services Kent Limited and available to NEPO Member Authorities and Associate Members. It covers minibuses, buses, coaches and converted vehicles from 5 seats upward, plus passenger transport services, across five lots, and runs to 16 December 2029.
Context & Use Case
Councils and other public bodies use it for SEND transport, non-emergency patient transport, community transport and care home fleets. Buyers can run a mini-competition or award directly to the highest-ranked supplier in the relevant lot, using the NEPO Portal and quoting TPPL reference TPPLPSBUS01. When asking converters for quotes, buyers must state the OEM chassis to be used.
Scope of Services
Lot 1: Vehicle chassis, converted and unconverted, 5 seats and above Lot 2: Van conversions, 5 to 26 seats, accessible and non-accessible Lot 3: Coachbuilt vehicles, 5 to 36 seats, accessible and non-accessible Lot 4: Buses and coaches, 36 seats and above, including double-deck, articulated and tri-axle Lot 5: Community and passenger transport services, including driver and operator for SEND transport
Lots
Lot 1: Vehicle chassis converted and unconverted 5 seats and above; Lot 2: Van conversions 5-26 seat accessible and non-accessible vehicles; Lot 3: Coach built 5-36 seat accessible and non-accessible vehicles; Lot 4: 36 seats and above, buses and coaches; Lot 5: Community/Passenger Transport Services
Who Can Apply
Suits bus and coach manufacturers, dealers, and specialist converters of accessible vehicles. Applications for this framework are closed, so suppliers not already appointed cannot join until NEPO re-tenders it, likely as the 16 December 2029 end date approaches.
Buyer Benefits
Ranked lots let a buyer go straight to the top supplier for a standard vehicle, or run a mini-competition when the specification or volume justifies it. One framework covers everything from a converted van to a tri-axle coach, plus operated transport services, so authorities can compare buying vehicles with buying a service under the same terms.
Next Steps
Appointed suppliers should prepare for direct awards and mini-competitions with clear lead times, accessibility specifications and whole-life costs, and keep their lot ranking in mind. Others should plan for TPPL's re-tender ahead of December 2029: decide which lots suit your range, and collect evidence of accessible conversions, SEND transport delivery and after-sales support.
How Athena Can Help
If you are on the framework, Athena's further competition support brings competitor analysis and pricing models to each call-off, with win themes around accessibility, build slots and delivery times.
If not, our framework opportunity mapping finds other passenger vehicle frameworks open now or opening soon and the buyers behind them, and our tender support for suppliers gets your bid ready ahead of the TPPL re-tender, with conversion case studies and a compliance check before submission.
