What Should a Janitorial RFP Include?

The sections of a janitorial RFP, in order

A complete package reads in roughly this order, from logistics to the legal terms. The scope of work is the largest attachment and deserves its own careful drafting; the rest of the RFP exists to make sure that scope is priced consistently by every vendor on the list.

Site data bidders cannot price without

Missing site data is the most common reason bids diverge. Give every bidder measured cleanable area by space type and floor finish, restroom fixture counts, occupancy and operating hours, current frequencies and any special areas such as labs, clinical suites or secure rooms. Note practical details too: janitor closets, storage for equipment, water and power for machines, and where trash and recycling go.

Schedule a site walk that every bidder attends, then answer all questions in a written addendum sent to the whole list at the same time. If one vendor learns something important on a private call, the comparison is no longer fair to the others.

Security duties and compliance requirements

State the security rules as requirements, not preferences: background checks and how they are documented, ID badges, key and card control, alarm procedures, escort rules for restricted areas and handling of confidential waste. If the building has government, medical or research tenants, say so, because those duties change staffing and supervision costs.

Ask for compliance evidence up front. California requires janitorial employers to register annually with the Labor Commissioner under the Property Service Workers Protection Act, and every employer needs a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program under Title 8 section 3203. Add a hazard communication program and safety data sheets under Title 8 section 5194, and a bloodborne pathogens exposure control plan under section 5193 if clinical areas are in scope.

Submittals to request with each proposal

Submittals show how a vendor intends to deliver the price it quotes, and they are often more revealing than the price itself. Ask for the same set from everyone, and treat a missing item as a signal rather than an oversight to be fixed later.

• Staffing plan: labor hours per night and per week for each building, with supervisor hours
• Quality plan, with a sample inspection report
• Start-up and transition plan with a timeline
• Backup coverage plan for absences and turnover
• References from buildings of similar type and size
• Proposed products, with safety data sheets
• Certificate of insurance and proof of registration
• Written exceptions to the draft contract, if any

A pricing form that makes bids comparable

Never let bidders choose their own format. A single form should ask for the monthly recurring price per building, the weekly labor hours behind it and the wage rate assumed, hourly rates for extra work at regular, after-hours and holiday times, unit prices for periodic tasks such as floor refinishing, carpet extraction and window cleaning, the day porter rate, how consumables are handled and the proposed escalation method. A section for assumptions and exclusions keeps surprises out of the numbers.

Evaluation criteria to publish in the janitorial request for proposal

Tell bidders how they will be judged. Typical criteria include price, the credibility of the staffing hours, the quality and inspection program, relevant experience and references, the transition plan and the safety and compliance record. Publishing the criteria and their relative weight produces better proposals and makes the final choice easier to explain. Public agencies follow their own procurement rules, which may prescribe the method.

How EBS responds to a bid package

If EBS is on your bid list, expect it to walk the site like any serious bidder. Its public-sector and secure-facility experience means background checks, badge rules and confidentiality clauses are familiar, and a proposal can show the documented quality process behind the price: eHub inspections, corrective-action tracking, field supervision and backup staffing. EBS is licensed and insured, and schedules can be daytime, evening, overnight or weekend.