Official UK procurement notice
Provision of Cleaning Services to The University of South Wales Group
Authority: University of South Wales (Education)
What is being bought
Published requirement descriptionThe 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 .
- How the procedure runs: 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.
CPV: Cleaning and polishing products · Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services
The lotProcurement structure
single lot · value publishedLot #1CancelledRenewalPublished value£23,769,261
- Economic & financial standing
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.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Published sub-criteria (1)
- Capacity & Capability: 100%
Published award criteria (1)
- Capacity & Capability
- Economic & financial standing
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.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record- Procedure method
- Competitive flexible procedure
- Legal basis
- UKPGA · 2023/54 Procurement Act 2023
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Cancelled
- Procurement threshold
- Above threshold (FTS publication)
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Stand-alone contract (no framework)
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Unspecified in notice
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 9 Oct 2025, 14:36 BST
- Last source update
- 24 Jul 2026, 10:21 BST
- Award evaluation window
- Submission end – 30 May 2026
- Authority reference
2045- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-002144- Latest notice
- Procurement termination notice (UK12)
- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-05abb9Find a Tender
- How it runs
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.
- Risks
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.
How it was run
Official notice- Requests to participate (first stage)
- 6 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadline
- 6 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Clarification deadline
- 23 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- Official e-sourcing portal
- Electronic submission
- Allowed
- Accepted languages
- en, cy
Timeline
9 Oct 2025 → 1 Aug 2026 · 9 dates- Planning notice published378 days ago9 Oct 2025, 14:36 BST
- Market engagement343 days ago13 Nov 2025, 23:59 GMT
Purpose
USW is seeking supplier engagement to stimulate interest in this opportunity.
USW will present this opportunity to attendees and welcome feedback in relation to the services being tendered.
Supplier Input
Suppliers are encouraged to provide feedback any considerations that USW should consider including in this tender such as but not limited to:
- Innovative cleaning technologies
- Cost saving initiatives
- Environmental and Social Value considerations
Suppliers will be able to provide feedback in person on the day or via the portal up until 12pm on the 20th November 2025.
- Next notice expected325 days ago1 Dec 2025, 23:59 GMT
- Tender notice published283 days ago12 Jan 2026, 10:20 GMT
- Clarification questions by272 days ago23 Jan 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Submission deadline258 days ago6 Feb 2026, 12:00 GMT
- Award decision expected by145 days ago30 May 2026, 23:59 BST
- Latest notice published90 days ago24 Jul 2026, 10:21 BST
- Contract starts83 days ago1 Aug 2026, 00:00 BST
Notice history
8 events · 4 releases on Find a Tender · since 9 Oct 2025- Preliminary market engagement notice published9 Oct 2025, 14:36 BSTUK2
- Preliminary market engagement notice published14 Oct 2025, 13:43 BSTUK2
- Tender notice published12 Jan 2026, 10:20 GMTUK4
- Published value updated to £23,769,26112 Jan 2026, 10:20 GMTwas £19,000,000
- Status changed to active12 Jan 2026, 10:20 GMT
- Procurement method changed12 Jan 2026, 10:20 GMT
- Procurement termination notice published24 Jul 2026, 10:21 BSTUK12
- Status changed to cancelled24 Jul 2026, 10:21 BST
Published amendments (1)
Additional locations added
Routine re-releases (4)
- 2025-10: 1 release · 9 Oct 2025
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast| Awarded to | Value | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| supplier not published | — | 23 Jul 2026 | CancelledFollowing a review of its operational and financial requirements, USW has decided to terminate the current procurement for Cleaning Services and will not proceed to contract award. Since commencement of the procurement, a number of significant changes have occurred, including further cost saving requirements, organisational changes and a review of future cleaning service requirements. As part of that review, USW is considering changes to service scope, service frequencies and associated operational requirements. USW’s future requirements are now materially different from those which formed the basis of the current procurement. In order to ensure fairness, transparency and equal treatment of suppliers, USW has concluded that the current procurement should be terminated and that any future requirement should be competed on the basis of a revised specification reflecting those confirmed requirements. |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
Official documents & specifications (4)
Official links; attachments are not copiedNotices published for this procedure
- Procurement termination notice Procurement termination notice on Find a Tender
- Tender notice Tender notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
- Preliminary market engagement notice Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender