Information to include in a commercial window-cleaning tender

A useful commercial window-cleaning tender gives every bidder the same site information and asks for responses in the same structure. The aim is to make differences in scope, assumptions and proposed arrangements visible before a supplier is selected.

Build a concise common brief

Start with the organisation, the buildings included and the reason for the tender. State whether you want a one-off clean, recurring service or both. Give the required response date and identify who can answer commercial questions and who can explain the premises.

Attach a site schedule with addresses, building names, requested glazing and internal areas. Include labelled photographs and any existing plans that clarify access. If information is missing, mark it as outstanding and explain how bidders can resolve it instead of asking each to guess.

Ask for a response you can compare

• A scope confirmation by site and elevation, including exclusions.
• A clear distinction between first-visit work and recurring cleaning.
• The proposed programme and assumptions about occupancy or preparation.
• Any site information needed before the method and price can be finalised.
• A transparent presentation of optional work, taxes and separately arranged costs.

Request documents or supporting information relevant to your organisation's actual review process. Explain what you need and why, allowing the bidder to identify applicability. Avoid treating a long generic checklist as a substitute for understanding the building and the proposed work.

Include operational constraints

Describe reception procedures, controlled yards, tenant access and any room-release process. Note vehicle movements, public routes and known obstacles below the glass. If another owner must authorise access, make that dependency clear.

State who will prepare internal areas and whether a site visit can be arranged. For example, a school-office block and a warehouse reception within one portfolio may share a purchasing process but have very different access windows. Their local requirements should remain separate in the pack.

Manage questions consistently

Keep a record of clarifications that change the brief. If an answer adds a building, changes the required frequency or explains a previously unclear surface, make the same information available to everyone comparing the opportunity. Identify the current version of the scope so proposals do not silently rely on different documents.

Before accepting a response, resolve outstanding assumptions and review the proposed commercial terms. A tender response may still depend on a site assessment, particularly for high or obstructed glazing. Confirm the final scope and arrangements rather than assuming the initial pack settled every practical question.

Tender preparation FAQs

Does a small contract need a large tender document?

No. The document should be proportionate to the work. A clear scope, photographs, access notes and structured response questions may be more useful than extensive material unrelated to the premises.

What if some sites have not provided information?

Identify those gaps by site and nominate a local contact to resolve them. Ask bidders to state any resulting assumptions, so incomplete information does not become an invisible difference between quotations.

Related help

• Related commercial service and planning information
• Structuring a multi-site enquiry
• Site information for bidders

Monk Cleaning Services accepts North West commercial window and exterior cleaning enquiries. Read the commercial service overview and send the site details for an individual assessment.

Request a commercial cleaning quote