Repair and maintenance tenders cover the repair work, planned servicing and statutory testing that councils, housing associations, schools and NHS estates teams buy, often as multi-year term contracts or frameworks. That is why stated values can look high, and why it pays to check the lots and subcontracting routes before you write a notice off. This page shows the safety rules buyers check (gas, F-gas, lifting and electrical work) and how a small firm can win a slice. 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 maintenance contractors for
Several of the rules below come from health and safety law rather than from the buyer’s preference. The tender pack sets out anything further.
Gas work
Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, an employer may not allow employees to work on gas fittings, and a self-employed person may not do so, unless they belong to a class of persons approved by the Health and Safety Executive. For heating and boiler maintenance, expect to be asked how you meet that. Check which register the pack names.
F-gas certification
Companies, including sole traders, that service stationary equipment containing F gas that others operate must be certified by an approved body. Certification is renewed every 3 years. It matters for air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pumps. If you only service your own equipment, you don’t need it.
Lifting equipment
Lift and hoist maintenance sits under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations. Regulation 9 requires thorough examination before first use, periodically where equipment is exposed to conditions that could cause dangerous deterioration, and after exceptional circumstances.
The periodic intervals in regulation 9(3) are at least every 6 months for equipment for lifting people and for lifting accessories, and at least every 12 months for other lifting equipment. The alternative is to examine in accordance with an examination scheme. Expect questions on who carries out examinations and how often.
Electrical safety competence
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require people working on electrical systems to be competent to prevent danger and injury. Regulation 16 says nobody may be engaged in work where technical knowledge or experience is necessary to prevent danger (or, where appropriate, injury) unless they have that knowledge or experience, or are under appropriate supervision given the nature of the work.
So the question for a buyer is not just who is qualified, but who is supervised and by whom. Expect questions on qualifications, supervision arrangements and testing records, and be ready to show how a less experienced engineer is supervised.
TUPE on re-let maintenance contracts
When a maintenance contract is re-let, a service provision change can move the outgoing contractor’s staff to you. Under regulation 3(3), that needs an organised grouping of employees in Great Britain whose principal purpose is carrying out the activities for the client, and the client must intend the activities to continue other than as a single specific event or task of short-term duration. The activities must also not consist wholly or mainly of supplying goods for the client’s use.
A continuing term contract run by a dedicated team is more likely to meet those conditions than a one-off job. Ask for staffing information early and price for it.
Insurance, accreditation and turnover
Levels vary by contract and we can’t source typical figures. Check the pack. See public liability cover for tenders.
Most of these requirements aren’t in the notice itself. Only 29 of 470 live notices in our data (about 6%) stated insurance requirements in the week to 10 Oct 2026 (as of 10 Oct 2026). That’s why the pack matters: we flag points a notice leaves vague, but we cannot see what it does not mention.
How to win repair and maintenance contracts
Maintenance is often let as multi-year term contracts or frameworks. That’s why values can look high, and it’s the reason to check the structure before you write off a notice.
Read the lot structure first
Buyers must consider lots, or give reasons for not using them. A large term contract might be split by trade, property type or area. In the week to 10 Oct 2026, 62 of the 470 live notices in our data were multi-lot (as of 10 Oct 2026). Pick the lot you can staff.
Use the framework cycle
A framework’s term is limited to four years in most cases, so you can see roughly when the next opening is due. In the same week, 72 notices mentioned frameworks or dynamic purchasing systems (DPS, now called dynamic markets) (as of 10 Oct 2026). Join when it opens. Our guide covers frameworks and dynamic markets.
Subcontract to the term contractor
If the main contract is out of reach, work for the firm that holds it. The 30-day payment term for valid, undisputed invoices that applies to public contracts is also implied into public sub-contracts (not where the main contract was awarded by a school, is a concession or is a private utility’s contract (section 73(6))).
Read how the work is categorised
Check how the contract defines emergency, urgent and routine work, and what response time applies to each, before you price. A rate that works for planned visits may not cover out-of-hours call-outs.
Keep your evidence ready
Competence evidence for gas, F-gas, electrical and lifting work is much the same from bid to bid. Keep certificates, qualifications and examination records current and in one place, so you can answer quickly when a notice fits.
Response times, coverage area and travel radius
Response times and coverage area are usually part of what you commit to, so be sure you can attend on time across the whole area. Count the engineers you have, where they live and how long a call-out really takes. A contract you can’t resource will cost you more than not bidding. This is why TenderWorthy checks the distance from your postcode to the delivery area where the notice gives a delivery region or postcode. Where it gives neither, or only “UK”, we cannot judge distance, so check the delivery area yourself.
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Related work: if the contract is about building work rather than servicing, see construction tenders, or refurbishment and void works. If your trade is vehicle repair, see fleet and vehicle tenders.
Questions
Why are maintenance contracts so large, and can a small firm still bid?
Maintenance is often let as multi-year term contracts or frameworks, which is why values can be high. A small firm can look for lots it can staff, join a framework when it opens, or subcontract to the term contractor. Read the lot structure before you decide.
Do I need to be on the gas register to bid for heating maintenance?
The law says an employer may not let employees work on gas fittings, and a self-employed person may not do so, unless they belong to a class of persons approved by the Health and Safety Executive. Expect the buyer to ask for evidence of that approval. The tender pack says when.
What is F-gas certification and when do buyers need it?
Companies, including sole traders, that service stationary equipment containing F gas for others must be certified by an approved body, and certification is renewed every 3 years. It matters for air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump servicing. Check the pack for what the buyer wants to see.
What happens to the outgoing contractor's staff when I win (TUPE)?
On a re-let contract, a service provision change under TUPE can transfer the staff who mainly worked on that contract to you. Ask the buyer for staffing information early and include the cost in your price.
How long do maintenance frameworks last?
A framework's term is limited to four years in most cases, with longer terms allowed only if the buyer gives its reasons. That gives you a fairly predictable re-tender cycle, but check the notice for the actual term.