How to write a cleaning RFP.

The buildings.

Address, square footage of each building, floors, washrooms, floor types, when crews can work, keys and security.

The scope, with standards you can check.

Each area, the work and how often. Better still, say what done looks like.

Example: Saint John, NB writes outcomes, like waste containers kept under half full.²

Staffing and hours.

Ask for the hours per night at each building, and who supervises.

Examples: Addison, TX and the National Research Council ask for the hours per night at each building;^{5, 8} Ann Arbor, MI asks for total cleaning hours per day.⁶

Quality control.

How misses get found, written down and fixed, and how you'll see it.

Example: Addison asks for the procedure that makes sure each deficiency is noted and resolved.⁵

Insurance and safety.

General liability and workers' compensation (WSIB in Ontario), with proof attached.

Examples: Chapple, ON asks for at least $2,000,000 in general liability;⁷ Ogden, UT for $3,000,000, with $1,000,000 per occurrence.³

References and transition.

References from similar buildings, and a plan for the first weeks when the new company takes over.

Example: Addison asks for five references;⁵ NRC scores the transition plan.⁸

Price.

A price for each building, per cleaning or per year, so bids line up.

Example: Ann Arbor has the price sent in a separate sealed envelope, so the plan is read first.⁶

Term.

How long it runs and how it renews.

Examples: three years plus two one-year renewals (Saint John, Chapple);^{2, 7} one year plus four renewals (Intercity Transit, Addison).^{1, 5} U.S. federal service contracts cap out at five years.¹¹