Finding Jobs to Bid On: How to Discover Open Bids for Cleaning Contracts

If you run a commercial cleaning business, winning new contracts isn’t just about having a great team—it’s about finding the right opportunities. Knowing where to look for open bids for cleaning contracts and open bids for janitorial services can give your business a steady pipeline of work and help you grow strategically.

Why Finding the Right Bids Matters

Your goal isn’t just to submit any bid; it’s to win contracts that align with your team’s capabilities, pricing, and growth goals. Business owners need to:

• Identify opportunities that match their skillset and service offering.
• Avoid wasting time on jobs that aren’t profitable.
• Position their business as professional and reliable to potential clients.

In other words, the job to be done is: “Help me find cleaning contracts that are worth bidding on so I can grow my business efficiently and confidently.”

For a complete roadmap on winning bids, see our guide: The Ultimate Guide to Winning Commercial Cleaning Bids.

Where to Find Open Bids for Cleaning Contracts

Here are the top strategies to uncover opportunities, from public portals to private outreach:

1. Government Procurement Portals

Many municipalities, school districts, and government agencies post open bids for janitorial services online.

• Federal Contracts: Search portals like SAM.gov (for U.S. federal contracts) or your country’s equivalent.
• State and Municipal Portals: Check your city, county, or state government websites.
• Educational Institutions: School districts, universities, and colleges often post cleaning contracts for campus facilities.
  
  

Use our 10 FREE Must-Have Templates to Win More Commercial Cleaning Contracts to quickly create professional proposals.

2. Online Bid Aggregators and Platforms

These marketplaces collect bids from multiple sources, making it easier to find opportunities:

• General Bid Platforms: BidNet, GovWin, and similar services aggregate government and organizational bids.
• Industry-Specific Platforms: Platforms focused on janitorial and facility services (e.g., Janitorial Bid Network) provide more targeted leads.

Learn how to prioritize the best bids in our resource: Cleaning Contract Bids.

3. Commercial Property Management & Corporate Sites

Property managers for office buildings, retail centers, and industrial sites frequently look for reliable cleaning vendors.

• Direct Outreach: Connect with Property and Facility Managers at local office parks or retail centers.
• Corporate Procurement: For large chains or banks, identify the procurement department managing regional or nationwide contracts.
• Commercial Real Estate Websites: Check major property management firms for posted RFPs.

Find out how to position your business for bigger opportunities in Are You Ready to Win Bigger Cleaning Contracts?

4. Specialized Commercial Sectors (High-Value Bids)

Targeting sectors that require specialized cleaning often leads to less competition and higher profitability:

• Healthcare Facilities: Clinics, hospitals, and medical offices require expertise in infection control and compliance (e.g., OSHA).
• Industrial/Manufacturing: Heavy-duty industrial cleaning, specialized floor maintenance, and machinery cleanup are often high-value contracts.
• Construction Cleanup: Connect with General Contractors and Construction Management Firms for post-construction cleaning projects.

For insight into what facility managers really want, check out Beyond the Bid: What Facility Managers REALLY Want from Your Cleaning Company.

5. Pre-Qualification and Vendor Registration

Large contracts often require vendors to be pre-qualified before they can bid:

• Mandatory Registration: Many organizations require official supplier registration.
• Small Business Certifications: MBE, WBE, or Veteran-Owned Business certifications may grant access to set-aside contracts, reducing competition.

6. Networking and Digital B2B Strategy

Some opportunities come through relationships and strategic online presence:

• Industry Associations: Join groups like ISSA or BSCAI for bid notifications and networking events.
• LinkedIn & B2B Outreach: Connect with Facility Managers, Property Owners, and Procurement Specialists in your target area.
• Local SEO & Website: Optimize your website and Google Business Profile to attract direct quote requests from clients searching for “commercial cleaning RFP [City Name].”

Tips for Targeting the Right Bids

• Check Bid Size and Requirements: Ensure the contract fits your team’s capacity and capabilities.
• Evaluate Profitability: Factor in labor, supplies, equipment, administrative time, and overhead.
• Track Deadlines: Use a CRM or spreadsheet to track submission deadlines, site visits, and Q&A cut-off dates.

The key to growth is identifying opportunities that match your strengths, pricing, and objectives. With the right process, you can consistently win profitable contracts, strengthen your business reputation, and reduce the stress of chasing random leads.

Take Control of Your Cleaning Business Growth

Finding and winning the right bids isn’t just about luck—it’s about strategy, preparation, and knowing where to look. By targeting the right opportunities, submitting professional proposals, and positioning your business as reliable and capable, you can secure higher-value contracts, reduce wasted effort, and grow your cleaning business faster.

Start today by leveraging the right tools and resources—like our 10 FREE Must-Have Templates to Win More Commercial Cleaning Contracts—to make every bid count. The right contracts are out there; now it’s time to find them, bid confidently, and win.

Power Your Bids with Swept

Winning more cleaning contracts isn’t just about finding opportunities—it’s about showing clients you can deliver reliably and profitably. Swept helps you do just that by giving you the tools to:

• Price Accurately: Real-time scheduling, mobile clock in/out, GPS tracking, and payroll reporting help you calculate labor and overhead so your bids are competitive and profitable.

• Prove Reliability: Location-specific cleaning instructions, digital inspections, and customizable checklists demonstrate you understand client needs and can consistently deliver.

• Stand Out: Client portals, real-time updates, and multilingual support show professionalism and accountability, helping you earn trust before you even start a contract.

• Optimize & Refine: Track profitability, manage supplies, and monitor work orders so you can continuously improve operations—and back up future bids with real data.

With Swept, your business runs efficiently, your numbers are precise, and your team delivers consistently—giving you the confidence to pursue and win the right cleaning contracts.