UNSPSC 85171502: Cremation service for human remains

Cremation is the practice of disposing of a human body by burning it, which is often done in a place called a crematorium. Along with burial, cremation is an increasingly popular alternative to the final disposal of a corpse.

UNSPSC 85171502 Cremation service for human remains, a Commodity code, encompasses pickup, transport, cremation, and final disposition of deceased persons on behalf of state and local government agencies, including medical examiners' offices, county health departments, correctional facilities, and university systems. Recent solicitations reflect a strong focus on indigent and unclaimed decedent services, with state and local buyers contracting for direct cremation, removal and transportation, refrigerated storage, and administrative case management tied to eligibility determination and family notification. Counties, states, and specialized government entities (medical examiner offices, corrections departments, universities) solicit under this code; Texas agencies—particularly the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Collin County, and Hays County—appear as repeat buyers of mortality resources and cremation services. Solicitation types include IFBs, RFPs, RFQs, and ITBs structured as firm fixed-price per-case or per-unit contracts, often covering estimated annual volumes ranging from 20 to 800 decedents annually with multi-year terms offering renewal options.

Activity concentrates in Texas and Florida, with recent opportunities also posted by Georgia, Illinois, and South Carolina jurisdictions. Representative recent opportunities include Collin County Medical Examiner's Office (IFB 2026-300 for morgue transport services, due October 15, 2026, estimated annual value $130,000 for approximately 800 transports); Texas Health and Human Services Commission (IFB HHS0017352v3 for mortality resources and strike-team services, due October 28, 2026, with historical spend of $269,485.68 from October 2022 through June 2026 as a guideline); Sumter County, Georgia (RFP 2026_009 for indigent decedent cremation pickup and services, due October 28, 2026); and Pinellas County, Florida (RFP 26-0292 for indigent burial and cremation services, annual funding estimate capped at $550,000, due April 14, 2026). Qualifications typically require current state funeral service licensure, two to five years of relevant experience, appropriate insurance (commercial general liability ranging from $1 million to $2 million, workers compensation, and professional liability), and background clearances; no set-asides for minority-owned, women-owned, or disadvantaged enterprises are specified across the recent postings.