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Find a TenderAwardedContract details notice
Published 12 Jan 2026, 16:21 GMT

Official UK procurement notice

C024PA - Deceased Collection and Transport Service for Mid and South Essex

Official notice

Authority: Essex County Council (Local council)

Framework agreement4 lotsServicesOpen procedureAbove thresholdSME suitableAccelerated
Sectors: Community & Cultural Services (98) Delivery: East of England (UKH3)
Framework ceiling (notional)£1,100,000envelope for 4 lots · framework ceiling, not attributable revenue · 2 value updates
Submissions closed 30 Jun 2026awarded 17 Jul 2026
Awarded to THE HEARTFELT FUNERAL COMPANY LTD., Daniel Robinson and Sons Limited4 awards
Framework period 5 yrsends 30 Sept 2031 · up to 30 Sept 2034 with extensions · starts 1 Oct 2026

What is being bought4 lots · detail below

Published requirement 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.

Following tender evaluation and contract award, the Authority has contracted suppliers 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

CPV: Funeral and related services

How this framework works

From the published notice
Bids received
6 bids on the busiest of 4 lots · 2 suppliers appointed
Framework period
5 yrs · up to 8 yrs from 1 Oct 2026

Lots and requirements (4)Procurement structure

4 lots · all with a published value · same evaluation weights on every lot
Lot #1Castle Point, Rochford, & SouthendAwardedRenewal 5 yrsSMEPublished value£385,000

The source published no individual description for this lot.

Contract period: 1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 (5 yrs) · up to 30 Sept 2034 with extensionsValue: £385,000 exc. VAT · £462,000 inc. VAT
Delivery: East of EnglandEligibility: SME eligible
Extensions: 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.
98370000 Funeral and related services
Lot #2Basildon and ThurrockAwardedRenewal 5 yrsSMEPublished value£284,000

The source published no individual description for this lot.

Contract period: 1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 (5 yrs) · up to 30 Sept 2034 with extensionsValue: £284,000 exc. VAT · £340,800 inc. VAT
Delivery: East of EnglandEligibility: SME eligible
Extensions: 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.
98370000 Funeral and related services
Lot #3Brentwood, Chelmsford and MaldonAwardedRenewal 5 yrsSMEPublished value£317,000

The source published no individual description for this lot.

Contract period: 1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 (5 yrs) · up to 30 Sept 2034 with extensionsValue: £317,000 exc. VAT · £380,400 inc. VAT
Delivery: East of EnglandEligibility: SME eligible
Extensions: 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.
98370000 Funeral and related services
Lot #4South of BraintreeAwardedRenewal 5 yrsSMEPublished value£114,000

The source published no individual description for this lot.

Contract period: 1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 (5 yrs) · up to 30 Sept 2034 with extensionsValue: £114,000 exc. VAT · £136,800 inc. VAT
Delivery: East of EnglandEligibility: SME eligible
Extensions: 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.
98370000 Funeral and related services

What it takes to win
i

How this buyer will score bids.

The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).

Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add more
How bids were scored · same split on all 4 lots
Quality: 45%Price: 50%Social value: 5%
Published sub-criteria (3)
  • Technical: 45%
  • Commercial: 50%
  • Social Value: 5%
Published award criteria (3)
  • Technical
  • Social Value
  • Commercial
Lot distribution rule: There are no restrictions on the number of lots a supplier may bid for or be awarded.
What this means for your bid
  • Price carries 50 of 100 points: a 10% discount moves about 5 points. This one is won on the number: sharpen the price before polishing the prose.
  • “C024PA - Deceased Collection and Transport Service for Mid and South…” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.

Price arithmetic assumes straight proportional scoring; the tender pack may use another formula.

