Sector guide
Winning cleaning and FM contracts: what to check first
A practical guide for cleaning and facilities suppliers reading public-sector packs, from site lists and mobilisation to evidence and margin risk.
Start with sites, hours, and frequency
Cleaning and FM packs often look simple in the notice title and become complex in the site list. Before writing, map each location, access window, frequency, periodic task, and supervision requirement. A daily multi-site contract before 7am is a different operating model from weekly office cleaning, even when the CPV code is similar.
Look for appendices that list washrooms, kitchens, showers, clinical rooms, security constraints, keyholding, alarm codes, school-term changes, or event cleaning. These details decide staffing, route density, equipment, and whether the price can work.
Check mobilisation and TUPE early
Mobilisation can decide whether a cleaning contract is feasible. Check the contract start date, handover period, site induction requirements, DBS or safeguarding checks, consumables transfer, equipment ownership, and whether TUPE information is supplied. If TUPE may apply but data is missing, ask a clarification question before pricing.
A small supplier should also check whether the buyer expects a named contract manager, out-of-hours response, monthly reporting, audits, helpdesk access, or environmental reporting. Those requirements may be manageable, but they belong in the cost model and method statement.
Evidence that scores
Cleaning and FM buyers often score method, quality control, staffing, health and safety, environmental practice, social value, and mobilisation. Generic promises rarely score well. Strong evidence includes audit templates, training records, COSHH controls, equipment plans, rota examples, escalation routes, customer references, and before/after quality data where it is honest and relevant.
Use the bid/no-bid framework before writing. Bid when the site pattern fits, evidence exists, terms are acceptable, and the price can absorb supervision and periodic tasks. Clarify first when volumes, TUPE, access, or consumables are unclear. No-bid when winning would depend on underpaying time, skipping supervision, or accepting contract terms the business cannot carry.
FAQ
What is the first thing to read in a cleaning tender pack?
Read the timetable and site/frequency list first, then eligibility, pricing, specification, and contract terms.
Why do cleaning contracts go wrong after award?
Common causes are underpriced hours, unclear periodic tasks, missing TUPE assumptions, weak supervision costs, and contract terms that were not reviewed before bid.
Can TenderReader price my cleaning contract?
No. TenderReader can surface pack facts and decision risks, but pricing remains the supplier's commercial judgement.