Words: Laura Jarvis

Responding to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) can be a competitive and sometimes overwhelming experience for Australian companies operating in the commercial cleaning and hygiene sector. RFPs provide a valuable opportunity for operators to accentuate their capabilities and service quality, whether it be tendering for contracts with businesses, private entities or government bodies.

In a margin-sensitive environment, approaching RFPs can be fraught with balancing cost efficiency while also maintaining high service quality. However, a well-executed, successful RFP can build an operator’s credibility and foster a long-term relationship with the client.

What are the challenges?

From deciphering vague criteria, ensuring alignment with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) requirements and sharpening the commercial offer without diminishing the quality of service, operators must tread a careful line when crafting a successful proposal.

One pitfall of the RFP is understanding the client’s true needs and requirements.  Responding to complex specifications accurately and in detail can be difficult.

Before submitting a bid, cleaning providers who ask specific questions are more likely to have success in correctly tailoring their bid to the client’s needs.

When responding to RFPs, director at De Vere Solutions Pty Ltd, Scott De Vere says detail is paramount. “We provide specifics to the services that we’re providing and detail per area exactly what those items are. We will list each of the cleaning tasks that are required and submit that in our proposal back to them,” De Vere says.

“Then ask them [the client] to review all of those and if they would like to add or subtract anything from it, and then come up with an agreement.”

Standing out in the crowd

Creating a successful proposal is more than just crossing items off a checklist. Whether it’s a positive track record with other clients or alignment with ESG requirements, successful proposals showcase exactly what makes the cleaning operator stand out from others.

“We focus really on the local labour side of it, making sure that our employees are all within the local region [of the job] and they’re not travelling,” De Vere says. “We put all of that into that capability statement too, and that goes along with our proposal.”

However, De Vere says he will not engage in competitive pricing if it means having to “compromise on quality”.

“We’re in it more so for long-term contracts, not something that we’ve got a risk of gaining and then potentially losing at the next renewal of that contract. We’d prefer to just lose out on those, rather than just getting it for the sake of getting a job and making a very low margin on it.”

Cleanstar co-founder Lisa Michalson says a recent RFP with a tight budget encouraged her and her team to get creative. 

“Instead of lowering our standards, we offered a bundle of our products to get the job done faster and more effectively,” Michalson says. “This saved the client in time and money in labour without affecting the results.

“We also included support and training to keep things running smoothly. In the end, it was a win-win: they stayed within budget and we kept our high service standards.” 

Refining RFP strategy is crucial for success

In an increasingly competitive sector, winning an RFP is paramount to affirming a cleaning business’s strength, reputation and position within the market.

It is of growing importance that cleaning and hygiene providers polish their RFP process as winning the bid can set them up for continuous, long-lasting success in the industry.