Key takeaways:
If you’re looking to secure more commercial cleaning contracts, there are a variety of strategies and places to explore for new opportunities.
- Tap into government opportunities. Register with federal platforms like SAM.gov, use directories such as GovBidPortals for state and local contract listings, and check school district and public library procurement portals to access a steady flow of cleaning contract bids.
- Use RFP aggregator sites and service marketplaces. Platforms like Merx, Bidnet Direct, JaniJobs, and service marketplaces including Angi and Thumbtack can connect you with both public and private commercial cleaning leads, though some require paid subscriptions or lead fees.
- Reach out to prospects directly. Identify commercial prospects like office buildings, medical facilities, retail stores, HOAs, banks, and private schools, then contact property managers or decision makers directly via in-person visits, calls, or emails to uncover contract opportunities.
- Employ low-cost prospecting methods. Cold calling, personalized emailing, networking at local events, joining industry associations, and utilizing social media platforms like LinkedIn make it easier to connect with potential commercial clients without significant expense.
- Build credibility and streamline operations. Highlight your experience, certifications, and professional reputation in proposals, and use business management tools to deliver reliable, efficient service that helps you stand out and win more contracts.
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Commercial cleaning jobs offer bigger budgets, longer-term contracts, and more predictable revenue than residential work. The first step in getting more commercial clients is knowing where to look.
From government contract portals to service marketplaces, use this guide to learn how to find commercial cleaning contracts and discover new opportunities to grow your business.
What is a commercial cleaning contract?
A commercial cleaning contract is a formal agreement between a cleaning business and a commercial cleaning client to provide services to a property or organization. They’re often used for:
- Office buildings and complexes
- Apartment buildings or condominiums
- Healthcare facilities, such as hospitals and dentists’ offices
- Retail locations, like stores and shopping malls
Commercial cleaning contracts typically cover the scope of work, contract length, and payment terms for a job.
While most commercial contracts are for recurring work, like daily office cleaning and ongoing janitorial services, you can use them for one-off jobs as well.
1. Government contract portals
A government contract portal is an official government website where federal, state, and municipal organizations can post requests for cleaning proposals, contracts, and bids.
It’s where service providers like commercial cleaning businesses can go to find and win government contracts for offices, schools, hospitals, and municipal buildings.
To become a vendor, you may need to register your commercial cleaning company, create a profile, and select which types of contracts you want to see.
You can look for government contract opportunities for your cleaning company on platforms like:
SAM.gov
SAM.gov is an official government contract portal for federal contracts. Federal agencies use it to post requests for proposals (RFPs) and contract awards, including for commercial cleaning services.
It’s free to use, but you’ll need to register your cleaning business to submit bids by following these steps:
- Create a Login.gov account: This is the login you will use to access your SAM.gov account, so sign up with your business email address.
- Review the Entity Registration Checklist: You will need to provide information about your business, such as your incorporation date, taxpayer identification number (TIN), business mailing address, socioeconomic category (like whether your business is veteran-owned), and more.
- Register your business: Go to SAM.gov’s Entity Registration page and enter your business details. If you don’t already have a Unique Entity ID (UEI), SAM.gov will issue one automatically.
- Submit your application: It can take up to 10 business days for the site to validate your registration, after which you can start bidding on contracts.
- Start bidding: Once your registration is validated, you can bid on federal government contracts in the United States.
- Renew annually: You must renew your SAM.gov registration every 12 months to remain active.
GovBidPortals
GovBidPortals.com is a free directory of official federal, state, and municipal government bid portals. It lists portals for all 50 states, as well as registration information for each one.
For example, if you offer commercial cleaning services in New York City, you can use GovBidPortals to view New York-specific contracting opportunities.
If you aren’t sure where to find commercial cleaning contracts and want to prioritize government jobs, it’s an ideal starting point.
2. Local government and municipality websites
Local government cleaning contracts are specific to cities and counties. They’re usually smaller than federal contracts, but can be easier to win. They may feature cleaning jobs for libraries, schools, and municipal buildings, and how to find them can vary.
City and county procurement departments
Most cities and counties have a procurement or purchasing website where they post RFPs and bid opportunities. For example, city-specific procurement portals include:
To find your local bid portal, try searching online for:
- [City name] procurement
- [City name] bids
- [City name] vendor registration
- [City name] procurement portal
For example, you could search “Columbus procurement” or “Brockton vendor registration.”
Once you find your local procurement portal, you will need to register as a vendor to bid on contract opportunities. Provide basic company information, choose the types of contracts you want to bid on, and set up notifications for future opportunities.
School district bid portals
Some schools post janitorial service contracts on city procurement portals. Larger school districts, like the Los Angeles Unified School District or Chicago Public Schools, often have their own vendor registration and RFP portals.
To find a school district bid portal in your area, search online for:
- [School district name] procurement portal
- [School district name] purchasing
- [School district name] bids
- [School district name] vendor registration
If you can’t find a unique portal for a school district in your area, they may not have one. Check your city’s procurement portal instead.
