This exercise aims to provide high level information regarding the procurement of suitable mortuary services on behalf of the Berkshire Coroners Service. This is an initial early market engagement exercise which may result in a formal process under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR). The document sets out background information, key parameters and requirements, and invites any interested parties to respond to a number of related questions. At this stage there is no commitment from the Council to any further stages of the procurement process and, indeed, any next steps will be informed by the response to this preliminary market consultation.
The key purposes of this preliminary market consultation are therefore:
1. To establish the level of market interest in working with the Council to deliver and operate a new mortuary to serve the administrative area of Berkshire.
2. To better understand the requirements of the market in relation to commercial attractiveness and financial sustainability.
3. To test the deliverability of a new mortuary in the context of the Council’s key parameters and requirements.
4. To help shape the specification and business case for a new mortuary at any subsequent stages in the procurement process.
5. To scope and inform options for the future operation and governance of a new mortuary.
Any and all responses to this preliminary consultation will be used to inform the Council’s thinking and next steps and will be treated as confidential. The Council will be happy to respond to written questions or queries from interested parties in relation to clarification or additional information. Any such requests and the responses will be appropriately anonymised and shared via the Council’s procurement portal with access to all those who have responded to the consultation. This preliminary market consultation will not result in the identification of, or shortlisting for, any final delivery partner.
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