Cleaning contracts: how to find and win them in the UK

By Faisal Rehman · Last updated 8 October 2026

Cleaning contracts come from two very different worlds. Private clients, such as offices, shops and managing agents, mostly buy through quotes and relationships. Public bodies, such as councils, schools and the NHS, buy through formal tenders with published rules. Most growing cleaning firms need both. This guide covers where each comes from and how to win them.

Where commercial cleaning contracts come from

Private sector

Direct approach. Offices, surgeries, gyms, showrooms and small industrial units near your existing sites. Being close to work you already supervise is a real advantage, and buyers know it.
Property managing agents. They manage common areas and often several buildings, so one good relationship can lead to more sites.
Facilities management companies. Large FM providers subcontract cleaning, especially specialist or regional work. See our page on facilities management tenders.
Referrals and renewals. Contracts you already hold are your best source of new ones: references, extra sites and word of mouth.
Lead sellers and contracts for sale. Some firms sell leads or existing contract portfolios. Check what you are paying for, whether the client contracts can be transferred to you, and whether staff transfer with them under TUPE.

Public sector

Public bodies advertise cleaning contracts on official portals. Since 24 February 2025, buyers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland publish under the Procurement Act 2023 on Find a Tender; Scottish bodies use Public Contracts Scotland. Our live list of cleaning tenders pulls the open notices together by region, and our page on public sector cleaning explains how the process works.

Types of cleaning contract

Each type has its own buyers and risks. Contract values and rates vary with hours, frequency, location and specification, so we do not quote typical prices.

Contract type	Typical buyers	Usually found through	Things to check	Price
Office and commercial	Businesses, landlords, managing agents, councils	Direct approach, agents, FM subcontracts, tenders	Out-of-hours access, key holding, alarm codes, who supplies consumables	Varies
Schools and academies	Councils, academy trusts, independent schools	Tenders, trust procurement portals	Term-time and holiday deep cleans, safeguarding and vetting checks, TUPE	Varies
Healthcare	NHS trusts, GP practices, care providers	Tenders, frameworks, direct approach for small practices	Infection control, audit regime (in England, the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021), response times	Varies
Housing communal areas	Housing associations, councils, managing agents	Tenders, agents	Many small sites and travel time, bin stores, resident complaints, reporting	Varies
Industrial and warehouse	Manufacturers, logistics firms	Direct approach, FM subcontracts	High-level work, machinery, site induction and PPE rules	Varies
Window and high-level	All of the above	Direct approach, tenders (often split into lots)	Working at height method, equipment, weather, access permissions	Varies
Periodic and one-off cleans	All of the above, builders	Direct approach, call-offs under a main contract	Clear scope, waste disposal, out-of-hours working	Varies

How to get cleaning contracts: a practical sequence

Pick your lane. Choose two or three contract types you already do well, in an area you can supervise. Specialists are easier to buy from than generalists.
Get the basics in order. Employers' liability insurance is compulsory for most employers in Great Britain, with at least £5 million of cover; buyers set their own minimum for public liability. Have current health and safety, COSHH, environmental and equality policies, and safeguarding if you work in schools.
Collect evidence. For every contract you hold, record the site, the scope, how long you have held it, audit results and a contact who will give a reference.
Do a proper site survey. Measure, count washrooms and floor types, and ask about opening hours, security and consumables before you price.
Price from hours, not from a rate card. Work out the labour hours the specification needs, then add wages, employer's National Insurance, pension, holiday and sickness cover, supervision, consumables, equipment and margin. The National Living Wage rises every April, so price every year of the contract.
Check for TUPE. If you are taking over from another cleaning contractor, the existing staff will often transfer to you on their current terms. Ask for the staff information before you price. Our guide to TUPE in cleaning tenders explains what to ask.
Write a short, specific proposal. Name the site, the hours, the staffing pattern, how you will supervise and audit quality, and how problems are reported and fixed.
Agree the contract terms. Notice periods, annual price reviews for wage rises, who owns the equipment and what happens to staff at the end.

Winning public sector cleaning tenders

Public tenders are more formal, but fairer to small firms than many people expect: the buyer publishes how bids will be scored, and anyone who meets the conditions can bid. The main differences from private work are:

Pass/fail requirements such as insurance levels, accreditations and financial standing. Miss one and the bid fails.
Written quality answers scored against published criteria, often alongside price.
Social value commitments, scored and then written into the contract.
Fixed deadlines. Portals close at the stated time, so submit with time to spare and keep the receipt.

Before committing days to a tender, run it through our go/no-go checklist. Then read how to win public sector cleaning contracts for the detail on quality answers and pricing.

Common mistakes

Bidding on price alone and then struggling to pay the transferred staff.
Taking work too far from your other sites to supervise properly.
Generic proposals that could be about any building.
No price review clause on a multi-year contract.
Chasing every lead instead of the ones you are well placed to win.

Found a cleaning tender and not sure it is worth a bid? Send us the link. We read the notice and the pack and send a one-page go/no-go check within one working day of the tender pack, for a fixed £95. We can also help write the bid.

Order a £95 go/no-go check

General information about cleaning contracts in the UK, written on 8 October 2026. It is not legal advice. Employment and procurement rules differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; take professional advice on TUPE and contract terms.