Transport of Deceased Persons – Regional Collection Services

Overview Court Services Victoria is seeking a service provider to deliver Regional Collection Services as part of the Transport of Deceased Persons (TDP) service, which supports the operations of the Coroners Court of Victoria (CCoV) and the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM). The service ensures the safe, respectful and timely transportation of deceased persons who have been reported to the Court and require examination at VIFM. About When a reportable death is referred to the Court, a transport request is issued for the collection of the deceased person from the Place of Death (POD) and transfer to the VIFM mortuary in Southbank. This activity is known as a Collection Service and is the most time-critical component of the TDP operating model. Timely collection supports bereaved families, minimises delays at the POD, and preserves forensic and evidentiary requirements. Collection services are currently delivered through two service categories: Metropolitan Collection Services, servicing metropolitan Melbourne and designated surrounding areas, and Regional Collection Services, servicing regional Victoria through a network of regional funeral directors and specialist transport providers. Once examination and coronial requirements have been completed, the deceased person is released to the family's nominated funeral director. Where the nominated funeral director is located within metropolitan Melbourne, collection from the VIFM mortuary is arranged directly by the funeral director and is outside the scope of the TDP service. Where the deceased person is released to a funeral director located in regional Victoria, transport from the VIFM mortuary to the regional funeral director forms part of the TDP service and is referred to as Regional Repatriation Services. Purpose The current service delivery arrangements were established through a public procurement process and are due to expire in June 2027. This procurement process relates to Regional Collection Services only. Metropolitan Collection Services are not in scope for this RFQ. Objectives Obtain competitive pricing for regional deceased person collection services Confirm Service Provider capability, capacity and geographic coverage across the nominated regions Validate Service Providers' ability to meet the required service standards, response times and operational requirements Identify any risks, assumptions or constraints that may affect service delivery Inform the selection of Service Providers that provide the best value for money and quality service outcomes Scope The scope includes: Collection of deceased persons from the Place of Death in regional Victoria and transfer to the VIFM mortuary in Southbank Regional Repatriation Services: transport of deceased persons from the VIFM mortuary to the nominated regional funeral director following release Instructions to Tenderers Further details are provided in the RFQ documents. Tender Briefing A briefing session will be held for this opportunity. Date: 24 November 2026 Time: 2:00 pm Format: Virtual briefing (Microsoft Teams or webinar) Please register by 20 November 2026, 5:00 pm if you are interested in attending the briefing session. Details for joining the session will be provided after the registration closing date. Enquiries Contact: Wais Rahimi, Technical Email: csv_procurementgroup@courts.vic.gov.au