News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 09 September 2011
The Department
for Transport is today pleased to announce a new contract to
provide day to day Bikeability support services. This follows a
commitment given earlier this year by the DfT to support and
provide funding contributions for Bikeability for the remainder of
the parliament.
£11m has been made available for cycle training during financial
year 2011/12. This is helping to deliver up to 275,000 cycle
training places to school children aged between 10 -11.
Transport Consultancy firm Steer Davies Gleave have won a
competitive tender process to manage the day to day running of the
Bikeability programme. Previously this work was shared between
four different contracts. Using a single supplier to provide
support will save an estimated £1.2m over the next three and a
half years.
Transport Minister Norman Baker said:
"This government is strongly committed to cycling.
Enabling children to learn to cycle safely and confidently on
today’s roads plays a valuable role in creating a new generation
of cyclists. That is why we took the decision to safeguard the
future of Bikeability with the aim of giving as many children as
possible the opportunity to take part in Bikeability cycle training."
”Bikeability promotes the benefits of cycling as a healthy and
enjoyable way of getting around. On a wider level it helps to
reduce congestion, gives children more opportunities for exercise,
and plays a part in the fight against climate change.”
The rules for Local Highway Authorities and School Games
Organiser Host Schools (formally School Sports Partnerships) who
receive Bikeability grants are also being changed to allow more
flexibility of grant use. Examples include offering training to a
greater age range. Currently training is aimed at year 6 school
children but the changes mean that children ranging between school
years 5-9 (aged 9-14) will now get the opportunity. Grant
recipients will also be able to consider offering the more
advanced Level 3 training. This covers complex road situations to
support children cycling in busier areas.
Peter Zanzottera, Bikeability Support Manager, said:
“Steer Davies is proud to be associated with Bikeability as we
have been since it started in 2007. With this new contract we
offer continuity to all of the stakeholders, parents and children
and we anticipate new products and initiatives to swell the
numbers of new cyclists.”
Notes to Editors
1. Funds for the support services are worth £2.1m over 3.5 years
subject to contract extensions. Their responsibilities will
include providing specialist advice to DfT, making grant payments
and looking after all materials associated with the scheme. 2.
Four companies were invited to tender, one later withdrew leaving
three suppliers who submitted bids to the Department. 3. Bids were
assessed in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulation 2006.
4. Steer Davies Gleave was contracted to run the Bikeability
support service from November 2008 to September 2011. Before that
the company was contracted to develop the service and to help
local authorities and school sports partnerships apply for grant
funding from the DfT. The company has also run a parallel contract
to administer and develop the National Standard for cycle training
which underpins Bikeability. 5. Full details of the changes to the
grant rules will be released to grant bidders later this year.
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Contacts:
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Phone: DfT Press Office
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