School transport is a matter of trust — and at the same time a formal procurement process with clear rules. For municipalities, districts and school authorities in NRW the question is not whether it is tendered, but how the tender is designed so that, in the end, a reliable partner drives. This article sets out how the process runs and which criteria really count.
Who tenders it?
The clients are usually the districts, district-affiliated municipalities and school authorities; for special-needs pupils often the regional association (LVR). In the Ruhr region a large part of the procedures runs via the Vergabemarktplatz Metropole Ruhr procurement marketplace. If the contract volume exceeds the EU threshold, an EU-wide open procedure is required — otherwise national procurement rules apply.
Terms typically run over two to three school years with an option to extend. That gives both sides planning certainty: the school authority a reliable operation, the company a calculable workload.
School bus or special-needs school transport?
Two terms that are often mixed up:
- Exempt school bus service moves larger groups on fixed routes to mainstream schools — bus, fixed stops, fixed times.
- Special-needs school transport brings individual children, often with special needs, from their front door to a special school and back. Here smaller vehicles, fixed contact persons, escorts and special qualifications count.
It is the special-needs transport in particular that places higher demands — and exactly where it is decided whether a provider can do more than just drive.
Which criteria count in the award
The award criteria vary by client, but two factors appear almost always: the price and, increasingly, the CO₂ emissions of the vehicles used. Some districts weight environmental criteria at up to 30 percent — making the vehicle age a hard award factor, not an image topic.
Alongside this, tenders typically require:
- Reference trips of a comparable kind from recent years
- Proof of the PBefG permit and suitable driving-licence classes (D1/D)
- Public liability insurance at the required level (often ≥ €1 million per claim)
- Suitability proofs on vehicles, turnover and reliability
What makes a reliable partner
Beyond the mandatory proofs, substance decides. What really matters in special-needs school transport:
- Trained escort staff. For children with special needs an escort is not an extra. Our team has over 30 escorts ready.
- Verified qualifications. Passenger-transport licence, Code 95, an extended certificate of good conduct, first-aid training and targeted training up to wheelchair transport — documented and kept current.
- Child-seat management. Target and actual stock per vehicle, with documented inspection dates, so every child travels secured appropriately for their age.
- A young fleet. A large share of our vehicles is from model year 2020 — relevant for safety and for the CO₂ weighting in the award.
For school authorities and public clients
We know the requirements of the procurement process and supply the necessary proofs in a structured way. For ongoing or planned tenders we compile references, qualification and vehicle proofs for you — matched to your procedure.
Are you a school authority or public client planning an award in school transport? Talk to us. A dedicated contact accompanies your procedure from the enquiry to the start of operations.