How to Prepare a Cleaning Request for Quotation (RFQ) That Makes Proposals Comparable

The Short Answer

A comparable RFQ has five characteristics: (1) it describes the scope with measurable data (square meters, areas, frequencies, schedules); (2) it sets the assumptions everyone must use (shifts, headcount or workdays, whether supplies are included); (3) it requests the compliance documentation your company requires; (4) it requires a single response format, with itemized pricing; and (5) it includes a site visit and a deadline for questions, with answers shared equally with everyone.

Why Quotes Are Not Comparable

An unclear scope is a common cause of differences; it does not imply bad faith:

• "Office cleaning" may mean daily sweeping or may also include windows, restrooms, kitchenettes, and waste collection.
• Undefined frequencies. One provider quotes monthly "deep cleaning," while another quotes it quarterly.
• Different schedules. Nighttime and daytime service involve different working hours, supervision, and logistics.
• Staffing and supervision. One provider quotes three people and another five; without a shared baseline, you cannot tell whether the lower price means less coverage.
• Supplies and equipment. It is unclear who provides paper, soap, bags, machinery, or carts.

When the scope is vague, the provider fills in the gaps with its own assumptions.

What the RFQ Should Include

1. Requester and Process Details

Legal business name, site or sites, contact for questions, question deadline, visit date, submission deadline, and proposal validity period.

2. Facility Description

Approximate floor area by area type (offices, restrooms, warehouse, loading docks, dining areas, outdoor areas), flooring type, number of floors, access points, site operating hours, and restrictions (product zones, restricted areas, entry protocols).

3. Service Scope

For each area: tasks, frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, per event), and expected standard (what "clean" means and how it is verified). Separate recurring work from periodic work (deep cleaning, windows, waxing) and as-needed work.

4. Operations and Schedules

Service days and hours, number of shifts, whether holidays are covered, and how to request additional service.

5. Staffing and Supervision

Ask each provider to state its proposed headcount per shift, working hours, and whether it includes on-site supervision or supervisory visits (and how often). Set a baseline scenario ("quote this scope, frequencies, and service windows with a justified staffing estimate") and request the alternative the provider recommends separately.

6. Supplies, Equipment, and Consumables

Define who provides cleaning supplies, consumables (paper, soap, bags), machinery, and protective equipment.

7. Safety and Compliance

Ask the provider to submit safety data sheets for the chemicals it will use. NOM-018-STPS-2015, sections 6.3, 6.4, and 6.6, regulates safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals and mixtures, their availability, and information provided to workers and contractors. Your Safety team must determine which products and tasks fall within its scope. For any high-risk task (work at height, electrical work, confined spaces), require the provider to identify the trained personnel who would perform it and the procedure they would follow; do not accept it as a generic line item.

On labor matters, the Federal Labor Law (LFT, arts. 12–15) prohibits subcontracting personnel, permits subcontracting specialized services that are outside the contracting company's corporate purpose and primary economic activity, and requires the contractor to be listed in the STPS public registry and the contract to be in writing, stating the purpose of the service and the approximate number of workers. That is why the RFQ should request the REPSE registration number and validity period, and your team should verify them in the STPS registry, where the search shows the registration number, validity period, and authorized services. In addition, the Federal Tax Code (art. 15-D) makes the tax treatment of these payments conditional on the contractor being registered and meeting income tax (ISR) and VAT requirements; your tax team is responsible for interpreting this for your company. For verification details, see the REPSE guide.

8. Commercial Terms

Request itemized pricing (see format), billing method, payment frequency, proposal validity period, price adjustment clauses, and termination process. State whether prices should be quoted before VAT.

9. Evaluation Criteria

State from the outset what will be evaluated and how it will be weighted (for example, documentation compliance as an eligibility requirement, followed by scope, operations, verifiable experience, and price). Your company decides the weights; they must be the same for everyone and documented before bids are received.

RFQ Template (Copy and Use)

Copy the table, fill it out with your site details, and send the same version to every provider.

How to Request Responses: One Format

Ask every provider to respond using the same structure, with these items listed separately:

1. Monthly price for the base service (baseline scenario), before VAT.
2. Cost of periodic and as-needed services, with their frequency.
3. Consumables: included or unit price.
4. Machinery and equipment: included or cost.
5. Supervision: included or cost.
6. Comparable monthly total (sum of the preceding items).
7. Assumptions and exclusions, listed.
8. Recommended alternative, with its price, if any.

Proposal Comparison Table

Fill in one column per provider using the information in its response. Mark "not specified" when information is missing; an empty cell in a proposal is an unanswered question.

How to Interpret the Differences

Normalize before comparing. If one provider excludes consumables and another includes them, add or subtract to reach the same scope, or ask for a revised quote.

• Ask about outliers. A price far below the rest is a reason to ask what is not included; it is not, by itself, proof of noncompliance. Also ask about the highest price: it may include supervision or equipment others left out.
• Do not decide on price alone. The provider meeting eligibility requirements and submitting a clear proposal matters as much as the monthly total.

Common Mistakes

1. Describing the scope differently to each provider and then comparing.
2. Asking for "a price" without a breakdown or baseline scenario.
3. Skipping the site visit.
4. Changing the criteria after receiving bids.

Cautions