FM tender and procurement planning for UK buyers

What this guide is based on

This is company-published procurement guidance, not a dataset of bids we won or an independent survey of contract values. The official Cabinet Office guidance below explains the Procurement Act framework. Private-sector tender questions here are practical editorial recommendations, not mandatory clauses for every contract.

Check the procurement route for the actual contract

Public buyers should identify the applicable regime, authority type and contract category before choosing a route or notice. Check current thresholds, valuation rules, transitional arrangements and relevant guidance with the procurement team. Do not assume one services threshold applies to every authority or that an old advertising limit remains current.

The Cabinet Office collection organises its guidance around planning, defining, procuring and managing. Use the relevant stage to check the official requirements. A commercial FM provider's pricing guide should not be the authority for procurement-law decisions.

Make private-sector bids comparable

• Give bidders the same site and asset schedules.
• Define tasks, hours, access and exclusions.
• Separate management fees, planned tasks, callouts, materials and specialist costs.
• State what evidence demonstrates performance.
• Ask for mobilisation and exit obligations in the proposal.

Record unknown asset condition and missing documents explicitly. Ask bidders to distinguish survey, mobilisation and remedial allowances from routine delivery. Compare scope and assumptions before treating a lower headline total as better value.

Set evaluation criteria before reading proposals

Create evidence-based criteria for your estate: task competence, approach to access, reporting quality, service boundaries, cost clarity and transition planning. Decide how to assess them consistently. Request relevant insurance and permission-backed references without treating an unverified testimonial as proof.

Use a realistic fault scenario to understand escalation and approval. Ask what happens when work is inaccessible, records are missing or a recommendation needs extra spend. The answer should identify decisions and responsibilities rather than promise that nothing ever goes wrong.

Confirm mobilisation and contract exit

Agree who hands over assets, keys, permits, open defects and records. Identify the starting backlog and decisions required before the new schedule begins. Put responsibility for data access and export into the appointment so the client retains usable records.

Questions about employment transfers, data processing or contract law require appropriate advice for the actual arrangement. This guide does not determine whether a particular legal provision applies; the procurement and contracting teams should check that before signature.