Contract For The Provision Of Community Outreach Active Travel Projects Services

The subject matter of this process relates to the delivery of services which are listed in Schedule 3 of the Public Contract Regulations. Oxfordshire County Council has awarded a contract to administer a grant application scheme for Community Outreach Active Travel Project Services. The service provider will work to encourage uptake of active modes of travel, such as cycling and walking, in specified parts of Oxfordshire, with the aim to reduce car travel, improve air quality and the environment and increase physical activity. The geographic scope of the programme will focus on, but will not be limited to, the top ten most deprived wards in the County. These are spread across Banbury, Abingdon and Oxford. Projects will be community led by engaging with and supporting key stakeholders in delivering active travel initiatives. The service provider will hold meetings with local stakeholders who have well established and effective relationships with target groups, namely those furthest from walking and cycling. These will be held to brief them on established initiatives that are working well elsewhere, and to deliberate on other potential initiatives. A Community Ideas Fund (CIF) will enable stakeholders to bring their own project ideas to fruition by applying for a small grant from the fund. Projects will be assessed against criteria that support active journeys which may include for example, pop up events, training, provision of equipment or minor infrastructure, such as cycle parking or parklets. Projects will be expected to address the local barriers to walking and cycling of key target groups with a focus on activation but this does not exclude funding of minor capital costs. The programme will impact communities with high levels of deprivation and inactivity by tackling key barriers to active travel, such as lack of confidence and competence, perception of safety or financial barriers. The contract period commenced on 1 October 2023 for a period of 3 years, with an option for the Council to extend the contract period by a further 2 years in aggregate. The Council has allocated a total budget of £200,000 per annum to this project, including the grant funding to be distributed to relevant schemes. Of this, the contract administration costs paid to the supplier to administer the services (contract value) will be £30,000 per annum.