Scope
Reference
2045
Description
The University of South Wales Group is seeking to appoint a single contractor to manage its provision of Cleaning Services across the group. The Group includes:
The University of South Wales
USW Student Union
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
The College Merthyr Tydfil
The successful contractor will deliver comprehensive daily cleaning, deep cleans and accommodation cleaning across the University of South Wales Group. The start date for this service will be 1st August 2026.USW operates different cleaning specifications for different areas of its campuses. Areas which are student facing i.e. entrances, washrooms and classrooms fall under an output specification whereby a set standard is to be maintained. Areas which are not student facing i.e. staff offices, fall under an input cleaning specification whereby cleaning will be completed to the required standard once every two weeks.
The scope of services includes, but is not limited to, the following:
General Cleaning Duties
Washroom Cleaning
High-Touch Surface Sanitisation
Entrance and Reception Areas
Waste Management
Periodic and Reactive Cleaning
Quality Assurance and Reporting
Staffing and Supervision
Environmental and Health & Safety Compliance
Innovation
Vehicles
Pest Control
Window Cleaning
Washroom Services .
Total value (estimated)
- £23,769,261 excluding VAT
- £28,523,113 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2031
- Possible extension to 31 July 2036
- 10 years
Description of possible extension:
five year original term with optional annual extension up to a ten year term.
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 90000000 - Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services
- 39800000 - Cleaning and polishing products
Contract locations
- UKL22 - Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
- UKL15 - Central Valleys
Participation
Legal and financial capacity conditions of participation
As part of the tender evaluation process, suppliers will be subject to a financial credit check using Creditsafe. Where a supplier's Creditsafe risk score is below 50, USW may undertake a further review of the supplier's accounts. Should this assessment identify any financial red flags, the supplier may be required to provide satisfactory evidence of financial support, such as a parent company guarantee or a bank guarantee, or evidence of how they will mitigate the risk of their financial standing.
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Submission
Enquiry deadline
23 January 2026, 12:00pm
Submission type
Requests to participate
Deadline for requests to participate
6 February 2026, 12:00pm
Submission address and any special instructions
Tenders may be submitted electronically
Yes
Languages that may be used for submission
- Welsh
- English
Award decision date (estimated)
30 May 2026
Award criteria
| Name | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity & Capability | Quality | 100.00% |
Other information
Description of risks to contract performance
USW has identified a range of known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown knowns associated with a long-term cleaning services contract. While the current estate and service requirements are clearly defined, foreseeable changes such as estate expansion, decommissioning of buildings, mergers, and regulatory change may necessitate contract modification over the 10-year term.
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
Procedure
Procedure type
Competitive flexible procedure
Competitive flexible procedure description
Stage 1: Invitation to Participate
The Contracting Authority invites all suppliers to participate in the Procurement Process by issuing the Tender Notice and this Invitation to Participate. Interested suppliers who wish to participate in this Procurement Process shall complete and submit a WPSQ Response by the WPSQ Return Date set out in the Procurement Timetable set out in section B3. The Contracting Authority will assess all WPSQ Responses submitted in accordance with the terms of the IPD. In this first stage, an overall minimum quality threshold will be set at 60%. Submissions scoring 59% or less will be dismissed. All suppliers who score 60% or more and pass the WSPQ will be invited to Stage 2 (the "Shortlisted Suppliers")
Stage 2: Tender stage
Following Stage 1, the Contracting Authority shall provide the ITT to the Shortlisted Suppliers and shall invite the Shortlisted Suppliers to submit a Tender in accordance with the ITT and such Tenders shall be evaluated in accordance with the terms of the ITT.
Following the submission of tenders, University of South Wales may, at its discretion, conduct clarification and / or negotiation with suppliers. Should this take place suppliers will be invited to submit best and final offers.
Contracting authority
University of South Wales
- Charity Commission (England and Wales): 1140312
University of South Wales,
Pontypridd
CF37 1DL
United Kingdom
Region: UKL15 - Central Valleys
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government
Devolved regulations that apply: Wales