Publication Date: 11/07/2025

Deadline Date: 28/11/2025

Reference: United Kingdom-Hertfordshire: Ambition Education Trust ~ Cleaning Tender

Value of Contact: £ 3,500,000

Estimated Annual Value: £ 1,166,667

Type of Procedure: Services Contract

Nature of Procurement: Invitation to tender (contract notice)

Description:

Ambition Education Trust ~ Cleaning Tender
Reference number:ocds-h6vhtk-055d8f
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
The Ambition Education trust (AET) was formed on 1st September 2024, growing from a friendly merger of two previous successful trusts, Alban Academies Trust and ATLAS MAT. The new vision and values of AET strongly mirror those from the two, previous trusts.
The trust is composed of 10 schools situated in Hertfordshire, across St Albans, Welwyn Garden City and Hemel Hempstead. There are three primaries, one infants, one junior and five secondary schools with over 800 staff delivering high-quality education to over 7500 young people from the ages 3 to 18. The overall aim of the Trust is to achieve Educational Excellence for All.
The successful Supplier will be required to provide cleaning services for Ambitions Education Trust in the following schools:
•
Ridgeway Academy (Secondary)
•
Verulam School (Secondary)
•
St Albans Girls’ School (STAGS) (Secondary)
•
The Adeyfield Academy (Secondary)
•
Garden Fields School (Primary)
This procurement is being conducted under a competitive flexible procedure in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023. Following the initial selection stage, the Contracting Authority intends to invite up to five suppliers to participate in the tender stage. Selection will be based on the criteria set out in the PSQ/tender documents and will be applied in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. Suppliers must meet the minimum conditions of participation in order to progress to the tender stage.
Contract value is likely to be around £700,000 per annum
Part 2 ~ Opportunity Overview
The school project stakeholder’s aims for this process are as follows:
· Consistency of cleanliness across the schools
· Quality of local and off-site supervision (auditing/ training/ communication/ recruitment)
· Improving communication between the service provider and school stakeholders and between the service provider and the trust
· Upgrade of machinery and technology and review of chemicals used
· Disciplined reporting and adherence to the meeting cycle to assure that reactive and proactive works are prioritised and completed
· Development true sense of partnership with the successful service provider
The basis and rationale that the Client requires the successful Supplier to operate to at all times is being able to provide a school cleaning service that is fit for purpose and that the Supplier is proactive in the management of the contract, thus ensuring that all specifications are achieved and that the frequency of cleans is as detailed within the tender specification.
The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from April 2026 until end March 2029 with the option to extend upon agreement with the Client, for a further two-year period (awarded in singular years). The contract will be fixed price in nature, with the Supplier invoicing the Client for one-twelfth of the annual cost on a monthly basis, however the successful supplier will be expected to return any hours not worked to the trust.
It should be noted that the successful Supplier will be expected to bring to the contract:innovation; technology; new equipment; and cleaning methods, with BICSc standards being achieved, as a minimum, thus ensuring that the highest levels of cleanliness are maintained in all areas at all times and also ensuring that the productivity of the cleaning operatives is enhanced moving forward into the new contract term.
The incumbent supplier in the four secondary schools is KGB – as a result of two historical tender processes. Ridgeway and Verulam are currently working to an input specification whereas STAGS and the Adeyfield Academy are working to an output specification. The main ITT will set out the specification type that is preferable to the client.
Garden Fields Primary School has Origin Cleaning Ltd as its incumbent supplier.
There are likely to be several members of staff at each school enrolled in LGPS
Please see PSQ document for reference.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing portal at:
https://litmustms.co.uk/tenders/UK-UK-Hertfordshire:-School-cleaning-services./Z7C367AJGF
To respond to this opportunity, please click here:
https://litmustms.co.uk/respond/Z7C367AJGF
II.1.7) Total value of the procurement
Value (including VAT)
3,500,000
Value (excluding VAT)
3,500,000
Currency
GBP
II.2) Description
II.2.1) Title
Contract/Lot No
1
II.2.2) CPV codes
Main CPV code
90919300
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
UKH2 – Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
II.2.5) Award Criteria
Highest precedence first unless weighted otherwise
Quality
Name:Quality
Weighting:75%
Cost
Name:Cost
Weighting:25%
II.2.6) Estimated Value
Value (excluding VAT)
3,500,000
Currency
GBP
II.2.7) Contract dates (estimated)
Start
2026-04-01 00:00
End
2029-03-31 23:59
Duration
3 years
Possible extension
2031-03-31 23:59
Extended duration
5 years
This contract is subject to renewal
Yes
Description of renewals
The contract being tendered is for three years in duration from April 2026 until end March 2029 with the option to extend upon agreement with the Client, for a further two-year period (awarded in singular years). The contract will be fixed price in nature, with the Supplier invoicing the Client for one-twelfth of the annual cost on a monthly basis, however the successful supplier will be expected to return any hours not worked to the trust.

III)Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1) Conditions for participation
III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

IV)Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Competitive flexible procedure
IV.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement
Yes
IV.1.10) Identification of the national rules applicable to the procedure
Information about national procedures is available at
Please see PSQ document for further information.
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Tender period dates
Enquiry deadline
2025-08-29 12:00
Estimated award decision date
2026-01-16 23:59
IV.2.2) Tender submission deadline
2025-11-28 12:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English

VI)Complementary information
Link to source/bidding documents
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/039231-2025
Conflicts assessment prepared/revised
Yes
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
2025-07-11 12:22

Awarding Authority:

Official name: Ambition Education Trust Postal address: Sandringham School, The Ridgeway, St Albans Town: Hertfordshire Region: UKH23 Postal code: AL4 9NX Country: United Kingdom Email: [email protected]