Great Yarmouth Borough Council Cremator Plant Replacement and Site Expansion 2026
Competition Brief
Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) is seeking to appoint a supplier to recruit and manage a multidisciplinary design team for the Cremator Plant Replacement and Site Expansion project at Great Yarmouth Crematorium, Norfolk, England. The procurement is managed on behalf of GYBC by East Suffolk Council and was published on 13 March 2026 as a below-threshold open competition under UK public procurement rules.
The contract covers architectural, construction, engineering, and inspection services for a technically specialised building project involving the replacement of cremation equipment and the physical expansion of an operational crematorium facility. The appointed supplier will not directly design the building but will recruit or appoint an appropriate design team and manage its coordination through to RIBA Stage completion.
Intent
The project requires the selected supplier to assemble and manage a design team tailored to the technical and regulatory demands of a working crematorium. Local sourcing of design team members is preferred where possible. The supplier must integrate the cremator equipment manufacturer’s design requirements into the building design process, a technically demanding coordination role that sits between specialist equipment procurement and conventional building design management.
Purpose
The scope of improved facilities to be delivered includes a new control room, a viewing area for witnessing coffin insertion, an automatic charging bier, ergonomic cremulator and ash processing areas, improved public and funeral director waiting facilities, and an enlarged crematory to allow existing cremators to remain operational during the transition period. The project must therefore be designed and sequenced to maintain continuous crematorium operations throughout the construction and commissioning phases.
Requirements
The tender is open to suppliers capable of recruiting or internally appointing a full multidisciplinary design team for this project type. Submissions must be made electronically through the in-tend portal at in-tendhost.co.uk/eastsuffolk. Full tender documents include Invitation to Tender Parts A and B, a contract appendix, a health and safety policy appendix, and a pricing template. All enquiries must be directed to East Suffolk Council’s procurement team at procurement@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.
Jury
There is no jury in the traditional sense. Evaluation is conducted by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and East Suffolk Council’s procurement team in accordance with published award criteria. The process is governed by UK below-threshold procurement rules and is subject to standard public procurement oversight. Award decisions are made by the contracting authority.
Registration Fees
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Submission fee | None |
There is no fee to submit a tender. The contract value has not been published; the procurement falls below the relevant threshold for above-threshold UK public procurement procedure.
Prizes and Rewards
| Outcome | Detail |
|---|---|
| Contract value (estimated) | Not published (below threshold) |
| Contract duration | 27 April 2026 to 31 October 2027 (approximately 18 months) |
| Contract scope | Design team appointment, management and coordination through to RIBA Stage completion |
The contract value is not disclosed. As a below-threshold procurement, GYBC is not required to publish the estimated value. Interested suppliers should download the pricing template from the in-tend portal to understand the fee structure expected.
Key Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Notice published | 13 March 2026 |
| Enquiry deadline | 23 March 2026, 15:00 |
| Tender submission deadline | 1 April 2026, 12:00pm |
| Estimated contract start | 27 April 2026 |
| Estimated contract end | 31 October 2027 |
✦ ArchUp Competition Review
This is a tightly scoped, technically specific UK public sector commission rather than a design competition in the conventional sense. The project type, crematorium expansion with live operational continuity requirements and specialist equipment integration, is uncommon enough in public procurement that firms with relevant experience face limited competition from generalist practices. The role being procured is that of a design team manager and coordinator rather than a lead designer, which suits project management-oriented architecture and engineering consultancies with experience in sensitive public facilities. The below-threshold status means reduced procedural complexity compared to above-threshold tenders, though it also means the contract value is entirely undisclosed, which makes financial assessment impossible without accessing the pricing template. The 60% quality, 40% price weighting favours technically capable firms over the lowest bidder. The enquiry deadline of 23 March 2026 has already passed at the time of publication, and the submission deadline of 1 April 2026 is extremely tight, leaving minimal preparation time for firms discovering this opportunity late.
Final Thoughts
The GYBC Cremator Plant Replacement design team appointment is a specialised public sector commission suited to consultancies with experience in technically complex civic facilities and design team coordination. The submission deadline is 1 April 2026 at 12:00pm via the in-tend portal at in-tendhost.co.uk/eastsuffolk using reference 2766-TEN-O.
Registration Deadline
Brought to you by the ArchUp Editorial Team
Inspiration starts here. Dive deeper into Architecture, Interior Design, Research, Cities, Design, and cutting-edge Projects on ArchUp.
