Maximise your cleaning contract by outsourcing your requirements

Prioritising your cleaning service is essential due to its direct impact on the health and wellbeing of both students and staff. It also tends to be one of the most expensive and complex contracts a school will have to procure, requiring a significant amount of time to complete. We therefore suggest you start looking at your cleaning contract renewal at least eight months before your existing contract expires.

Outsourced cleaning providers offer a range of benefits including staff management and training, taking on the administrative burden of ordering consumables, providing the necessary equipment and uniforms, and most importantly ensuring compliance with all health and safety and legislative requirements. There are also cost and time saving benefits, as suppliers will have the economies of scale to create savings on supplies and training. They will also bring their own expertise and experience in delivering a quality cleaning service.

What to include in your specification:

• A map of the school site/s
• Dimensions of the building/s
• Information on any lettings
• Whether point of use consumables are required
• If you require weekend cleaning hours
• Your requirements for deep cleaning
• Workforce data

Output vs input specification 

There are different types of specifications that give you a different level of control over your new service. An output specification gives the suppliers discretion on how to deliver the desired outcome. An example of this would be ‘the toilets will be kept clean, and bins emptied, as necessary.’ Alternatively, you can opt for an input focused specification where you clearly prescribe how the service will be delivered. An example of this would be ‘the toilets will be cleaned with organic cleaning solution at 08:00, 12:00 and 16:00 daily Monday to Friday. All surfaces will be wiped down and mirrors cleaned. Bins will be emptied at these times.’  Within a cleaning service it is also important to remember that there are legal requirements that need to be adhered to such as legionella testing or hazardous waste disposal.

We’re here to help

Schools’ Buying Club can help your school source its best cleaning provision. We offer three compliant routes to market – direct award, mini competition and full tender, all designed to help you achieve best value. We can even provide you with a personalised timeline to keep you on track. If you’d like more information, simply email us here.