How to get council cleaning contracts
To get council cleaning contracts, find out where your local councils post tenders, then register there. Most use their own e-tendering portal, and higher value work also goes on Find a Tender. This week, search each council's website for "procurement" and sign up for its free alerts. Then get your insurance, policies and references ready so you can bid when the right tender appears.
Last updated 5 min read Reviewed by Craig
Search Find a TenderWhat you need to get started
Have these ready to choose the right portal and prepare for an opportunity:
- A list of the councils, schools and other public buyers you want to work for.
- Public liability and employer's liability insurance details. Many councils ask for at least £5 million cover.
- An up to date health and safety policy, plus an equal opportunities policy and an environmental policy.
- Details of similar cleaning work you have done, and contacts who can give references.
- A work email address you check every day, for portal accounts and tender alerts.
Get started
Find where your councils advertise cleaning tenders
Search each council's website for "procurement". Most have a selling to the council page that names the e-tendering portal they use. For example, Camden uses Proactis, Cambridgeshire uses ProContract and Newcastle uses Open with other North East councils.
Also check Find a Tender. Since 24 February 2025, notices about new UK procurements go there, except low value tenders in Scotland. If a council advertises a contract worth £30,000 or more, it must post a notice first. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, also check Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eSourcing NI.
Look beyond councils and big tenders
Schools, academy trusts, housing associations, colleges and universities also buy cleaning. Councils buy through shared buying groups such as ESPO, YPO and NEPO too.
Smaller jobs may go out as quotes or through a local supplier list. Bury Council's Bury Based Supplier List has a Cleaning and Janitorial lot and is open all year to firms based in Bury. Being on a list does not guarantee work.
Get your compliance pack ready
Councils usually ask for public liability and employer's liability insurance, a health and safety policy with risk assessments where needed, an equal opportunities policy, an environmental policy, references, recent accounts and a social value answer. Southwark and Bury ask for at least £5 million insurance cover.
Southwark says not to buy extra cover until you have actually won a contract. Bury says it will not rule you out at the application stage if your cover is too low, but you must raise it if you win.
Register on Find a Tender and your councils' portals
Create your Find a Tender account and fill in your supplier information. Cambridgeshire says winning suppliers must give it their Find a Tender unique identifier.
Register free on the portals your local councils use before a tender you want appears. Then switch on each portal's email alerts for cleaning work.
Read the documents and note the deadlines
Download the tender documents and note two dates: the deadline for questions and the final submission deadline. Ask questions only through the route the buyer gives.
Check whether the contract is split into lots, for example by site or type of work. Where it is, you can bid for just the lot that fits your firm.
Answer the questions and submit through the buyer's portal
Answer every question the buyer asks, including social value, and attach the documents they request. Camden, for example, only accepts bids sent through its e-tendering portal.
Submit before the deadline and keep the confirmation. TenderNudge helps you find matching tenders by email; you always apply through the buyer's portal.
Use the right keywords to find cleaning tenders
Buyers describe the same work in different ways. Track cleaning as your main keyword, then add cleaners, janitorial, window cleaning, washroom, deep clean and school cleaning.
TenderNudge matches a notice when your word or phrase appears in its title, description or buyer name. It does not add synonyms for you, so list the variations yourself. You can try up to 10 keywords free on the TenderNudge home page with Try your keywords, with no signup.
Common problems
What if my insurance cover is lower than the council asks for?
Read the tender documents first. Southwark says not to buy extra cover until you have won a contract, and Bury says low cover will not rule you out at the application stage, though you must raise it if you win.
Why do I need another account after finding a tender on Find a Tender?
The notice may be on Find a Tender while the council runs the bid on its own portal. Follow the link in the original notice and register on the portal it names.
Why am I not seeing small cleaning jobs?
Smaller jobs may go out as quotes or through a local supplier list rather than a full tender. Check your council's website for a supplier list and ask how it buys lower value work.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get cleaning contracts in my area?
Search your local council's website for "procurement" to find its portal, register, and switch on its email alerts. Then check Find a Tender, which lists notices from councils, the NHS and central government.
Do councils have to advertise cleaning contracts?
If a council advertises a contract worth £30,000 or more, it must first post a notice on Find a Tender. Smaller jobs may go out as quotes or through a local supplier list instead.
How do I get on a council's approved supplier list?
Check the council's website or portal for a supplier list and apply. Bury's list, for example, is open all year to firms based in Bury. Being on a list does not guarantee work.
Can a sole trader get a council cleaning contract?
Councils say they work with all sizes of business. Cambridgeshire works with small, local suppliers as well as national firms, and Bury says it will not discriminate unreasonably against new or smaller suppliers. Smaller lots and local lists are a good place to start.
Where are school cleaning tenders advertised?
Many schools and academy trusts post cleaning tenders on Find a Tender. Schools do not have to publish notices for below-threshold contracts, though, so also ask local schools and trusts how they buy.
How do I get government cleaning contracts?
Register on Find a Tender, Contracts Finder and the portals your target buyers use, then set alerts for your cleaning keywords.
Official links and help
- Find a Tender
- Find a Tender: notice types
- Procurement Act 2023, section 87
- LGA: how to do business with local government
- Camden Council: find and bid on a contract
- Cambridgeshire County Council: supplying to the council
- Newcastle City Council: doing business with the council
- Warwick District Council: minimum standards for suppliers
- Southwark Council: checklist for contractors
- Salford City Council: what information you will be asked to supply
- Bury Council: procedure for contract applications
- Bury Based Supplier List notice
- Public Contracts Scotland
- Sell2Wales