How to Win Facilities Management Contracts

1. Hard FM, soft FM and TFM

Know which you are bidding for. TFM bids in particular are won on mobilisation, self-delivery versus supply chain, and the ability to manage a whole estate to consistent standards.

• Hard FM - building fabric, mechanical and electrical, planned and reactive maintenance, compliance
• Soft FM - cleaning, catering, security, grounds, waste and portering
• Total facilities management (TFM) - a single provider bundling hard and soft FM across a portfolio

2. How public sector FM is procured

FM is procured through Crown Commercial Service and other public sector frameworks, NHS and education frameworks, local authority and housing frameworks, and direct tenders. Much of the recurring work then flows through call-offs and mini-competitions, so being on the right framework matters as much as any single bid.

3. Standards and accreditations that gate FM bids

• ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001, and often ISO 50001 for energy
• SafeContractor, CHAS or equivalent SSIP membership
• SFG20 as the recognised standard for maintenance task schedules
• Sector compliance: gas, electrical, water, fire, and asbestos regimes
• Cyber Essentials where systems and data are involved

4. TUPE, mobilisation and self-delivery

Most FM re-tenders involve TUPE, so you inherit staff and must price the transfer accurately. Buyers score mobilisation heavily, because a poor transition means a visible drop in service. They also want to understand your balance of self-delivery versus subcontracting, and how you assure quality across the supply chain.

5. What a winning FM bid evidences

• A credible, dated mobilisation and TUPE plan
• Compliance and statutory maintenance managed to SFG20 and sector standards
• KPIs, SLAs and how you will report performance to the client
• Self-delivery capability and supply chain assurance
• Local social value against the TOMs framework
• A price that reflects real staff and lifecycle costs, not an optimistic guess