This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Tender

01 Jun 2026 at 10:59

Planning

13 Jan 2026 at 12:50

Planning

12 Jan 2026 at 16:21

Summary of the contracting process

Essex County Council is soliciting bids for the "Deceased Collection and Transport Services for Mid and South Essex" through an open procurement process. The tender is active and covers services in locations such as Brentwood, Chelmsford, Maldon, Basildon, Thurrock, Castle Point, Rochford, Southend, and the South of Braintree. This procurement falls under the services category, specifically funeral and related services, with a total value of £1,320,000 gross. The procurement process is governed under the legal basis UKPGA 2023/54 with an open procedure. Key deadlines include the tender end date on 30th June 2026, and the award period ending on 16th July 2026. Suppliers interested in this procurement opportunity should register on the OPEN eSourcing portal and the Central Digital Platform before the submission deadline.

This tender presents significant business growth opportunities in the funeral and related services sector, specifically for companies capable of providing specialist deceased collection and transport services. The procurement is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and there are no restrictions on the number of lots a supplier may bid for or be awarded. This flexibility allows businesses to tailor their bids to their operational strengths and regional expertise. With a contract start date set for 1st October 2026 and service areas divided into lots, companies have the potential to secure long-term contracts that can be extended, offering further stability and growth potential in an essential service sector.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

Deceased Collection and Transport Services for Mid and South Essex

Notice Description

Essex County Council (ECC) is responsible for delivering the Coroner Service for the Essex Coroner Area, which includes the administrative areas of Essex County Council and the unitary authorities of Thurrock Council and Southend-on-Sea City Council. As part of this statutory function, ECC contracts specialist providers to deliver deceased collection and transport services within the county which is split into 5 geographical service areas. This tender is for the provision for deceased collection and transport services for mid and south Essex service areas covering Brentwood, Chelmsford, Maldon, Basildon, Thurrock, Castle Point, Rochford, Southend, and South of Braintree.

Lot Information

Castle Point, Rochford, & Southend

Provision of deceased collection and transport service in Castle Point, Rochford, and Southend.

Renewal: The Authority may at its discretion offer to extend the Contract Term by such period as it may specify in written notice given not less than three (3) months prior to the expiry of the Contract Term.

Basildon and Thurrock

Provision of deceased collection and transport service in Basildon and Thurrock.

Renewal: The Authority may at its discretion offer to extend the Contract Term by such period as it may specify in written notice given not less than three (3) months prior to the expiry of the Contract Term.

Brentwood, Chelmsford and Maldon

Provision of deceased collection and transport service in Brentwood, Chelmsford and Maldon

Renewal: The Authority may at its discretion offer to extend the Contract Term by such period as it may specify in written notice given not less than three (3) months prior to the expiry of the Contract Term.

South of Braintree

Provision of deceased collection and transport service in the South of Braintree.

Renewal: The Authority may at its discretion offer to extend the Contract Term by such period as it may specify in written notice given not less than three (3) months prior to the expiry of the Contract Term.

Planning Information

The Authority intends to hold one-to-one online meetings with interested suppliers to assess the viability and practicality of an opportunity of this nature, with a focus on achieving a quick turnaround procurement process. Please note that this event is both strategic and operational in nature, therefore, it is recommended that Directors/Decision makers attend. Online meeting slots of 30 minutes will be available between 10:00 am and 1:30 pm on Thursday, 15 January 2025. Suppliers wishing to participate can book a slot by emailing their company name, attendee contact details, and preferred time slot to benedict.itoyah@essex.gov.uk. Bookings will be accepted from now until 3:00 pm on 14 January 2025.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060405
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/051318-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

98 - Other community, social and personal services


CPV Codes

98370000 - Funeral and related services

Notice Value(s)

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

Notice Dates

Publication Date
1 Jun 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
30 Jun 2026Expired
Future Notice Date
2 Feb 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
30 Sep 2026 - 30 Sep 2031 Over 5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Active
Lots Status
Active
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CHELMSFORD
Postcode
CM1 1QH
Post Town
Chelmsford
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLH East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLH3 Essex
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLH36 Heart of Essex
Delivery Location
TLH3 Essex, TLH31 Southend-on-Sea, TLH32 Thurrock, TLH34 Essex Haven Gateway, TLH35 West Essex, TLH36 Heart of Essex, TLH37 Essex Thames Gateway

Local Authority
Chelmsford
Electoral Ward
Moulsham and Central
Westminster Constituency
Chelmsford

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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