Award

National Undertaking Service

NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

01 Apr 2026 at 17:05

Award

01 Apr 2026 at 14:22

Planning

20 Oct 2025 at 14:45

Summary of the contracting process

Network Rail Infrastructure Limited has awarded a contract for a "National Undertaking Service" to Dignity Funerals Limited, catering to the funeral service industry across remote areas of England, Wales, and Scotland, with the procurement stage marked as complete. This contract was initiated through a direct award process due to technical reasons where competition was not viable. The contract period is scheduled from 21 April 2026 to 20 April 2031, with renewal options extending potentially until 2034. The contract was sealed on 1 April 2026, following a transparency notice, and businesses are advised to note the standstill period ending on 14 April 2026.

This tender represents a substantial opportunity for businesses involved in funeral services to expand their operations nationally, given the contractual requirements including rapid response and 24-hour service. Large-scale organisations equipped to handle sensitive situations, manage logistics effectively, and maintain stringent service standards without sub-contracting, are well-suited to compete. With a gross contract value exceeding £12 million, there is significant scope for business growth and long-term partnership with public authorities in the transport infrastructure sector.

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Notice Title

National Undertaking Service

Notice Description

UK6 Contract award notice following publication of UK5 Transparency Notice notice. Undertaking Service is a fully national service including remote areas of England, Wales and Scotland. The supplier shall not sub-contract any part of the service. The supplier shall collect the deceased from an agreed position of safety (i.e. not trackside). The supplier shall provide a rapid response of the care and collection of the deceased following a fatality on the railway (arriving within a max of 2 hours). The supplier shall provide a 24 hour service 365 days a year and shall respond to call outs within 90 minutes. The supplier shall provide a National call centre with a 24 hour service for 365 days of the year and shall ensure that calls are answered and dealt with to the agreed KPI's. The supplier shall care for and deliver the deceased and their personal effects which are not retained by the police to the mortuary recognising the requirement of a police escort. The supplier's staff shall be dressed smartly and appropriately and use clean and discreet vehicles that are fully equipped with the appropriate equipment to attend Network Rail sites.

Planning Information

If your organisation is able to provide a national service without sub-contracting any part of the service, please respond to this PIN notice by email to Julia.Petrova@networkrail.co.uk by 12:00, 20 of November 2025 to register your interest, titling your email ‘Network Rail Undertaking Services PIN’. Following receipt of your email, you will be issued with a response template which consists of various questions. Network Rail may request further engagement with suppliers who respond to this PIN, where clarifications would help provide further insight to the response already provided.

Procurement Information

The direct award is compliant under the PA23 Schedule 5 Single suppliers due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only a particular supplier can supply the services required.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05d003
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/030621-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Planning, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

98 - Other community, social and personal services


CPV Codes

98371000 - Funeral services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£7,920,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£10,692,000 £10M-£100M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Apr 20263 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
2 Feb 2026Expired
Award Date
31 Mar 20263 weeks ago
Contract Period
20 Apr 2026 - 20 Apr 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
NETWORK RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SE1 8SW
Post Town
South East London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI4 Inner London - East
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI45 Lambeth
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Lambeth
Electoral Ward
Waterloo & South Bank
Westminster Constituency
Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

DIGNITY FUNERALS

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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