There are a few things that need to be investigated before going after a cleaning contract at an education facility…

1. Determine if this is a district-wide job or a school to school position.
2. Identify who is hiring for this position.
3. Figure out the district's expectations of custodial services and sell yourself accordingly.

“Is this a district-wide or an individual school job?”

Figuring out if this is a district-wide job or a school to school position should be fairly easy with a simple call to the school board. This is the first step in your school facility cleaning proposal because there is a huge difference in presenting a contract for a single school’s facility cleaning and an entire district’s facility cleaning. This also determines the size of the team you need to be able to staff to fulfill this job.

“Who is the hiring person?”

If the hiring is done by the school board, they ultimately fund the program so keeping the bid on the lower end would most likely be more appealing to them. If the hiring is done by the building administrator, ease and effectiveness will most likely be most appealing to them because they live with the results of the program on a daily basis.

“What are the district's expectations?”

When speaking with the hiring person - as always remember to ASK what is most important to them when it comes to the cleaning of the facility. Place a heavy emphasis on that feedback in your proposal. Another way you can boost your proposal for school facility cleaning contracts is by asking the school board or researching online to find out what the health requirements are for this district and state when it comes to products used in schools.

For example, some districts don’t allow the use of certain chemicals in schools.

Another way to make you stand out against the competition is including small routine maintenance services such as light bulb changing. 

You can always count on Action Unlimited Resources for The Ultimate Cleaning Supplies List For Any Facility but Action also has a supply list specifically for school cleaning! This list can give you even more ideas to implement in your proposal. One of the most important ideas it focuses on is using nontoxic cleaning chemicals to ensure the safety of the children. There are a few other specific things to consider when putting together a proposal for a school facility cleaning contract. You must remember that a facility full of children is going to have many different needs than the office buildings, restaurants, and hospitality facilities you work more frequently in. For example, things like paper towel systems designed to prevent clogging might be needed in schools if they have issues with children clogging the toilets.

No matter what the three most important things to prioritize in school facility cleaning are; the student health and safety, expectation follow through, and waste and cost reduction.