Cleaning Services Tender: A Strategic Tool Too Often Underestimated

In property management, cleaning services tenders are still too often seen as an administrative formality or a purely financial exercise. However, when properly structured, they become a true governance tool, capable of protecting both the property manager and the service provider, while ensuring rigorous cost control and long-term service quality.

A poorly written tender, or a rushed one, creates the opposite effect. It generates grey areas, fuels conflicts, leads to budget overruns, and weakens the relationship between both parties. On the other hand, a well-designed cleaning services tender establishes a clear, balanced, and defensible framework, allowing everyone to fulfill their role with realistic expectations.

Cleaning services: one of the largest operating expenses, yet one of the least reviewed

Cleaning services represent one of the largest operating expenses for a building. Despite this, they remain one of the budget items least analyzed in depth. In many organizations, contracts are renewed year after year, sometimes for ten years or more, without a serious review of their relevance.

This contractual inertia is often explained by a lack of time, the perceived complexity of the tendering process, or the fear of disrupting ongoing operations. Yet this approach carries significant risks. A contract that is no longer aligned with the building’s current reality almost always results in accumulating unjustified costs and a gradual decline in service quality.

Buildings have evolved significantly, and contracts must evolve too

Today’s buildings have little in common with those of ten or fifteen years ago. In the past, work environments were mostly made up of closed offices, with limited glass surfaces and minimal common areas. Today, the trend is toward open spaces, glass partitions, glass lobbies, collaborative areas, and multifunctional zones.

These changes have a direct impact on cleaning services. Glass surfaces require different methods and frequencies. Open spaces generate different types of dirt and require increased presence. Common areas, now central to the occupant experience, demand a constant and visibly high level of cleanliness.

Material changes have also played a role. Flooring systems have evolved significantly. Raised floors, specialized surfaces, and more sensitive or more durable materials require adapted cleaning practices. A technical specification designed for materials that no longer exist cannot remain a reliable reference.

Finally, new standards and certifications, particularly regarding sustainability and environmental performance, have become essential. Frameworks such as BOMA Best now influence cleaning requirements, waste management, and product selection. These elements must be integrated into contracts, otherwise they become outdated as soon as they are signed.

An outdated contract no longer protects anyone

When a cleaning contract is based on outdated assumptions, it protects neither the manager nor the provider. The property manager ends up paying for services that no longer reflect the building’s real needs, without clear tools to adjust costs. The service provider, in turn, faces unclear and constantly changing expectations, which creates operational pressure and relationship tension.

In this context, complaints increase, discussions become defensive, and cost increases are difficult to justify. The contract stops being a framework for collaboration and becomes a source of conflict.

Cost transparency: a non-negotiable requirement

An effective cleaning services tender is built on one fundamental principle: cost transparency. It is impossible to manage properly what you do not understand. When all services are grouped into a single monthly lump sum, the ability to control costs disappears.

A useful comparison can be made with the construction industry. No manager would accept a renovation quote presented with two general lines and no detailed breakdown. Every item is broken down, explained, and validated. Yet in cleaning services, contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars are still accepted without a true cost breakdown.

This lack of detail prevents any serious analysis. It makes annual increases opaque and removes a key lever for adjusting services as needs evolve.

The bid sheet: the core of budget control

The bid sheet is the tool that translates operational needs into a clear financial structure. When properly designed, it separates different cost centers, validates the actual maintained areas, and ensures each service is billed for what it truly is.

It then becomes possible to clearly understand what makes up the total contract cost, identify optimization opportunities, and frame future increases in a justified and targeted way. The manager regains control of the budget, and the provider gains a clear structure to build their offer and operations.

A structured tender protects all parties

A good cleaning services tender is not meant to crush prices or push suppliers into unreasonable competition. Its purpose is to establish a healthy, realistic, and sustainable foundation. It protects the property manager by providing a defensible, transparent framework aligned with the building’s reality. It protects the service provider by enabling a coherent, profitable offer that meets expectations.

When properly structured, the tendering process becomes a collaboration tool rather than a simple selection mechanism.

Conclusion: making cleaning services tenders a true governance tool

A cleaning services tender should be approached as a strategic lever in property management. In a context where buildings are evolving quickly, regulatory requirements are increasing, and costs must be justified with rigor, it is essential to rely on solid, up-to-date, and transparent documents.

At ValkarTech, we design cleaning services tenders based on real needs, on-site analysis, cost transparency, and operational reality. Because a strong tender does not only protect a budget, it protects the relationship between parties and the long-term performance of your buildings.