Staffing · Cleaning
How to justify staffing levels in an office cleaning tender answer
Prepared by TenderChecker. Last reviewed 4 October 2026. General guidance only — every buyer's own instructions and criteria take priority.
Short answer
Evaluators want to see that your staffing is calculated from their specification, not guessed. Show the link between areas, tasks, frequencies and the hours you propose.
Explain how absence and holidays are covered, and make sure the numbers match your pricing schedule exactly.
What the buyer might be asking
- How many staff and hours will deliver the specification?
- How was this calculated?
- How is absence covered without service loss?
Worked example (fictional)
Everything in this example — company, people and numbers — is invented for illustration.
Example question: Explain your proposed staffing structure and how it will deliver the cleaning specification. (Max 500 words)
Fictional context: Fictional bidder: Brightway Cleaning Ltd. Supplied fictional notes: 4 operatives on 3-hour evening shifts; a relief pool of 2 trained operatives; a working supervisor.
Weak draft (fictional)
We will provide sufficient staff to complete all cleaning to a high standard. We have a large workforce so cover is never a problem.
What the draft misses
- 'Sufficient' gives the evaluator nothing to assess.
- No calculation basis is shown.
- Cover is claimed but not explained.
A better version (using only the fictional facts above)
We propose four operatives working three-hour evening shifts, supervised by a working supervisor. [Insert how hours were calculated from the areas and frequencies in the specification.] Absence is covered from a relief pool of two operatives already trained [insert how they are inducted to this site]. These figures match our pricing schedule.
Bracketed text marks facts the bidder still needs to supply. Never fill these with invented figures.
Evidence checklist
- ☐ Hours calculation linked to the specification
- ☐ Shift pattern vs access hours
- ☐ Supervision arrangement
- ☐ Relief/cover arrangement
- ☐ Consistency with pricing
Common mistakes
- Numbers that differ from the pricing schedule
- Claiming 'large workforce' without a cover process
- Ignoring periodic tasks in the hours