On 1 November, Aarhus University will be publicly announcing its call for tenders for cleaning services. After this, a two-phase process will follow, to culminate in spring 2020 with a final decision as to who will be responsible for cleaning in the future. The employees affected will continue to be involved through their immediate supervisors as well as the liaison committee system.

2019.11.01 | Louise Asmund-Hjorth

[Translate to English:] Foto: Ida Jensen

The tender documents for the upcoming tendering procedure for cleaning services in 52 buildings have been prepared. This was done in collaboration with employee representatives as well as an external consultant in the working group set up in spring 2019. Subsequently, the material has been discussed by the liaison committees and at staff meetings for affected employees. Read more about the tender documents in the fact box below.

The process from here

The call for tenders will be a so-called 'restricted EU procedure', and therefore it will take place in two phases:

1. Prequalification
   First, interested suppliers will be qualified on the basis of the criteria stipulated by AU. These include: experience within the sector, net revenue and equity capital.
2. Tender submission
   Secondly, AU will select five companies which, on the basis of the prequalification, will be invited to submit an actual bid. In addition, employees will submit their own ‘employee tender’.

The overall time table for the process leading up to the final decision is therefore as follows:

• The pre-qualification phase runs from 1 November 2019 until 3 December 2019.
• Up to the Christmas holidays, the selected companies will be invited to submit specific bids for the contract. Tenders must be received by no later than Friday 7 February 2020. After this, the various tenders will be analysed and evaluated by the working group, which will make recommendations to the steering committee.
• Based on the recommendations, Aarhus University will decide on the successful tender, and thus whether the cleaning tasks in the selected buildings are to be outsourced.
• If the tasks are outsourced, a new supplier will take over from 1 June 2020. 

Read more about the tender process here

Harmonisation of cleaning standards

The standard of cleaning of the offices in the 52 buildings will be harmonised In connection with the call for tenders. Thus, the future level will correspond to the standard of cleaning at most of Aarhus University. Many places in the selected buildings have special, local agreements on additional tasks that are currently performed by cleaning staff for an additional payment. For example emptying washing-up machines, cleaning fridges and microwave ovens, etc. As a rule, the majority of these tasks will not be included in the call for tenders. In future, there will have to be otHarmonisation of cleaning standards 

Further information

• AU Finance and Estates Projects and Development has set up a website with explanations of concepts and answers to questions concerning tendering.
• Deputy Director Niels Jørgen Rasmussen, AU Finance and Estates Projects and Development will be happy to answer general questions on the tendering procedure and material. 

Restricted EU tendering procedures
If the price for procuring a service is expected to exceed DKK 1.5 million, it must be put out to tender in an EU tendering procedure pursuant to the EU public procurement rules. This applies for the call for tenders for cleaning tasks in the 52 selected buildings. By making the call for tenders a restricted procedure, the prequalification will enable AU to ensure that the final tenders for the assignment are relevant and qualified. Tender material

The tender material includes:

• A description of the future service level
• Ethical requirements and social clauses
• Terms and conditions for employees covered by any company transfer
• Criteria for the award of the tender (weighting of price and quality, respectively)
• Requirements for future collaboration with a possible external supplier
• How quality will be monitored and followed up.

‘Employee tender’

An ‘employee tender’ means that employees who currently perform cleaning services will be able to participate in the tendering procedure and compete for the task on an equal footing with external suppliers. An employee tender must include all the costs related to cleaning services, both direct costs (wages, materials and equipment) and indirect costs/overheads (such as administrative support for recruitment of employees, payroll administration, invoicing, and so on). If the employee tender is the best bid, this can provide a justification for AU to annul the tendering procedure and retain cleaning services in house. Read about relevant concepts, consultation response on tender documents and frequently asked questions concerning tendering procedures for cleaning services at AU. 

Read about relevant concepts, consultation response on tender documents and frequently asked questions concerning tendering procedures for cleaning services at AU.

Read previous news about competitive tendering and tenders:

• 23.03.2019: AU puts cleaning assignments in selected buildings out to tender
• 25.01.2019: Should AU put cleaning in some of its buildings out to tender?
• 31.10.2018: Director's blog – When is it a good idea to outsource?
• 30.10.2018: Outsourcing requires thorough preparation and a fair process