Building Cleaning
Framework Description
Crescent Purchasing's Building Cleaning framework (tender reference CPC/MK/02/2023) lets colleges, universities, academies and schools outsource cleaning and design the service around their needs. It has 16 lots: 15 regional lots, including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, plus a national lot. It runs from 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2027, with no extension, and the DfE recommends it to schools and academies.
Context & Use Case
Education estates teams use it when an existing cleaning contract ends or when they want to stop cleaning in-house. Requirements vary widely, from a single primary school to a multi-site college. Members can run the further competition themselves using CPC's guide and documents, or pay CPC to run the tender for them.
Scope of Services
Term time and non-term time cleaning Deep, periodic and one-off cleaning High-level cleaning Janitorial and caretaking services Washroom consumables and feminine hygiene services Window cleaning Regional Lots 1–15 and national Lot 16
Lots
16 lots: Lots 1-15 regional (including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands); Lot 16 National
Who Can Apply
Contract cleaning companies experienced in schools, colleges and universities. Applications for this framework are closed, so new suppliers cannot join until it is re-tendered, around 31 May 2027. Firms with school and college references, safeguarding procedures and site-specific cleaning methods will be best placed then.
Buyer Benefits
Schools and colleges get cleaning contractors who already understand safeguarding, term-time schedules and specialist rooms, so they spend less time explaining requirements and managing risk. Agreed terms and a vetted supplier base make it easier for a small school business manager to run a compliant procurement.
Next Steps
Appointed contractors should target trusts and colleges with contracts expiring before May 2027. Others should prepare for the re-tender expected around then: gather education cleaning case studies, safeguarding and DBS processes, COSHH documentation, and evidence of quality monitoring and staff retention.
How Athena Can Help
Education cleaning tenders are usually decided on quality answers about safeguarding and staffing as much as on hourly rates. Athena's tender writing and pricing service covers both, for the 2027 re-tender and for call-offs if you are already appointed.
Until the re-tender, we can find other education and public sector cleaning frameworks that are open, using our framework registration service for contractors. Our school and college bid support covers trusts that tender cleaning themselves.
