Table of Contents
This specific blog will cover how to bid on cleaning contracts and increase your chances of success.
Before we get into the details of how to bid on cleaning contracts, you need to ask yourself a question. Which contract is correct for you? The most common types of bids for cleaning contracts are:
Now, where can you find a contract that is right for you. There are a few places you can go:
Hudson is currently developing a program that will help you in finding the perfect bid for your business. The product will track opportunities from across the US and categorize them into sector-specific portals. This means there is going to be minimal risk of missing opportunities. You will also be able to filter the product to tailor the results to your business. Soon, it will only take the touch of a button to starting bidding on cleaning contracts.
Once you have found the contract that is for you, the next step is to understand what you will need. The most important piece of information that you need to know is the due date. Most RFPs will put this information at the top to ensure that everyone knows when to submit their response. If you are late, 99% of the time, the buyer will not even open the documents that you sent over.
The next deadline that you should be aware of is the questions deadline. This is for you: the client. Bidding on a cleaning contract can be a little challenging. You may need clarification on the specification. Most buyers will allow you to submit to an online portal. While others will allow you to submit written questions in the mail. You may even have a meeting to discuss any questions that you or others may have. Now please note, this deadline is usually NOT the same as the bid submission. It can be anywhere from two weeks to further away from the date of submission. So, be sure to have this marked on your calendars.
Look out for anything mandatory. In order to bid on cleaning contracts, you may ask for a mandatory site visit. This allows you to see the location and ask questions in person that you might have forgotten to submit.
When you are looking to bid on the contract, be sure that you are available when the contract commences. The buyer will let you know when you will start the contract and how long it will be. They will also include when you learn if you have secured the contract. This will allow for you to see how much time you get to prepare for the job.
Before you press a letter on that keyboard or pick up a pen, look at the evaluation criteria. This will let you know what, in particular, to focus on. Some may let you know what the weight of each component is. That way you know if there is anything that you should show in greater detail.
In order to properly bid on cleaning contracts, most of the weight may be based on the pricing you give. Or it could be the past performance and the experience you will be bringing to the job. You might even be asked to include the expertise of the personnel. This is for the buyer to see the overall experience of the team.
There is not a standard of how a cleaning bid will look. Each criterion is unique to that specific buyer on that bid.
When it comes to bidding for a cleaning contract, an important piece of the bid is the experience section. The buyer wants to make sure that you can do what they are asking. One big way to do this is via past experiences that are relevant or very similar in scope.
Most buyers will ask for at least three examples. They will give a timeline as to how far back you may use these examples. For example, some buyers might not take anything past the past three years. Also adhere to the language, be sure that it is either a minimum or a maximum. Sometimes, if you have just two great examples, that might be able to satisfy the buyer.
If you are lucky, some buyers will also layout what needs to be in the example. Think of this as a checklist that you can use for when you are looking for the perfect response to the question.
This section can be called the most important section of the entire RFP. This is where you stand out from your competition. This is where you outline what you can provide for the buyer over the allotted time. You need to go into as much detail as possible about. Sometimes, it might not be called the scope of work. It can say ‘specifications’, or it might even be in an attachment or appendix.
When you are answering this piece, be sure that you have covered everything. Bullet points or questions on the side may even help you. This will ensure that you can provide everything that the buyer is looking for. Be sure to include keywords from the RFP in order to draw the attention of the buyer to your work.
If you can go above and beyond then do it. This is not just a “caged-in” proposal that you must produce. If you have an approach that adds value to the buyer, write about it. But be sure that you can carry out the plan you are proposing. The buyer is looking to for the MEAT – the most economically advantageous tender, or bid.
Don’t forget the ‘who’ in your bid for a cleaning contract! Your employees are extremely important. When you bid on cleaning contracts, the buyer wants to know who will be carrying out all these tasks. Attaching CVs or giving a paragraph summary (depending on how many staff you have) could boost your scores as well. This shows to the buyer your people know what they are doing. If you can highlight that they were in these past jobs, it can increase confidence in your company and proposal.
In the finance section, you should be as detailed here as you are in the scope of work section. They know that the work you will be providing is not free. Here is where you show that you provide the most cost-effective plan of all the suppliers. What needs to be included is:
The buyer will ask for a list of license numbers for you to provide. Business license number, federal tax ID, state license, county and/or city licenses are also important to have on file. Each contract may ask for something different. Once you have decided that this is the bid for you, take time to find the licenses. Begin the process immediately because it can take anywhere from a few days to get to a few months.
Look into the table of contents to know where in the RFP you need to go searching for these documents. The attachments can include:
These documents can be anywhere from one page to 10 or more.
Though every attachment, or appendix, may not ask for information, ensure that there are not signatures required at the end. In the table of contents, you can find out which attachments are most important to helping you succeed. In turn, those attachments may lead you to other places to ensure that all your bases are covered.
To say that you bid on a cleaning contract, means you submitted a bid. Step one, create a bid checklist. On this checklist should be:
Make sure that you know how to submit via an online portal, an email or mailed to the buyer. Be sure that the zip file is the right size! Some buyers will not open your documents because they are too big.
Something else to double check is your word count. If there are any specifications that the buyer asks for such as a 1,000-word limit or page count. Be sure that you are abiding by that! Nothing like the simple mistake of being over the limit to get your bid throw out of consideration.
Also, if there are attachments that need to be added to the document, do not put them in the proposal. Rather keep them as attachments on their own separate page as to not confuse the buyer.
Finally, don’t be late! Allow yourself enough time to check through your work. In case you have any technical difficulties, you have time to fix and get through the problem by submission time. After, you await the results and hope for the best.
Let’s do a recap of what all we went over in the blog to prepare you on how to bid on cleaning contracts.
If you have any more questions on how to bid on cleaning contracts or need assistance, please contact us. We are always happy to help!
Not got the time to write winning bid responses in-house? Don’t worry, our Bid Consultants can help. We provide three bid and RFP writing support services.
Our RFP Writing service is the perfect solution to ensure that you submit a high-quality bid, even when you’re busy. Our writers will break down the solicitation documents, allowing you to see what the bid and the contract involves. This will help to ensure that you have all the specified evidence and meet the requirements of the contracting authority.
Our RFP Writers will then craft persuasive, high-quality responses, attach supporting evidence and even submit the bid on your behalf. Upload the solicitation documents for a free quote.
Have you already written a bid but need a second pair of eyes to review your work? Our RFP Mentor service will do just that. Simply send over your bid responses and the solicitation documents.
Our writers will then assess your work, ensuring that your responses are in line with the specification. They will also check for any spelling or grammar errors. You can then submit your bid with confidence. Upload your work for a free quote.
Do you need help with preparing a bid proposal? Proposal Ready can help businesses that are new to bidding or those in need of rejuvenating their content. Our Bid Consultants will create:
Feel free to reach out to us for a quote on our bid writing services. We wish you luck on your bidding journey!
All information and data on this blog site are for informational purposes only. Hudson Outsourcing LLC makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity, of any information. Hudson Outsourcing LLC will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided AS IS with no warranties and confers no rights.
Hudson Outsourcing LLC will not be responsible for any material that is found at the end of the links that may be posted on this blog site.
Because the information on this blog is based on Hudson Outsourcing LLC’s own opinion and experience, it should not be considered professional financial investment advice. The ideas and bidding strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional. Hudson Outsourcing LLC’s thoughts and opinions will also change from time to time as the market changes and as Hudson Outsourcing LLC develops.
