How to Tender for Cleaning Contracts
The cleaning industry is a consistent and lucrative sector, as offices, schools, and commercial facilities need to be clean and hygienic for public use. While running a successful cleaning business involves a lot of work, securing cleaning contracts can provide a continuous source of income as cleaning is regularly outsourced.
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However, finding your way around the world of tendering can deter some businesses from bidding on cleaning tenders. As such, we have put together a guide to give you the know-how, tools, and tactics to bid for and win cleaning contracts.
Read on to discover more about the different kinds of cleaning contracts, the bidding process, and how tools like Tracker Intelligence can help you bid for and win cleaning contracts.
What is a Cleaning Tender or Contract?
A cleaning contract, or tender, is a contract that is put out by a client for the provision of cleaning services. The tender outlines the type of cleaning work required, such as residential or commercial, the scope of work, a schedule, who supplies the cleaning materials and equipment, and requirements for compliance with laws and regulations, among other details. It sets out a clear idea of what the work is going to involve, the expectations, and the responsibilities.
Cleaning companies bid on the tender to provide the service.
Types of Cleaning Contracts
Any cleaning business in the industry can explore different types of cleaning contracts. Understanding the different kinds of cleaning tenders available can help you identify the contracts that align with the competencies and resources of your cleaning company.
Commercial Cleaning Contracts
A commercial cleaning contract entails the provision of cleaning services for commercial businesses and premises such as shops or malls, stores, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. These contracts normally involve a full cleaning plan and routine facilities management services such as dusting, sweeping, mopping, and sanitising. It can also include janitorial work.
Office Cleaning Tenders
Providing cleaning services in an office space is usually covered by an office cleaning contract This cleaning job involves cleaning common areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and conference rooms, as well as more personal areas like individual desks. Office cleaning contracts often require attention to detail and a highly professional approach. Office cleaning services can include daily or weekly duties like vacuuming, dusting, cleaning bathrooms and kitchens, waste management within the office, and more. It is important to know what the requirements are for an office space in order to come up with personalised proposals that will convince decision-makers.
Window Cleaning Contracts
In window cleaning tenders, there is a need for specialised cleaning of windows and other glass surfaces. This can be cleaning windows for private homes, commercial properties, or high-rise buildings. These contracts are more specialised than typical cleaning contracts because they require specific equipment and training for staff working on high-rise apartments or offices.
School Cleaning Services
A school cleaning contract can involve providing cleaning services to educational institutions ranging from kindergartens to universities. Such contracts may involve cleaning classrooms, hallways, washrooms, and offices. These contracts typically call for advanced skills and cleaning methods, strict adherence to health and safety standards, as well as the ability to work around school hours for both teachers and students.
Janitorial Services
Janitorial service contracts cover all types of cleaning, maintenance, and repair operations. These contracts are given for diverse building areas like office buildings, schools, hospitals, and governmental institutions, among others. Most janitorial service providers have to be flexible and adjust their services according to the individual needs of different clients.
Tapping into the Airbnb Cleaning Market
As rapidly as Airbnb rose in popularity, so too did the need for cleaning these short-term rentals. Most Airbnb owners have a few hours to clean the property after a guest has vacated the premises. More and more of these owners are turning to professional cleaning service providers to clean and sanitise their properties before new guests arrive. For many cleaning businesses, Airbnb contracts could be an attractive venture.
Understanding the Tendering Landscape
It is important for businesses looking to bid on cleaning contracts to understand the tendering landscape. Knowing who the key people in the cleaning sector are, understanding what is trending in the sector, and gaining a comprehensive understanding of the market can help you write and submit winning bids.
Preparing to Tender for New Cleaning Contracts
It is very important to prepare adequately before submitting a tender. You need to collect all the required information and make sure you have the necessary paperwork for the process. The process of preparing to bid on a tender can involve identifying target clients, understanding your company’s capabilities and competencies, as well as resources, and collecting all the required information and documentation.
The Step-by-Step Process of Crafting Winning Tenders
Planning and diligence are key for a successful tender bid. This step-by-step process will guide you through the essential elements of a successful tender submission:
Identify the Client Expectations and Demands: Carefully go through the tender documentation in order to find out what the client’s needs and expectations are, how they will evaluate work, and their timelines. Customise your proposal to fit their needs.
Research and Gather Information: Carry out extensive research about the client, the market, and the competitors. Collect information that will enable you to identify their pain points, where they need help, and why your cleaning services could be the solution for them.
Develop a Compelling Value Proposition: Make sure that your cleaning services are distinct and clearly explained. State what makes you different from your competitors. This could be things like your expertise, experience, quality assurance process, and any additional services you provide.
Structure Your Proposal: Ensure that you structure your proposal in an orderly and coherent way. This will facilitate the ease of understanding your proposal. Use subheadings, bulleted items, and clear sections.
Provide Evidence of Success: Remember to include case studies, testimonials, and references from satisfied customers as evidence of the quality of work you have done and to showcase your ability to deliver excellent cleaning services.
Leveraging Tracker Intelligence as a Cleaning Business
Tracker Intelligence is a tool used for identifying, tracking, analysing, and bidding for cleaning contracts. These tools give you information about contract opportunities, competitor analysis, and market trends to give you a competitive edge and help you craft tailor-made bids that help you secure cleaning contracts.
Crafting Compelling Proposals
Developing a strong and thorough proposal is vital to winning cleaning contracts. You must craft a proposal that distinguishes you from your competitors while showing how your cleaning services can meet the specific needs of the customer. Give clear evidence that you can provide this service and ensure that you customise your bid to your client.
Compliance and Documentation Mastery
The tendering process includes compliance and documentation. Be aware of any specific rules, regulations, and standards for the cleaning industry. You should make sure that you have the necessary documents, certificates, and licences, like a cleaning business license for example, to improve your standing. Prepare comprehensive and correct proposals covering all the required details, highlighting your quality of work, and providing proof of valid licences, insurance documents, safety procedures, and any other necessary papers.
Strategic Pricing Strategies
The art of developing winning pricing strategies is all about balancing between competition and profits. Ensure you structure your bids in a manner that makes sense for your bottom line and that demonstrates to the client why they should use your services. To ensure there is a reasonable profit margin, consider things like the cost of salaries, buying equipment, travel costs, and overheads. You should structure your bid to portray value while still remaining viable for your firm.
Post-Tender Negotiation Tactics
If appropriate negotiation strategies are used, favourable terms might be secured after the tender. The execution of effective and successful cleaning contracts depends on building long-term partnerships with customers by identifying mutual benefits for both parties and meeting their unique requirements. Ultimately, post-tender negotiations are key to ensuring that both parties get the best out of the contract.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Cleaning Tenders
There are some common mistakes that you should avoid when tendering for cleaning contracts:
Lack of detailed understanding of the clients requirements
Submitting incomplete or inaccurate documentation
Overlooking compliance requirements and regulations
Under-pricing or over-pricing your services
Failure to follow up and conduct post-bidding negotiations
These mistakes can mean the difference between winning contracts and losing them.
Conclusion
Winning a cleaning contract can only be achieved through understanding the tendering process adequately, well-crafted proposals, and strategic pricing approaches. Tracker Intelligence’s tools give you the insights you need to come up with winning proposals. Register now for a free trial or demo of the ways to win big cleaning contacts and give your business a boost.
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