Procedure terms & legal framework

From the official record
Procedure method
Open procedure
Legal basis
UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
Procurement category
Services
Notice status
Awarded
Procurement threshold
Above threshold (FTS publication)
Regulatory regime
Standard
Commercial structure
Framework agreement
Who may use the vehicle
Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
Competition type
Competitive procedure
GPA / WTO covered
Yes (GPA)
Recurring procurement
Unspecified in notice
First published
12 Jan 2026, 16:21 GMT
Last source update
26 Aug 2026, 10:28 BST
Award evaluation window
Submission end – 16 Jul 2026
Authority reference
C024PA
FTS notice number
2026/S 000-051318
Accelerated
State of urgency
Latest notice
Contract details notice (UK7)
Classification (CPV)
Funeral and related services
Delivery area
East of England (UKH3)
Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-060405 Find a Tender

How it was run

Official notice
Run through: OPEN-UK
Supplier login requiredElectronic submission allowedLanguage: EN
Access & registration note: Free
Appointment period ends
30 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST
Clarification deadline
15 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
Submission channel
Official e-sourcing portal
Electronic submission
Allowed
Accepted languages
en
Detailed submission instructions & authority contactsFrom official release

Interested suppliers can access the tender opportunity via the Authority's eSourcing portal ('OPEN') at:

open-uk.org ↗

The portal provides access to tender documents and enables submission of clarification questions and responses.

Registration Requirements:

Suppliers must be registered (free of charge) on both of the following platforms:

OPEN (the Authority's eSourcing portal): Via the link, open-uk.org ↗

Central Digital Platform (CDP): Via the link, supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/faq/en_GB/Central_Di… ↗

Technical information:

Please direct all queries through the OPEN messaging function. Anyone contacting the Buyer directly via email will be directed to the portal for communications.

Timeline

12 Jan 2026 → 1 Oct 2026 · 10 dates
  1. Planning notice published277 days ago
    12 Jan 2026, 16:21 GMT
  2. Market engagement273 days ago
    15 Jan 2026, 23:59 GMT

    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 [email protected].

    Bookings will be accepted from now until 3:00 pm on 14 January 2025.

  3. Next notice expected255 days ago
    2 Feb 2026, 23:59 GMT
  4. Tender notice published137 days ago
    1 Jun 2026, 11:59 BST
  5. Clarification questions by122 days ago
    15 Jun 2026, 23:59 BST
  6. Admission / appointment period ends108 days ago · period end, not a bid countdown
    30 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST
  7. Award decision expected by91 days ago
    16 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
  8. Assessment summaries sent88 days ago
    20 Jul 2026, 00:00 BST
  9. Latest notice published51 days ago
    26 Aug 2026, 10:28 BST
  10. Contract starts15 days ago
    1 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST

Notice history

14 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 12 Jan 2026
  1. Preliminary market engagement notice published
    12 Jan 2026, 16:21 GMT
    UK2
  2. Planned procurement notice published
    13 Jan 2026, 12:50 GMT
    UK3
  3. Published value published: £700,000
    13 Jan 2026, 12:50 GMT
  4. Status changed to planned
    13 Jan 2026, 12:50 GMT
  5. Procurement method changed
    13 Jan 2026, 12:50 GMT
  6. Deadline published: 12 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
    13 Jan 2026, 12:50 GMT
  7. Tender notice published
    1 Jun 2026, 11:59 BST
    UK4
  8. Published value updated to £1,100,000
    1 Jun 2026, 11:59 BST
    was £700,000
  9. Status changed to active
    1 Jun 2026, 11:59 BST
  10. Deadline moved to 30 Jun 2026, 12:00 BST
    1 Jun 2026, 11:59 BST
    +138 days · was 12 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
  11. Contract award notice published
    20 Jul 2026, 12:14 BST
    UK6
  12. Status changed to complete
    20 Jul 2026, 12:14 BST
  13. Contract signature expected
    31 Jul 2026, 23:59 BST
    scheduled
  14. Contract details notice published
    26 Aug 2026, 10:28 BST
    UK7
Routine re-releases (5)
  • 2026-01: 2 releases · 12 Jan 2026, 13 Jan 2026

