UNSPSC 85171500: Funeral and associated services

The services associated with the preparation and holding of a funeral

UNSPSC 85171500 Funeral and associated services, a Class code, covers body removal and transport, cremation, burial, embalming, and related disposition services that state and local governments procure for indigent, unclaimed, and ward-of-the-state decedents. Recent solicitations show governments purchasing direct cremation services without embalming or viewing; full-service funeral and burial packages with transportation, preparation, and interment; cold storage and refrigeration; and emergency mortuary response capabilities including strike teams, personnel, and portable mortuary infrastructure. The mix of issuing bodies includes county health departments and medical examiners' offices (Sarasota, Collin, Pinellas, Broward, Harris), state departments of corrections (Illinois, Georgia), state health and human services agencies (Texas HHSC), state universities (Texas A&M), and municipal purchasing offices. Repeat solicitation patterns appear in Texas counties (Hays, Collin, Harris) and Illinois correctional facilities (Centralia Correctional Center issued three separate burial RFQs between March and April 2026).

Geographic activity concentrates in Texas (Harris County, Hays County, Collin County, Texas HHSC), Florida (Broward, Pinellas), and Illinois (Centralia Correctional Center), with secondary activity in California and Oregon (joint DHS/ODA cold storage RFB). Representative recent opportunities include Sarasota County's IFB for body removal and transport services across three counties with an August 4, 2026 response date; Texas HHSC's IFB (HHS0017352) for mortality resources and strike teams due July 17, 2026, with historical spend of $269,485.68 from October 2022 through June 2026; Collin County Medical Examiner's RFQ for cremation services due June 18, 2026 with an estimated annual expenditure of $17,500; Harris County's RFP for mortuary services due April 20, 2026 seeking approximately 1,300 annual cremations and burials; and Pinellas County's RFP (26-0292-RFP) for indigent burial and cremation services with an annual funding estimate not to exceed $550,000. Most contracts run one to three years with optional renewals; qualifications typically require current funeral service licensure, prior relevant experience (two to five years), appropriate insurance ($1 million commercial general liability common), and in some cases maintenance of on-site cold storage and transport vehicles.