Government cleaning contracts: how to find, bid and win them

Government cleaning contracts are some of the steadiest work in the industry. Public buildings need cleaning every night regardless of the economy, the contracts often run for a base year plus option years, and the rules for bidding are published for anyone to read. The catch is that public buyers judge you on paperwork first and cleaning second. Miss a required form and the best price in the pile is thrown out.

This guide covers the US federal market (SAM.gov, NAICS 561720, set-asides), state and municipal work, and the Canadian federal and provincial systems. Every rule below links to the official source. Rules change, so check the solicitation in front of you before you rely on any number here.

What counts as a government cleaning contract?

A government cleaning contract is any janitorial or custodial agreement where the buyer is a public body: a federal agency, a state, a county, a city, a school district, a transit authority or another special district.

The federal government is the most visible buyer, but most public cleaning is bought locally. Courthouses, city halls, libraries, police stations, public works yards, transit stations, community centers and school districts all buy cleaning, each through its own procurement office. That spread is good news for a small company. The local buyer is closer to you, the buildings are smaller, and the competition is often thinner than on a large federal bid. Our page on government building cleaning leads covers the building types in more detail.

How do you register for federal cleaning contracts on SAM.gov?

You register your business as an entity on SAM.gov, which gives you a Unique Entity ID and makes you eligible to be awarded federal contracts.

According to SAM.gov, you start by creating a Login.gov account, then choose to register your entity. Registration can take up to 10 business days to become active, and you must renew it every 365 days. Registration is free. Businesses that charge a fee to do it for you are offering a paid service, not an official requirement.

Before you start, gather:

• Legal business name and physical address exactly as on your tax records
• Taxpayer ID (EIN) and the name it is registered to
• Bank account details for electronic payment
• Your NAICS codes, with 561720 as primary for janitorial work
• Any socioeconomic status you qualify for (woman-owned, veteran-owned, HUBZone, 8(a))
• A named point of contact for government business

What is NAICS 561720 and are you a small business under it?

NAICS 561720 is the industry code for Janitorial Services, and the SBA size standard for it is $22.0 million in average annual receipts.

That figure comes from the SBA's table of size standards in 13 CFR 121.201. If your average annual receipts are at or below it, you count as a small business for contracts classified under 561720. That covers almost every independent cleaning company, which matters because of set-asides.

Add secondary codes for work you actually do, such as carpet and upholstery cleaning or landscaping, so you show up in searches for those requirements too. Do not add codes you cannot perform. Contracting officers check past performance.

How do small business set-asides work for janitorial contracts?

A set-aside reserves a contract for small businesses only, so you compete against firms your own size rather than national providers.

Under FAR 19.502-2, any acquisition above the micro-purchase threshold and not over the simplified acquisition threshold "shall be set aside for small business" unless the contracting officer does not expect offers from two or more competitive small businesses. Above the simplified acquisition threshold, the contracting officer must still set aside the acquisition when two or more responsible small businesses are expected to bid at fair market prices. This is the "rule of two."

The thresholds were raised effective October 1, 2025: the micro-purchase threshold to $15,000 (GSA SmartPay) and the simplified acquisition threshold from $250,000 to $350,000 (SmallGovCon). A janitorial contract for a single building can easily sit in that range.

Some set-asides go further and reserve work for certified firms in SBA programs: 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned small business and service-disabled veteran-owned small business. If you qualify for one, certification narrows the field again.

Where do you find federal cleaning opportunities?

Search the Contract Opportunities section of SAM.gov by NAICS 561720 and your state, and save the search so new notices arrive by email.

Useful filters and habits:

• Notice type. Sources sought and presolicitation notices appear before the solicitation. Responding to a sources sought notice is how you tell a contracting officer that small businesses exist, which feeds the rule of two.
• Place of performance. Filter to the area you can staff at night.
• Award notices. Read who won previous cleaning contracts, at what value, and when they expire. A contract awarded with four option years tells you when it will be rebid.
• GSA Schedule. Agencies also buy facilities services through GSA's Multiple Award Schedule. GSA lists housekeeping services under SINs 561210FAC and 561210FS. Getting on a schedule is a larger project and suits companies with federal past performance.

