Alberta tender guide · 2026 · Last updated: 2026-07-09
How to put a commercial cleaning contract out to tender (with RFP template)
A commercial cleaning tender takes about six weeks: two to assess your needs and write the scope, two for bidders to walk the site and price it, and two to score bids and check references. Invite three to five insured bidders, score on more than price — insurance, WCB, and references catch the problems a low number hides — and write the scope so every bid answers the same question. Most Alberta offices pay $0.08 to $0.20 per square foot per cleaning, so you'll know a fair bid when you see one; our Alberta cleaning cost guide has the full pricing breakdown. The copyable RFP template is below.
When to tender, and when to just renew
Tendering costs you real staff time, and a good incumbent is worth keeping. Renew when service is consistent, complaints are rare, and the renewal price moves roughly with inflation. Tender when the contract hasn't been to market in three or more years, the price has crept well past the ranges in the cost guide, quality has slipped and stayed slipped after a warning, or your space has changed — new floors, more staff, a medical or food tenant — so the old scope no longer describes the building. A middle path that often works: tell the incumbent you're going to market and invite them to bid. Good contractors sharpen their pencil; weak ones self-select out.
Start with a needs assessment
Before writing anything, walk the building and record what actually needs cleaning: every space type (offices, washrooms, kitchens, lobbies, stairwells), the square footage, floor surfaces, washroom fixture counts, and current pain points. Pull the complaint history from the last year — it tells you which frequencies were wrong. Decide what you want handled: day porter or after-hours, consumables supplied or not, and any specialty work like carpets, windows, or post-construction touch-ups. An hour of walkthrough here saves weeks of mismatched bids later.
Write the scope so bids are comparable
Vague scopes get you numbers you can't line up. A usable scope specifies four things:
- Spaces: each area by name and square footage, with fixture counts for washrooms and kitchens.
- Frequencies: per space, per task — daily trash and washrooms, weekly mopping, monthly high dusting, quarterly carpet extraction. Say it per space, not "as needed."
- Consumables: who supplies paper, soap, liners, and ice melt for entrances — the contractor (billed how?) or you.
- Exclusions: what's explicitly out — exterior windows, parkade sweeping, biohazard cleanup — so nobody prices what nobody wants.
Attach a floor plan if you have one. Bidders who can see the building price it honestly; bidders who can't pad it.
The tender timeline
| Week | Step |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Needs assessment, write the scope and RFP, shortlist bidders |
| 3 | Issue the RFP, run site walkthroughs (mandatory for bidders) |
| 4 | Answer bidder questions in writing, to all bidders at once |
| 5 | Bids close; score against the matrix, check references and documents |
| 6 | Interview the top one or two, negotiate, award, set the start date |
Add two or three weeks of transition before the old contract ends — keys, alarm codes, and a first-month punch list take longer than anyone budgets.
How many bidders
Three to five. Fewer than three and you can't tell an outlier from a market price; more than five and you're running walkthroughs for companies you'd never hire, and serious bidders can tell when a tender is a fishing trip. In Calgary and Edmonton there are enough established commercial cleaners that a shortlist of insured, WCB-covered firms is easy to build; in smaller markets like Red Deer, three solid bidders may be the realistic ceiling.
Score bids on more than price
The lowest bid is often the one that misread the scope — or plans to staff it thin. Score against a matrix you set before bids arrive:
| Criterion | Weight | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 40% | Against the scope, and against per-square-foot market ranges |
| Insurance, WCB, bonding | 25% | Certificate of insurance, WCB clearance letter, janitorial bond |
| References | 20% | Two current commercial clients of similar size — and call them |
| Capacity and approach | 15% | Staffing plan, supervision, WHMIS training, quality inspections |
The paperwork column is pass/fail before it's a score: no WCB clearance or insurance certificate, no contract. Our contractor vetting checklist covers exactly what to ask for and how to verify each document. If you're tendering grounds or snow on the same cycle, this process carries over as-is — just settle the pricing model first, per our guide to per-event vs. seasonal snow pricing.
The RFP template
Copy this structure into a document, fill in the brackets, and you have a working RFP. It's deliberately short — bidders read short RFPs carefully and long ones not at all.
- Introduction. Who you are, the building address and type, contract term sought [1–3 years], target start date.
- Scope of work.
- Space inventory: each area, square footage, floor surface, washroom and kitchen fixture counts.
- Task and frequency schedule, per space [daily / weekly / monthly / quarterly].
- Consumables: who supplies paper, soap, liners [contractor billed at cost / included / owner-supplied].
- Exclusions: [exterior windows, parkade, biohazard, ...].
- Attachments: floor plan, current complaint themes if relevant.
- Service conditions. Cleaning hours [after-hours / day porter], access and alarm procedures, site security requirements [background checks, sign-in].
- Mandatory requirements (pass/fail).
- Certificate of insurance: commercial general liability of at least $2 million.
- WCB Alberta clearance letter, current.
- Janitorial bond covering employee theft.
- WHMIS-trained staff; municipal business licence.
- Pricing format. Monthly price for the base scope; hourly rate for extras; unit prices for specialty work [carpet extraction, windows, strip-and-wax]. One format for all bidders.
- Evaluation criteria. State your scoring weights [e.g. price 40, documents 25, references 20, approach 15] so bidders compete on what you actually value.
- Timeline and contact. Walkthrough date [mandatory], question deadline, bid closing date, award date, and the single contact for questions.
- Terms. Termination clause [30–60 days' notice for cause], insurance maintained for the term, right to reject any or all bids.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a commercial cleaning tender take?
About six weeks from needs assessment to award, plus two or three weeks of transition before the new contract starts. Rushing the walkthrough and reference steps is where bad hires happen.
How many companies should bid on a cleaning contract?
Three to five. Fewer than three gives you no market signal; more than five wastes walkthrough time and tells serious bidders you're fishing.
What should a cleaning RFP include?
A space inventory with square footages, a task-and-frequency schedule per space, consumables responsibility, exclusions, mandatory insurance and WCB requirements, a single pricing format, your scoring weights, and the timeline.
Should I tender or renew my cleaning contract?
Renew when service is good and the price tracks inflation. Tender when the contract hasn't seen the market in three or more years, quality has slipped, or the building has changed — and invite the incumbent to bid.
Sources
- WCB Alberta — clearance letters
- CCOHS — WHMIS education and training
- ISSA — Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS)
This guide is general information, not legal or procurement advice. Requirements vary by municipality and building — verify current rules with WCB Alberta, your insurer, and your city.