Decision details

Background Details

Through its Registration Service, the Council provides a suite of bereavement related services for the residents of the borough and those organisations and families who chose to use its excellent services and facilities.

This includes approximately 4,000 funerals for families per year, made up of approximately 3,200 cremations across two crematoria and 800 burials in nine cemeteries for which it is responsible. The provision of these services to the residents of Sandwell and from other local areas mean bereaved families can access appropriate means for the cremation and burial of the deceased.

Crematoria and cemeteries also act as places where bereaved families and friends can have various lasting memorials erected in a peaceful and respectful setting to commemorate their loved ones.

In support this, the Council has an on-going requirement for the supply & installation of Burial Chambers. Whilst not exclusively, the use of burial chambers is often the preferred choice of the Muslim community when making funeral arrangements for their loved ones.

Therefore, the Council as a burial authority through the award of this contract will be able to continue to with the delivery of inclusive services to the bereaved.

Tender submissions were invited with three compliant bids evaluated using the published award criteria which were based on 80% price and 20% quality/social value.

Gem Precast Ltd submitted the lowest compliant tender price total and were therefore awarded the maximum score of 80% for this criterion. They were equal second highest scoring tenderer on the quality/social value criterion with a score of 16%. Further scoring information is outlined in the table below:
Gem Precast Ltd – 1st
Price 80.00%
Quality 16.00%
Total 96.00%

Company B – 2nd
Price 58.70%
Quality 16.00%
Total 74.70%

Company C – 3rd
Price 40.34%
Quality 18.50%
Total 58.84%

Therefore, following the analysis of returned Tenders and in accordance with the published criteria, it is recommended Gem Precast Ltd be awarded the contract.

That the Director of Law and Governance, Monitoring Officer in consultation with Finance - Section 151 Officer award a contract for the provision of services related to the delivery and installation of burial chambers in Sandwell to Gem Precast Ltd, Unit 13A, Holme Industrial Estate, Holme on Spalding Moor York, YO43 4BB. The period of the award will be four years commencing on 1 July 2023.

In accordance with the Council’s Contract Procedures Rules, a
tendering exercise has been undertaken to establish a four-year
contract from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2027 for the provision of services
related to the delivery and installation of burial chambers in Sandwell.

The service requirements for this tendering process included the supply
and delivery of concrete burial chambers in three cemetery locations in
Sandwell to ensure the ongoing needs of all community groups can
continue to be met in terms of their chosen end of life option.

Tenders were invited using public advertisement to cover the
requirements as outlined in 1.1 above and a total of three compliant
bids were returned by the tender closing date.

Following analysis of returned tenders, it is recommended that Gem
Precast Ltd, Unit 13A, Holme Industrial Estate, Holme on Spalding Moor
York, YO43 4BB be awarded the contract.

Anticipated expenditure over the four-year contract period is estimated
to be in the region of £268,000 when previous annual expenditure is
considered.