EA have the Statutory responsibility for the safe and comfortable transportation of our children to-and-from school.
Two Dynamic Purchasing Systems (Bus and Taxi) were established in 2019 to encourage Private Hire Operators who are interested in Home to School Transport to tender for EA Contracts.
In addition to this the EA have recently introduced a new Dynamic Purchasing System for the delivery of school meals. This is another exciting opportunity for Private Hire Operators to deliver on EA contracts through delivering meals to schools throughout Northern Ireland on a daily basis.
This section will provide guidance as to how to register your interest and tender for Bus, Taxi and School Meals Runs via our Dynamic Purchasing System on eTendersNI.
Registering on eTendersNI
Applying for the Bus and Taxi DPS
Registering for the Home to School Bus and Taxi or Transport of School Meals Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) on eTendersNI involves several steps.
The steps are detailed below.
- Register on eTendersNI: If registering for Home to School Transport for the first time please register as a supplier through the following link European Dynamics - Welcome to eTendersNI
- Search for the DPS: Once successfully registered and logged in to eTendersNI use the search function to find for the Bus, Taxi or School Meals Dynamic Purchasing System. The Specific Titles for each DPS are listed in the table below.
Title CFT Resource ID
TRN-19-001 - Transport by Bus
2172628
TRN-19-002 - Transport by Taxi
2217106
TRN-24-002 – Transport of School Meals
5289676
- Submit your DPS Application: Select the Lots based on locality you wish to apply for and complete the required eligibility criteria. Once submitted the EA Procurement Team will evaluate the application. You will receive an automated email from ETendersNI informing you of the outcome.
- Invitation to Tender: Once your DPS application has been approved you will receive invitations to tender for the lots you are registered on.
- Submitting a Tender: Follow the link in the email and login to eTendersNI to complete the tender submission.
Support Resources
User guides for applying to the Dynamic Purchasing Systems are available upon request from the fleet and transport procurement team at [email protected]
EA Commercial Procurement Service will provide additional guidance and support throughout this process if required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Finding a DUNs Number
You can find your DUNS Number through the following methods.
When entering your organisation details on eTendersNI select “Retrieve company data from D&B to proceed” the company name will appear along with the DUNS Number.
Visit the Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) website and use the “Find my D-U-N-S Number” tool if you already have a DUNS Number and need to retrieve it.
If your company does not have a DUNS Number, you can request one through the Dun & Bradstreet website.
Applying for Bus and Taxi Lots
When you have searched for the DPS select the title to enter the DPS workspace.
Select DPS Menu - DPS Tenders and click “Create your tender online”.
You will then create a response such as “Lot 1 Application” and proceed to apply for your chosen lots.
When you have successfully completed the eligibility criteria section you will see that each question has a green tick.
Completing the Financial Response Document
When completing the financial response document please ensure to complete the following blue fields:
- Company Name
- Run Cost Per Day
- Escort Cost (If applicable)
- Total Run Cost per Day
Please note, if an Escort is Required for this run the route code will have an “E” at the end, it will also be stated in the “Notes/Instruction to Tenderers” Column.
Contact Details
For eTendersNI Queries:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0800 240 4545 or 020 341 14 271
For EA Transport Procurement Queries:
Email: [email protected]