Voting has opened in the 2026 Brand the Bus competition, with more than 70 charities and community organisations across Oxfordshire competing for a prize package valued at £100,000.
Run annually by Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel, the competition has reached its eighth edition and has now moved into the public voting stage after attracting 71 nominations online.
Residents are being invited to vote for the organisation they would most like to see progress, with voting remaining open until Thursday 30 April. Once the public vote closes, the 10 highest-ranked entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges, who will select the final winner.
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel, said: “We’re really pleased to have received nominations from a wide range of fantastic causes across Oxfordshire.
“The sheer number of entrants and interest in Brand the Bus this year demonstrates the scope of the competition and the positive impact it can have on local organisations.
“Brand the Bus continues to build and grow year-on-year, and we’re incredibly proud of what it continues to achieve.
“We’re now onto the voting phase of this year’s competition, with the public having until the end of April to select who they think should be the winner.
“If you have a favourite, now is the time to have your say and give that local good cause or charity the best possible chance of making the top 10 and the judging panel.”
With support from partners Get Radio and Oxford City Football Club, the winning organisation will receive a major promotional package designed to raise visibility across the county.
The top prize includes a full-wrap advertisement displayed for one year on an electric double-decker bus, free advertising across Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel vehicles, radio promotion through Get Radio, and recognition as Oxford City’s charity of choice for the 2026/27 season.
The successful organisation will also work with Oxford Bus Company on the final vehicle design, with the branded bus expected to launch in the autumn.
A runner-up prize worth £5,000 will also be awarded, including on-bus digital advertising.
Last year’s winner was One-Eighty, while Helen & Douglas House became the competition’s first runner-up.
Read more: Mental health charity One-Eighty wins Brand the Bus 2025 competition
Previous winners include Girlguiding Oxfordshire, Home-Start Oxfordshire, Restore, SeeSaw and Oxford Hospitals Charity.
