You may never have guessed it, but there is a huge market out there for winning business in the cleaning industry in the UK. According to the latest figures released by the British Cleaning Council, the cleaning industry contributes over £24 billion to the UK economy every year. It is also one of the largest employers, employing around 700,000 workers in full time work, who generally earn a wage higher than the national average. The sheer vastness of the industry means that a diverse range of tenders are available across the public and private sectors – the fact is that the majority of organisations will, at some point, require cleaning services.
Potential suppliers looking to grow in this sector have a high volume of opportunities open to them, from window cleaning to carpet cleaning to event cleaning, Supply2Gov can help you win cleaning tenders so you never miss an opportunity again.
The public sector is always looking for cleaning services
Cleaning services are required daily for all kinds of public buildings, including:
- Leisure centres
- Schools
- Hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and health clinics
- Museums and art galleries
- Prisons and police stations
- Government and local authority buildings
All public buildings need to be maintained in a decent and usable condition, so the Government and wider public sector are continually looking for high quality and reliable cleaning services. Cleaning tenders will usually have a fixed duration and are highly competitive, so it is important to do your research on the contracting authority issuing the cleaning tender and the cleaning suppliers they have worked with previously.
The cleaning industry has a strong trading environment
Despite over 40,000 businesses operating in the cleaning industry, the market for contractors is dominated by a relatively small number of large or multi-service providers, as well as large and medium-sized specialist cleaning contractors. It is a competitive market where suppliers will need to prove high standards and high levels of efficiency, particularly for cleaning services in the healthcare sector.
However, there is good news for new businesses breaking into cleaning. According to the British Cleaning Council’s latest Industry Trends report, the number of SMEs working in the cleaning industry has significantly increased in the last five years. This has been helped by their innovative ways of reaching out to new clients, as well as businesses combining their services. One example is offering an end-to-end tenancy service for landlords, including cleaning as well as support services, including furniture removals. Many landlords simply do not have the time to conduct thorough cleans between tenants, so this is a good niche for a cleaning business which will drive business growth.
It’s important to be flexible
Cleaning is an incredibly personal business, and your clients will each have their own needs and requests. With this in mind, when applying for cleaning tenders, no matter where it is based – ensure your bid makes it clear that you are flexible and will respond to the buyer’s priorities and preferences. Look at specialising in a specific cleaning service first, for example, office building cleaning. Once you have gained good experience and evidence of projects you have successfully worked on, you will be in a better position to win larger cleaning tenders across multiple areas.
The cleaning industry of the future is looking to become more sustainable by integrating technology (such as cleaning robots) into their cleaning practices. This is part of an effort by the cleaning industry to increase efficiency and reduce the environmental impact from cleaning products. Make sure you are conscious of issues such as these when you are looking for cleaning tenders, and how you can best contribute to this positive change.
Find cleaning tenders big and small
Whether your business is looking to identify building maintenance cleaning, periodic deep cleans or window cleaning tenders, Supply2Gov can help your business find, apply for and win cleaning contracts with the public sector.