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UNI Europa – EFCI Project, Update: Selecting best value – A guide for public and private purchasers awarding contracts for cleaning services”

Invitation to Tender for subcontracted expertise

UNI Europa and EFCI are jointly undertaking the project, “Update: Selecting best value – A guide for public and private purchasers awarding contracts for cleaning services” partly funded by the European Commission, Directorate General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, with reference VS/2015/0337.

The main purpose of this action is to better assist both public and private clients to objectively select a quality provider when tendering for the provision of cleaning services.

In 2000, the European social partners of the cleaning industry - UNI Europa and the EFCI - elaborated a guide on public procurement entitled “Selecting best value – A guide for organisations awarding contracts for cleaning services” with the financial support of the European Commission. The publication of the guide was a great success.

This project was the first of three EU-funded projects undertaken between 2000 and 2004 to produce the guide, to translate it into several languages, and to organise a European conference in Brussels followed by seven national roundtables in order to disseminate the guide throughout Europe.

The project was perfectly aligned with the work of the EU Social Partners of the cleaning industry who had – since the official establishment of a Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee on Industrial cleaning in 1999 – focused their efforts on the promotion of  sectoral professionalism, the improvement of the industry’s image and the encouragement of  fair competition.

In 2015, it is now necessary to update the old guide, especially to make legal references to the new Directive 2014/24/EU on public procurement rules adopted on 17 April 2014. The action aims to address the effect of the Directive on the provision of cleaning services, especially its Article 67 according to which the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) is now recognised as a leading award criterion. The second reason for this update is the need to take into account the changes which have occurred in the European cleaning market over the last 11 years. Thirdly, the action will serve to target not only public purchasers but also private purchasers buying cleaning services in Europe. Finally, updating the guide will allow for making references to relevant EU documents that have been published since 2004.

Scope of subcontracting

The external expert will be responsible for drafting and elaborating the updated guide as well as ensuring the correct references to EU legislation and relevant documents. He/she will be expected to take an active part in all working group meetings and the final conference.

Please download the full call for tender in its PDF version from this website.

Interested parties must submit their proposals to Anna Harvey, Policy Officer at UNI Europa (UNI Europa, Rue Joseph II 40, B-1000 Brussels) in a sealed envelope, as well as via email to anna.harvey@uniglobalunion.org as soon as possible, but no later than 9am 31 December 2015.

The Tender representing best value for money will be selected.