Public libraries
Like school districts, most public libraries post janitorial contracts through their city’s procurement portal. But some larger or independent library systems have their own registration portals, like the Long Beach Public Library and the District of Columbia Public Library.
To find a public library procurement portal, search online for:
- [Library name] procurement
- [Library name] RFP
- [Library name] vendor registration
Many libraries don’t list vendor opportunities like janitorial service contracts online. If you can’t find a portal for your local library, try cold calling their administrative or facilities office directly to ask about upcoming contracts.
3. Higher education institutions
Universities and colleges frequently contract out cleaning services for campus buildings, dormitories, and athletic facilities.
Smaller institutions often post opportunities on local procurement portals, while larger institutions may have their own purchasing or procurement portals.
For example, the University of California has individual procurement sites for each of its 10 campuses.
To find out whether a local college or university has an RFP portal, search online for:
- [University/college name] procurement
- [University/college name] purchasing
- [University/college name] bids
4. RFP aggregator sites
RFP aggregator sites gather contract opportunities from multiple sources and list them in a single place. This saves you from having to search and monitor different portals so you can bid on jobs like office cleaning contracts as soon as they’re posted.
Some examples include:
Merx
Merx is a Canadian RFP aggregator, but offers US contracts through a partnership with Bidnet Direct. This makes a good option for contracts in both countries, as well as cross-border jobs.
To use the portal, you will need to choose a pricing package based on your needs and create an account.
Pricing ranges from Pay-As-You-Go ($70 each time you apply for a contract) to $80 CAD per month, depending on whether you want to submit online bids in a specific province, region, or all of Canada.
Bidnet Direct
Bidnet Direct is an RFP aggregator specializing in government contracts. You can search both private and public organizations to find contracts suited to your commercial cleaning service.
To use Bidnet Direct, you will need to create an account and choose a pricing plan based on the types of contracts you want to bid on, such as local, regional, and national.
Pricing starts at $0 for a basic plan that allows you to bid on Member Agency contracts (organizations partnered with Bidnet Direct). Paid plans start at $599 USD per year for access to all open contracts for a specific state.
JaniJobs
JaniJobs is a cleaning industry-specific RFP portal you can use to find contracts for your commercial cleaning business. It features contracts from residential property managers, schools, and offices for everything from deep cleaning to everyday maintenance.
It’s free to use, but you will need to download the JaniJobs app on your smartphone to access available contracts.
GovWin IQ
GovWin IQ is both an RFP aggregator and market intelligence platform. It’s more robust than other portals and offers market analysis research. It also shares open bids for government cleaning contracts and janitorial services.
Pricing is private, but GovWin IQ offers multiple packages based on your needs, like whether you want market analysis essentials or not.
Government Bid Hub
Government Bid Hub aggregates government contracts across the US. It costs $599.95 USD per year, or $69.95 USD per month, and comes with a 15-day free trial.
When you create an account, you can customize the types of notifications you receive. The site will send an alert any time a relevant contract is posted. For example, you can set it to alert you to any commercial cleaning contracts available.
5. Service marketplaces
Service marketplaces are similar to RFP aggregators, but focus on non-governmental commercial clients, like business and private organizations.
For example, a potential customer may want a commercial cleaning contract to take care of floor cleaning, window cleaning, and carpet cleaning in an office building.
Some of the most popular platforms include Angi and Thumbtack.
Angi
Angi is a home service marketplace that sends leads to service providers. To find commercial cleaning contracts through Angi, you will need to:
- Create a profile that includes your services, contact information, references, and past projects.
- Receive leads for commercial cleaning clients through Angi’s marketplace.
- Submit proposals to potential customers or receive quote requests from leads.
Angi charges you a fee per lead, which varies based on your services and location, and can range from $15 to $85.
HomeAdvisor is another popular service marketplace. It’s owned by the same company as Angi, so it has similar pricing and sign-up instructions.
READ MORE: Angi vs HomeAdvisor
Thumbtack
Like Angi, Thumbtack is a home service marketplace where potential customers post jobs they need a service provider for.
To use it to look for commercial cleaning jobs, follow these steps:
- Sign up as a service provider and create a business profile. Highlight the commercial cleaning services you offer and include any relevant certifications or photos of previous work.
- Review matches based on your services and location. You can also search for leads and filter by “commercial cleaning.” Thumbtack will also notify you when a potential match is posted.
- Send a quote directly through Thumbtack to any jobs that match your services.
Like Angi, Thumbtack charges a fee per lead that fluctuates based on the job and service area.
READ MORE: How to generate leads on Thumbtack
6. Commercial cleaning prospects to approach directly
Many commercial cleaning customers can’t be found online or through procurement portals. Instead, you’ll need to approach them directly, either in person or by cold-calling their offices.
Depending on the types of cleaning clients you want to work with, you may want to reach out to:
Office buildings and business parks
Office buildings and business parks almost always use contracted janitorial services. If you want to get more office cleaning contracts, you can contact:
- Property managers
- Facility managers
- Office managers
- Building management companies
You can find their contact information by searching online, reviewing building directories, visiting property management websites, or checking LinkedIn.
