Grounds maintenance tenders cover grass cutting, hedges and weed control on council parks and verges, school and academy sites, housing estates, cemeteries and sports pitches. Larger contracts appear on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, while the smallest parish jobs may be advertised only locally. This page sets out what buyers usually ask grounds contractors for and how local firms 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 grounds maintenance contractors for
Each buyer sets its own questions. These points have a legal basis or may be asked for, and the tender pack has the detail.
Pesticide use
Under regulation 8 of the Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012, nobody may use a professional-use plant protection product unless they hold a specified certificate or work under supervision. You also can’t cause or permit someone else to use one unless they do. The old exemption for people born on or before 31 December 1964 ended on 25 November 2015. If your weed-control method involves spraying, show who holds the certificate. If nobody does, price without spraying or subcontract it.
Green waste
If your business transports waste in England, you must register as a waste carrier. Registration is usually free if you only transport waste you produce yourself (otherwise £191.02). Whether clippings from a client’s site count as your waste or theirs is a question for the Environment Agency, so ask before you price. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own processes.
Insurance
Employers’ liability insurance is compulsory for employers in Great Britain, with limited exemptions (1969 Act), with cover of at least £5 million. Public liability has no statutory figure, so the buyer sets it. See how much public liability cover buyers ask for.
Health and safety
Some buyers ask for membership of a health and safety assessment scheme, as we explain in SSIP, CHAS and Constructionline explained. These are a buyer preference, not a legal requirement. Expect method statements for machinery use and lone working too.
School sites
DBS checks come in four types. 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 school or trust says in the pack what it expects.
TUPE on re-tendered contracts
When grounds work moves to a new contractor, a service provision change under TUPE can transfer staff to you. The conditions include an organised grouping of employees in Great Britain whose principal purpose is the client’s work. Ask for staffing information early and price for it.
How to win grounds maintenance contracts
Look for lots, and use the below-threshold rules
On above-threshold contracts, buyers must consider splitting a contract into lots, or give reasons for not doing so. Grounds work may be split by area or site type, such as parks, cemeteries and sports pitches. Bid for the lots inside your travel range.
From 1 January 2026, services contracts fall under the full Act rules at £135,018 for central government and £207,720 for other authorities, including VAT. Below that, 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; see also the below-threshold guidance). It must also consider the barriers SMEs face. Contracts awarded by a school (including academy trusts) are outside these rules.
Where small contracts live
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.
So below £30,000, a parish or town council has no duty to publish a below-threshold tender notice, and may advertise on its own website or ask local firms for quotes. That doesn’t mean all parish work is hidden. It does mean the live list here won’t show every job, so introduce yourself to the councils and schools around you.
Show seasonal schedules, kit and local benefit
Grounds work follows the seasons. Show a month-by-month schedule, the staff and machinery you will send, and how you cope with spring growth and wet weather. 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). Where a buyer scores biodiversity or local benefit, offer specifics you can deliver, such as apprenticeships or habitat work.
Common pitfalls
- underpricing travel time between sites
- no weather or growth-season contingency
- pricing spraying when nobody on the team holds the certificate, or has no supervisor who does
- one flat rate for routine rounds and one-off clearance work
Who buys grounds maintenance
Councils buy parks, verge and cemetery maintenance. Schools, academy trusts and housing associations buy grounds care for their sites and estates. In the week to 10 Oct 2026 there were 18 live notices in the landscaping, grounds and agriculture division (the parent sector, not grounds maintenance alone), as of 10 Oct 2026. See grounds, landscaping and agriculture tenders for the wider group, cleaning tenders and facilities management tenders if you offer bundled services, and council contracts for small businesses.
Questions
Where do councils advertise grounds maintenance contracts?
Larger contracts 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. Smaller jobs may be advertised only on a council's own website, or offered to chosen suppliers.
Do I need a pesticide certificate for council grounds work?
If your method statement includes professional-use plant protection products, the regulations say the user must hold a specified certificate or work under the supervision of someone who does. The same applies if you arrange for someone else to use the product. If you don't hold the certificate, price without spraying or subcontract it.
Why can't I find my parish council's grass cutting contract online?
For other authorities, a contract worth less than £30,000 including VAT doesn't need a below-threshold tender notice, so a parish or town council may advertise it only on its own website or invite quotes from local firms. That doesn't mean every parish contract is hidden, but it is worth contacting your local councils directly.
Do I need a waste carrier licence for green waste?
If your business transports waste in England, you must register as a waste carrier. Registration is usually free if you only transport waste you produce yourself (otherwise £191.02). If you take green waste away from a client's site, ask the Environment Agency which registration applies to you.
Does TUPE apply when I take over a grounds maintenance contract?
It can. When grounds work moves from one contractor to another, a service provision change can transfer the staff who mainly worked on it, if the conditions are met. It won't always apply, so ask for staffing information early and take advice.