Planning

Body Removal and Storage for Mid Essex, South West Essex, and South East Essex

ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Planning

13 Jan 2026 at 12:50

Planning

12 Jan 2026 at 16:21

Summary of the contracting process

Essex County Council is in the planning stage for a public procurement process to secure services for body removal and storage across Mid Essex, South West Essex, and South East Essex, as part of its Coroner Service responsibilities. The procurement involves three planned lots covering respective areas, with the service provision intended to commence on 1 April 2026 and run through to 31 March 2028, with a possibility of extension until 2031. The procurement process, utilising an open procedure due to urgency, falls within the services category, specifically targeting funeral and related services under the CPV classification 98370000. Interested parties need to adhere to an electronic submission policy, with a submission deadline set for 12 February 2026, followed by an expected award period conclusion on 20 February 2026.

This tender presents substantial business growth opportunities for companies specialising in funeral and related services, particularly those capable of fulfilling large-scale contracts across multiple geographic areas within Essex. The focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as suitable bidders provides these businesses with a chance to establish or expand their presence in the public sector market. Given the tender's urgent nature and potential for long-term engagement, companies with robust logistical capabilities and experience in similar service provisions would be well-suited to compete. Engagement and one-to-one meetings are encouraged as per the preliminary market engagement notice published, allowing businesses to position themselves advantageously in anticipation of the formal tender release.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Body Removal and Storage for Mid Essex, South West Essex, and South East Essex

Notice Description

Essex County Council (ECC) is responsible for providing the Coroner Service for the Essex Coroner Area which includes the administrative areas of Essex County Council and the unitary authorities (Thurrock Council and Southend City Council). To achieve this, the Authority intends to procure contracts for the provision of body removal services to cover Essex Coroner Areas of: - Mid Essex covering Chelmsford, Maldon, and South of Braintree. - South West Essex covering Thurrock, Basildon, and Brentwood. - South East Essex covering Southend, Rochford, and Castle Point.

Lot Information

Lot 1: Mid Essex (Chelmsford, Maldon & South of Braintree)

Provision of body removal and storage services for Essex Coroner Service Area 4 - Mid Essex covering Chelmsford, Maldon, and Braintree South.

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Contract Term by issuing written notice at least three (3) months before the end of the existing term.

Lot 2: South West Essex (Thurrock, Basildon & Brentwood)

Provision of body removal and storage services for Essex Coroner Service Area 5 - South West Essex covering Thurrock, Basildon and Brentwood.

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Contract Term by issuing written notice at least three (3) months before the end of the existing term.

Lot 3: Area 6 - South East Essex

Provision of body removal and storage services for Essex Coroner Service Area 6 - South East Essex covering Southend, Rochford and Castle Point.

Renewal: The Authority reserves the right to extend the Contract Term by issuing written notice at least three (3) months before the end of the existing 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.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-060405
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002642-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK3 - Planned Procurement 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
£700,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
13 Jan 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
12 Feb 20264 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
2 Feb 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
benedict.itoyah@essex.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

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

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

Download

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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