Commercial outcome & contract awards

Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast
Suppliers appointed 24 awards · see the list ↓
Bids received 64 from SMEs · busiest of 4 lots
Contracts signed 4latest 21 Aug 2026
Awarded toValueDateStatus
Lot 1 · Castle Point, Rochford, & Southend1 award
THE HEARTFELT FUNERAL COMPANY LTD.SME1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 · up to 30 Sept 2034Extensions: 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.£385,00017 Jul 2026Awarded
Lot 2 · Basildon and Thurrock1 award
THE HEARTFELT FUNERAL COMPANY LTD.SME1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 · up to 30 Sept 2034Extensions: 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.£284,00017 Jul 2026Awarded
Lot 3 · Brentwood, Chelmsford and Maldon1 award
THE HEARTFELT FUNERAL COMPANY LTD.SME1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 · up to 30 Sept 2034Extensions: 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.£317,00017 Jul 2026Awarded
Lot 4 · South of Braintree1 award
Daniel Robinson and Sons Limited SME1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 · up to 30 Sept 2034Extensions: 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.£114,00017 Jul 2026Awarded

Contracts

  • Lot 1 - Castle Point, Rochford, & Southend · THE HEARTFELT FUNERAL COMPANY LTD.SME

    Signed
    21 Aug 2026
    Value
    £385,000
    Period
    1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 · up to 30 Sept 2034 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    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.
    4 agreed KPIs: Arrival at scene within 60 minutes of receiving call from police · Delivery to hospital within 3 hours of arriving at scene · Security breaches …
    • Arrival at scene within 60 minutes of receiving call from police, The Contractor shall be available 24 hours per day and 365 days per year to attend to the collection and transport of bodies and shall attend within a maximum of 60 minutes from receipt of body collection request from the Police.
    • Delivery to hospital within 3 hours of arriving at scene, All bodies collected by the Contractor must be received and accepted into the storage location within three (3) hours from the receipt of any request from the Police.
    • Security breaches, The Contractor must ensure that the deceased is securely stored from collection to hand over to the storage location. Any incidents where there is unauthorised access to the deceased is considered to be a security breach.
    • Deceased transfer completed with identification requirements met., The contractor is required to label the deceased with at least three points of identification, including a unique identifier, upon collecting and transferring of the deceased to the storage location. All deceased must have the correct identification of arrival at new storage location to ensure that the transfer is completed, and the deceased is accepted.

  • Lot 2 - Basildon and Thurrock · THE HEARTFELT FUNERAL COMPANY LTD.SME

    Signed
    21 Aug 2026
    Value
    £284,000
    Period
    1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 · up to 30 Sept 2034 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    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.
    4 agreed KPIs: Arrival at scene within 60 minutes of receiving call from police · Delivery to hospital within 3 hours of arriving at scene · Security breaches …
    • Arrival at scene within 60 minutes of receiving call from police, The Contractor shall be available 24 hours per day and 365 days per year to attend to the collection and transport of bodies and shall attend within a maximum of 60 minutes from receipt of body collection request from the Police.
    • Delivery to hospital within 3 hours of arriving at scene, All bodies collected by the Contractor must be received and accepted into the storage location within three (3) hours from the receipt of any request from the Police.
    • Security breaches, The Contractor must ensure that the deceased is securely stored from collection to hand over to the storage location. Any incidents where there is unauthorised access to the deceased is considered to be a security breach.
    • Deceased transfer completed with identification requirements met., The contractor is required to label the deceased with at least three points of identification, including a unique identifier, upon collecting and transferring of the deceased to the storage location. All deceased must have the correct identification of arrival at new storage location to ensure that the transfer is completed, and the deceased is accepted.

