Cleaning tenders cover office and school cleaning, communal areas in social housing, non-clinical cleaning in hospitals and clinics, window cleaning and one-off deep cleans. Councils, schools, housing associations and NHS trusts publish them on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. This page sets out what buyers usually ask cleaning contractors for, much of it law rather than preference, and how a smaller firm can win. Our tender eligibility checker is coming soon. Until then, tell us your trade and postcode to join the free weekly list of live tenders, starting soon.
What buyers usually ask for in cleaning tenders
Each buyer sets its own questions. These are the points with a legal basis, plus the accreditation some buyers ask for.
Insurance
Employers’ liability insurance is compulsory for employers in Great Britain, with limited exemptions (1969 Act). Cover must be at least £5 million, and the fine is £2,500 for every day you are not properly insured. Public liability has no statutory figure: the buyer sets it. See how much public liability cover buyers ask for.
Most notices don’t state any of this. In the week to 10 Oct 2026, 29 of 470 live notices in our data (about 6%) stated insurance requirements (as of 10 Oct 2026). The rest is in the pack.
Health and safety accreditation
Some buyers ask for a scheme such as CHAS, SafeContractor or Constructionline. See SSIP, CHAS and SafeContractor explained. These are a buyer preference, not a legal requirement. If the pack names one you don’t hold, ask whether an equivalent is accepted.
COSHH and cleaning chemicals
Cleaning products can be hazardous substances. Under the COSHH Regulations 2002, every employer must ensure that employees’ exposure to hazardous substances is prevented or, where that isn’t reasonably practicable, adequately controlled. Expect questions on the products you use, risk assessments, storage and staff training.
Staff vetting on school and healthcare sites
DBS checks come in four types: basic (unspent convictions and conditional cautions), standard (spent and unspent), enhanced (adds relevant local police information) and enhanced with barred lists. Standard and Enhanced checks are only available where the role meets the legal criteria (England and Wales), while Basic checks are open to anyone, according to the DBS eligibility guidance. The buyer decides what it asks for on its sites.
TUPE when you take over an existing contract
When a cleaning contract moves to a new contractor, a service provision change under TUPE can transfer staff to you. That needs an organised grouping of employees in Great Britain whose principal purpose is the client’s cleaning, and the work must continue beyond a single short-term task. It won’t always apply, so take advice, ask for staffing information early and price for it.
If you remove waste
If your business transports waste, you must register as a waste carrier (the England route; the other nations have their own). Registration is usually free if you only transport waste you produce yourself (otherwise £191.02). If waste is a bigger part of your work, see waste collection tenders.
How to win cleaning contracts
Start with smaller contracts
From 1 January 2026, services contracts fall under the full Procurement Act rules at £135,018 for central government and £207,720 for other authorities, including VAT. Below that, when a buyer invites tenders it can’t run a separate suitability stage before tenders are submitted, but it can still assess suitability at the award stage (Welsh devolved buyers and framework call-offs aside; see also the below-threshold guidance). It must also consider the barriers SMEs face.
If a buyer advertises a below-threshold contract worth £12,000 or more (central government, including NHS trusts) or £30,000 or more (other authorities), including VAT, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice. Buyers can also invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising, as the gov.uk guidance explains. A contract awarded by a school (including academy trusts and FE colleges) sits outside these rules.
Bid for the lot that fits your area and size
On above-threshold contracts, buyers must consider splitting a contract into lots, or give reasons for not doing so, and the gov.uk guidance says smaller contracts may be easier for SMEs to tender for or deliver. A council may split cleaning by area, building type or frequency. Pick the lot you can staff.
Price TUPE, wages, consumables and mobilisation honestly
The first weeks of a new contract carry costs a bid can overlook: uniforms, equipment, training, supervision and any transferred staff. Don’t assume the incumbent’s rates were sustainable, and cost wages at what you will actually pay. Price periodic work such as carpets, high-level cleaning and windows as separate lines.
Make social value specific and local
Central government departments, their executive agencies and NDPBs must give social value at least a 10% weighting on above-threshold contracts where it is relevant and proportionate (PPN 002). Other buyers set their own weighting. Cleaning suits local employment: say how many local people you will recruit and what training they get. See social value in tenders.
Common pitfalls
- skipping the site visit and pricing from the specification alone
- leaving periodic cleans unpriced
- no mobilisation plan for the first month
- generic method statements that could belong to any site
Who buys cleaning services
Councils buy cleaning for offices, libraries and leisure sites. Schools, academy trusts, housing associations (communal areas), NHS trusts (non-clinical areas), universities and central government estates also publish cleaning contracts. In the week to 10 Oct 2026 there were 31 live notices in the wider cleaning, waste and environmental division (the parent sector, not cleaning alone), as of 10 Oct 2026. See cleaning, waste and environmental tenders for the group. If cleaning is one service in a bundle, see facilities management tenders, and for general advice, how to win council contracts as a small business.
Questions
Where are public sector cleaning tenders published?
Notices go on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, and TenderWorthy covers both. Scottish public bodies must advertise regulated procurements on the Public Contracts Scotland website, which TenderWorthy doesn't cover. A buyer can also invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising a small contract.
Do I need CHAS or SafeContractor to win cleaning contracts?
Not by law. Some buyers ask for membership of a health and safety assessment scheme, and others run their own questionnaire. The tender pack tells you what that buyer accepts. If it names a scheme you don't hold, ask whether an equivalent is acceptable.
How much public liability insurance do I need for a cleaning contract?
There is no statutory figure. The buyer sets the level, so check the tender pack. Employers' liability is separate: it is compulsory for employers in Great Britain, with limited exemptions, and must cover at least £5 million.
Does TUPE apply when I win a cleaning contract?
It can. When a cleaning contract moves to a new contractor, a service provision change can transfer the staff who mainly worked on it, if the activities are fundamentally the same and the other conditions are met. It won't always apply, so ask the buyer for staffing information early and take advice.
Can a small cleaning company win council contracts?
Yes, particularly on smaller contracts and lots. Below the full Procurement Act thresholds, a buyer inviting tenders can't run a separate suitability stage before tenders are submitted, but it can still assess suitability at the award stage (Welsh devolved buyers and framework call-offs aside). It must also consider the barriers SMEs face. Look for lots you can staff within your travel range.
Do cleaners need DBS checks for school contracts?
It depends on the role and what the buyer asks for. Standard and Enhanced DBS checks are only available where the role meets the legal criteria (England and Wales), while Basic checks are open to anyone. The tender pack says what the school or trust expects.