Future Broward County Cremation and Unclaimed Remains Services Contract

Broward County is preparing to establish an open-end contract to provide on-demand cremation and unclaimed remains services for indigent and abandoned decedents within the county. Vendors must be licensed funeral or direct disposal establishments in good standing, with a minimum of three years in business, and must maintain access to licensed refrigeration and cremation facilities in Broward, Miami-Dade, or Palm Beach Counties. All services must be available 24/7, 365 days a year, with strict response times of one hour for residences and nursing homes and two hours for hospitals. Vendors are required to transport, store, and cremate remains in compliance with Florida Statutes Chapters 382 and 497 and corresponding administrative codes, including securing cremated remains for up to 90 days before scattering them at sea at least three nautical miles off Florida’s east coast, with precise geographic coordinates reported to OMETS. Electronic filing of death certificates and burial transit permits through the EDRS system must occur within 48 hours of custody, and all documentation, including OMETS coversheets and medical examiner records, must be submitted promptly. Veterans’ remains must be identified and transferred at the vendor’s expense to the South Florida National Cemetery when eligible. The contract is not guaranteed any minimum volume of work and operates on a rotational basis among qualified vendors, with payment allowed only after cremation completion and solely for unclaimed or indigent cases. Invoices must be submitted to OMETS within 30 days, and no compensation is permitted for claimed remains. Vendors must carry appropriate insurance, employ trained personnel with clean background checks, and are fully accountable for the actions of any subcontractors. Inspection rights are reserved by the County at any time, and disciplinary history within the past five years disqualifies applicants. Participation requires registration on BPRO, the county’s electronic bidding system, where all submissions and inquiries must be directed, with questions due by May 22, 2026. No formal FAR-style clauses, socioeconomic set-asides, or federal certification requirements are included; compliance is governed entirely by state law, operational standards, and vendor qualifications.