Procurement7 min read
The Commercial Cleaning Tender Guide
A well-run tender attracts serious providers and produces bids you can actually compare. Here is how to structure one.
The short answer
A good cleaning tender is built around a clear specification and evaluates providers on quality, capability, staffing and accountability — not price alone. Give bidders the same information and a site visit, and score against defined criteria.
Prepare before you invite bids
- —Document a clear specification and scope
- —Gather site information: areas, hours, access, headcount
- —Decide your evaluation criteria and weightings
- —Allow a site visit so bids reflect reality
What to ask bidders for
- —Their proposed approach against your specification
- —Staffing, supervision and cover arrangements
- —Their quality management and audit process
- —Reporting and communication approach
- —Mobilisation and transition plan (including TUPE where relevant)
- —Relevant references and sector experience
How to evaluate fairly
Score against defined criteria rather than reacting to headline prices. Weight quality, capability and accountability appropriately — a cleaning contract is a service relationship, and the cheapest bid is rarely the best value over its life.
Common tender mistakes
- —No specification, so bids are not comparable
- —Over-weighting price against quality
- —No site visit, leading to inaccurate bids
- —Ignoring mobilisation and transition risk