  • Lot 3 - Brentwood, Chelmsford and Maldon · THE HEARTFELT FUNERAL COMPANY LTD.SME

    Signed
    21 Aug 2026
    Value
    £317,000
    Period
    1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 · up to 30 Sept 2034 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    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.
    4 agreed KPIs: Arrival at scene within 60 minutes of receiving call from police · Delivery to hospital within 3 hours of arriving at scene · Security breaches …
    • Arrival at scene within 60 minutes of receiving call from police, The Contractor shall be available 24 hours per day and 365 days per year to attend to the collection and transport of bodies and shall attend within a maximum of 60 minutes from receipt of body collection request from the Police.
    • Delivery to hospital within 3 hours of arriving at scene, All bodies collected by the Contractor must be received and accepted into the storage location within three (3) hours from the receipt of any request from the Police.
    • Security breaches, The Contractor must ensure that the deceased is securely stored from collection to hand over to the storage location. Any incidents where there is unauthorised access to the deceased is considered to be a security breach.
    • Deceased transfer completed with identification requirements met., The contractor is required to label the deceased with at least three points of identification, including a unique identifier, upon collecting and transferring of the deceased to the storage location. All deceased must have the correct identification of arrival at new storage location to ensure that the transfer is completed, and the deceased is accepted.

  • Lot 4 - South of Braintree · Daniel Robinson and Sons Limited SME

    Signed
    17 Aug 2026
    Value
    £114,000
    Period
    1 Oct 2026 – 30 Sept 2031 · up to 30 Sept 2034 with extensions
    Status
    active
    Extensions
    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.
    4 agreed KPIs: Arrival at scene within 60 minutes of receiving call from police · Delivery to hospital within 3 hours of arriving at scene · Security breaches …
    • Arrival at scene within 60 minutes of receiving call from police, The Contractor shall be available 24 hours per day and 365 days per year to attend to the collection and transport of bodies and shall attend within a maximum of 60 minutes from receipt of body collection request from the Police.
    • Delivery to hospital within 3 hours of arriving at scene, All bodies collected by the Contractor must be received and accepted into the storage location within three (3) hours from the receipt of any request from the Police.
    • Security breaches, The Contractor must ensure that the deceased is securely stored from collection to hand over to the storage location. Any incidents where there is unauthorised access to the deceased is considered to be a security breach.
    • Deceased transfer completed with identification requirements met., The contractor is required to label the deceased with at least three points of identification, including a unique identifier, upon collecting and transferring of the deceased to the storage location. All deceased must have the correct identification of arrival at new storage location to ensure that the transfer is completed, and the deceased is accepted.

Bid statistics published by the authority

LotBidsSMEVCSEValid bid range
1 · Castle Point, Rochford, & Southend6final-stage tenders40—
2 · Basildon and Thurrock6final-stage tenders40—
3 · Brentwood, Chelmsford and Maldon5final-stage tenders30—
4 · South of Braintree4final-stage tenders20—

Contracting authority & participating public bodies

Essex County Council

Contracting authorityPublic authority - sub-central government GB-PPON: PWVM-4844-NRQH County Hall, Market Road, Chelmsford, East of England, CM1 1QHContact name, email

Framework contractors & participating bidders

2 commercial parties on the notice
  • Daniel Robinson & Sons Ltd.Framework contractorGB-COH: 455065GB-PPON: PNBC-1312-CVLT 79/81 South Street, Bishop's Stortford, East of England, CM23 3ALContact email
  • THE HEARTFELT FUNERAL COMPANY LTD.Framework contractorGB-COH: 13046097GB-PPON: PGJR-4814-MRYH 132 Snakes Lane East, Woodford Green, London, IG8 7HZContact email

Official documents & specifications (12)

Official links; attachments are not copied

Tender pack and attachments

  • Bidding documents and specifications tenderBidding documents and specificationsPDFIMPORTANT: This Specification is provided for Information purposes only and subject to amendment when the Tender Notice is issued.

Notices published for this procedure

  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract details notice contractContract details noticeUK7Contract details notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
  • Contract award notice awardContract award noticeUK6Contract award notice on Find a Tender
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