RFP - Mortuary Services for the Harris County Housing and Community Development Department

Harris County is soliciting proposals for mortuary services to support the Housing and Community Development Department, with a performance period beginning January 1, 2027, for one year and four optional one-year renewals. The selected vendor will provide dignified burial and cremation services for approximately 1,300 indigent individuals annually. Key requirements include maintaining a valid Texas Funeral Service Commission license, ensuring a full-time Funeral Director in Charge is onsite at least five days per week, and having three licensed funeral directors on call at all times. Facilities must include cold storage capacity for up to 250 decedents and a chapel or viewing room. Contractors must adhere to strict compliance standards, including a mandatory minimum wage of 21.65 per hour for eligible workers, adjusted annually via the MIT Living Wage Calculator. Comprehensive insurance coverage is required, including Workers Compensation, Commercial General Liability, Automobile, and Professional Liability. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Bonfire portal by May 18, 2026, and will be evaluated based on qualifications and experience, which account for 25 percent of the scoring. The county retains the right to inspect vendor facilities and procedures throughout the process, from the time a decedent is claimed until final interment or cremation.