Cleaning Services Contract for Leigh Academies Trust - 31 Schools Across Kent and South East London

Leigh Academies Trust is seeking a cleaning contractor to provide comprehensive cleaning services across 31 academy sites (35 locations) in Kent, Medway, and South East London. The contract runs for 3 years from August 1, 2027 to July 31, 2030, with an optional 2-year extension to July 31, 2032. The opportunity is divided into three geographical lots: Lot 1 (East Kent) with 14 sites including 8 primary, 4 secondary, and 2 special needs academies; Lot 2 (North Kent/London) with 11 sites including 4 primary and 7 secondary academies; and Lot 3 (Mid Kent) with 13 sites including 4 primary, 4 secondary, 1 special needs academy, and 1 nursery. Bidders may apply for any combination of lots. Services include baseline term-time cleaning and periodic deep cleaning, with opportunities to propose and cost additional enhanced services that schools can opt into. The total contract value across all lots is £24,345,665 over the maximum 5-year period. This is a fixed-price contract with monthly invoicing. Minimum requirements include £10 million employers' liability and public liability insurance and £5 million annual turnover per lot applied for. The procurement follows a two-stage Competitive Flexible Procedure: Stage 1 is a Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) with credit check (60% minimum score required); Stage 2 is an Invitation to Tender evaluated at 40% price and 60% quality, with 5-10 candidates progressing from Stage 1. LAT prioritizes best value and partnership working, seeking contractors who can deliver high-quality services with staff development and integration into academy communities. The current contractor is Purgo. Incumbent staff are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme.