NoWcard Concessionary Travel System (Managed Service)

Lancashire County Council has awarded a managed service contract to South West Smart Applications Limited, trading as Smart Applications Management, to supply and maintain the NoWcard concessionary travel system. This ITSO compliant system provides transport smart card passes primarily for elderly and disabled passengers across Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness, Lancashire County Council, Blackburn with Darwen, and Blackpool administrative areas. The comprehensive scope of the service includes the Asset Management System Host Operator Processing System, ITSO Secure Application Module management, Cardholder and Card Management Systems for both English National Concessionary Travel and commercial schemes, an integrated online application web portal, and print and dispatch services. The contract, identified by solicitation number JB/ICT/LCC/26/R1177, is valued at 12,000,000 pounds including VAT. The initial term of the agreement runs from November 1, 2026, to October 31, 2029, with the potential for extensions extending the service period through March 2034. The system serves as a critical infrastructure for recording journey details and verifying eligibility for concessionary travel across the participating North West England councils.