Smart Ticketing - including Account Based Back Office for Travel (ABBOT), Qualified Security Assessor, Merchant Services and other associated services

Transport for the North (TfN) will be the UK's first sub-national transport body. TfN is working in partnership with Transport Operators, Local Transport Authorities and the Department for Transport (DfT) to deliver the Integrated and Smart Travel (IST) Programme. The programme will deliver a smart and cEMV ticketing solution that makes it simple and easy to travel across the North of England with scope for nationwide services (excl. London) to encouraging customers to travel by public transport.

Central to achieving this proposition is an Account Based Back Office for Travel (ABBOT) that will allow passengers to make journeys on multiple modes of transport and across multiple operators and trust they will be charged the best price for their journey. ABBOT is the shared back office that will collect the data on all trips (across multiple operators and modes initially in the TfN area but possibly ultimately incorporating national scope exc. London), reconstruct the passenger journeys, charge the best price for the completed journeys, and disburse revenue appropriately to Transport Operators/Local Transport Authorities.

Soft market engagement will be used to inform the final procurement and lotting approach for ABBOT, Merchant Services, Qualified Security Assessor, and other associated services. Depending on the outcome of this engagement the programme will run one or more procurements using OJEU procedures or public sector framework agreements.

Additional information: The approach to market engagement includes two principal methods: supplier face-to-face meetings and an all-market engagement broadcast call. - Supplier face-to-face meetings: will run between Wednesday 21st June 2017 and Friday 30th June 2017. - All-market engagement call: will take place on Monday 19th June 2017 at 14:00am. To register your interest in any of the engagement activities, To register your interest in any of the engagement activities visit https://procontract.due-north.com/Register and search for Opportunity ID: DN281384, here you can access instructions and contact TfN to discuss participation via the messaging service in the RFx section of the system, suppliers will need to register their interest in the opportunity in order to access the RFx section. Future vendors: TfN is currently a non-statutory body, therefore one of the Local Transport Authority (LTA) members of TfN may issue future contract notices on behalf of TfN. The signing of the contracts will be managed by TfN.

Contracting approach: The successful supplier(s) will be contracted under a tripartite agreement by both TfN (or its agent) and a Special Purpose Vehicle that is jointly owned by TfN and participating Transport Operators (Bus, Light Rail and Rail). TfN will manage suppliers during the design and build phase of this programme. The Special Purpose Vehicle will manage suppliers during manage and maintain phases.