Whenever possible, reach out when a lease or cleaning contract is coming to an end. You can find out by asking a building manager or keeping an eye on commercial real estate listings in your area.
You’ll have a better chance of winning the job when property managers are actively looking for new cleaners.
Medical and healthcare facilities
Dentists’ offices, clinics, outpatient centers, labs, and other healthcare facilities all need to be cleaned. You can contact their office or facility manager directly to ask about a commercial cleaning contract.
Medical and healthcare clients have more detailed cleaning needs than other types of cleaning clients. They may want you to have:
- Certifications to handle certain materials
- Insurance to protect them from any on-the-job hazards
- Specialized cleaning procedures and higher sanitation standards
Retail and restaurant locations
Many stores and restaurants outsource cleaning contracts. Retail stores usually require basic cleaning, like dusting, mopping, and restroom maintenance, while restaurants have stricter requirements.
For example, in a commercial kitchen, you will need to follow food safety regulations and may need a ServSafe certification or other hygiene and food handling training.
Your best approach is to go to the store and speak to the manager in person. Aim for non-peak hours, like a weekday morning, so they aren’t too busy to talk to you.
Don’t forget to mention what you can do, like nightly cleaning or maintenance during business hours.
HOAs and apartment complexes
Most HOAs and apartment complexes have a property manager who oversees cleaning and janitorial services. They typically offer contracts for hallway and common area cleaning, as well as move-in and move-out cleans.
To find them, look in HOA directories, on property management websites, and in apartment listings, then call or email them to discuss a potential contract.
Banks and financial institutions
Many banks and financial institutions hire commercial cleaning businesses to maintain their offices and buildings. But because they deal with sensitive information, they may require:
- Background checks
- Security clearance procedures
- Off-hours cleaning
Contracts are usually handled by regional facility managers or corporate offices. Take a look at the individual bank’s directory to find a facility manager, operations manager, procurement manager, or branch manager to reach out to.
Private schools and daycares
Private schools and daycares are independently owned and operated, so they typically hire professional cleaners directly instead of using a procurement portal.
However, to work in these environments, they may require:
- A background check for cleaning staff
- Training and certifications in safe cleaning practices around children
- Strict adherence to health and hygiene standards
It’s best to reach out to an office administrator, daycare owner, or facility manager by calling or emailing. Because these locations have strict access rules, you may need to schedule a meeting to discuss your services in person.
This way, you’re more likely to start the relationship off on the right foot.
Relationships are everything when it comes to commercial work.
Low-cost strategies for finding commercial cleaning contracts
Aside from paying for leads or RFP aggregator subscriptions, there are several effective, low-cost methods to find commercial cleaning clients.
Cold calling and emailing
Reaching out directly to a potential client is a simple way to start getting more commercial cleaning contracts.
Contact property managers, facility managers, office managers, and other decision-makers to pitch your services with this script:
Hi [Customer name]!
I’m [your name] from [business name]. We provide commercial cleaning services for [offices/banks/medical facilities/etc] in [city].
I’m reaching out to see if you’re currently looking for support with [daily cleaning/facility maintenance/etc].
If you’re interested, we can schedule a quick call or meeting to discuss how [business name] can help keep your [business/office] clean. Would [date and time] work for you, or is there another time that works better?
If you send this message as an email, make sure to sign off with your name, business name, phone number, email address, and cleaning website so the person can get in touch.
If you do meet, make sure to highlight the value you bring to the table. For example, a good reputation, commercial cleaning industry experience, or specialized certifications and training.
Whoever hires you is responsible for the comfort and well-being of their customers and staff, so they need to know you’re reliable, trustworthy, and good at what you do.
Whenever you’re dealing with a builder or a commercial client, there’s reputational risk for the decision maker.
Networking strategies
Networking events like conferences and trade shows are perfect opportunities for meeting new commercial cleaning prospects.
You can also join property management associations and leverage your existing contacts, like clients and professional connections.
Social media
LinkedIn is a good platform for finding and connecting with decision makers, such as property and facility managers. You can use it to search for relevant job titles in your area, send connection requests, and set up meetings or calls.
For example, search for:
- [Daycare name] owner in [city]
- [Private school name] administrator in [city]
- [Property management group] in [city]
Then review the results to find the right person to connect with.
You can also use platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram to showcase the commercial work you do. Share before-and-after images, engage with local business communities, and connect with property managers and building managers.
Make sure your profile includes a list of the services you provide, as well as links to your website and contact information. It should be easy for potential clients to understand what you do and get in touch.
Connecting with commercial cleaning clients
Commercial clients come with many benefits when compared to residential cleaning. While they offer larger budgets, bigger contracts, and long-term work, they can also have higher expectations and requirements.
To impress commercial cleaning clients and keep your business running smoothly, use cleaning business software like Jobber to:
- Draft professional quotes and proposals
- Send timely invoices
- Accept a variety of payment methods
- Create a schedule for staff members
This can help you build a reputation as a high-quality commercial cleaner and increase your chances of winning commercial cleaning contracts.