Free local help exists. APEX Accelerators, funded through the Department of Defense, offer no-cost counseling on registration, bid reviews and certifications for federal, state and local contracting.

What wages do federal cleaning contracts require?

Federal service contracts over $2,500 fall under the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act, which requires you to pay at least the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits in the contract's wage determination.

The Department of Labor issues these wage determinations contract by contract, and they are published on SAM.gov. The janitor rate and the health and welfare fringe amount in a wage determination can differ a lot from your commercial pay rates. Price from the wage determination, add your burden, and read the solicitation for holiday and vacation requirements. Underpricing here is not a strategy. It is a compliance problem waiting for an audit. Our guide on janitorial bidding mistakes covers the pricing traps.

How do you find state, county and city cleaning contracts?

Register as a vendor with your state procurement office and with each county, city and school district you want to serve, because most local buyers post bids on their own portals.

Every state runs its own system. Texas, for example, posts solicitations on the Electronic State Business Daily. Search "[your state] vendor registration" and "[your city] bid opportunities" to find the official pages. Many cities and school districts also publish through commercial bid aggregators, some free and some paid, so check which ones your target buyers use before paying for a subscription.

Tips that apply to local bids:

1. Go to the pre-bid meeting and site visit. Some are mandatory, and skipping one disqualifies you.
2. Read the insurance and bonding requirements first. Some local contracts require a bid bond or performance bond. Line up your surety before the deadline, not after.
3. Watch for local preference and certification programs. Many cities run minority, women-owned or small local business programs with their own certification.
4. Request the bid tabulation after award. Public bids are public records. Seeing every competitor's price is the best pricing education you will get.

How do Canadian cleaning companies win government contracts?

Canadian companies register on CanadaBuys through SAP Business Network, get a CRA business number, complete the federal supplier questionnaire, then bid on tender notices.

CanadaBuys sets out three steps: create a free SAP Business Network account, obtain a Canada Revenue Agency business number, and fill out the Government of Canada's required questionnaire before submitting a bid. CanadaBuys also displays opportunities from provincial and territorial governments and municipalities, but most provinces run their own portals too:

Many Canadian municipalities, universities, school boards and hospitals also post on MERX or their own sites. Procurement Assistance Canada runs free seminars on the federal process.

Indigenous-owned firms should know the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business, which sets a mandatory minimum of 5% of the total value of federal contracts to be awarded to Indigenous businesses.

What does a winning government cleaning bid include?

A winning bid follows the solicitation's instructions exactly, prices from the required wage rates, and proves past performance with references the buyer can call.

Use this compliance checklist before you submit:

• Every required form signed and dated, in the order requested
• Pricing schedule filled in exactly as the template asks, with no added lines
• Wage determination rates used, if one applies
• Insurance certificates at the limits stated
• Bid bond, if required
• Past performance references with current phone numbers
• Staffing plan, supervision and quality control plan, if requested
• Amendments acknowledged
• Submitted before the deadline, in the required format and portal

For the cleaning side of the bid, our guides on how to bid a janitorial job and how to price commercial cleaning apply to public work too.

Should you chase government work or private contracts first?

Most growing cleaning companies do both, because government work is steady but slow to win, while private contracts can be won in weeks.

Public bids reward patience and paperwork. Private buyers, such as property managers, medical practices and office tenants, reward speed and relationships. A healthy pipeline has some of each, so one slow procurement cycle does not stall your growth. For the private side, see how to get janitorial contracts and how to get commercial cleaning contracts.

LeadWharf finds private and public sector decision-makers in your area who want recurring cleaning, confirms the need, and sends you the direct contact, exclusive to you. If you want a steady flow of buyers alongside your bids, book a call.