Bidding on government facilities

[Crowz]

Hi! I am new to this board. Crowz Cleaning has been in business since the first of the year. Yesterday we got a call for an estimate on a government contract... a 4000 square foot medical out-patient VA facility. I have no idea how to bid this. They want basic daily cleaning 5 days a week, then weekly, monthly semi-annually, and annually. Can someone give me a clue???Also, how do I get a list of EPA registered disinfectants/cleaners that are labled effective against HIV and HBV? Looked on the EPA website and all I got was a headache! Thanx!

[purity]

Hi! I am new to this board. Crowz Cleaning has been in business since the first of the year. Yesterday we got a call for an estimate on a government contract... a 4000 square foot medical out-patient VA facility. I have no idea how to bid this. They want basic daily cleaning 5 days a week, then weekly, monthly semi-annually, and annually. Can someone give me a clueAlso, how do I get a list of EPA registered disinfectants/cleaners that are labled effective against HIV and HBV? Looked on the EPA website and all I got was a headache! Thanx!

Ok I think i understand, Do they want the price break down for weekly, monthly, semi anually and anually? If so you would calculate your weekly price by the amount of weeks in breakdown, but I dont think this is the question...Kevin

[purity]

www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp/cleaners/select/catalog.htm

Crow
Thats the link to the epa/gsa cleaning page you have to call the 800-241-7246 to request the most recent catalog, thats the only info i found for epa certified cleaning chemicals, probaly expensive..

[Crowz]

Thanx for the link....I was hoping for a downloadable version though as the bid has to be in by May 6th Guess I could just go to Home Depot and Diamond Janitorial Supply and browse. Need a price for the bid.

[Crowz]

guess I coulda put this in the last post..... That is exactly what I am asking. Do gvmnt agencies want a full breakdown by the year? The guy who called didnt' say...... Guess I'll do the whole enchilada! Perhaps our in town contact knows this. Will ask her when we do visual for estimate today or monday. thanx again!

[Kevin]

Crow,
You should do a monthly, then just an attachment that gives them the breakdown for quarterly, and yearly.

[Crowz]

TEXTO.K. thanx!

[Crowz]

Well, we lost the VA clinic bid. I don't know how as we bid $1200.00 a month to do all the basics ( 7 restrooms in this place) 5 days a week, plus wash ALL windows inside and out anually, strip and wax ALL tile floors (about half the facility @ 4000 square feet total), WASH ALL WALLS annually, clean lobby carpet monthly and whole facility 2x a year, spray & buff floors daily, clean wheelchairs & upholstered furniture bi-anually, etc. ....... I can't understand how anyone could bid less and make any profit! We figured it would take 2 of us 2 to 3 hours a night.... Oh well, I wish who ever got it luck! A gov. contract sure would have looked good on credit apps & reference list, but we couldn't do it for less.

[Kevin]

Did you have all you paperwork in order,? Insurance, Worker Comp, Bonding, In most cases being a goverment account they will tell you why you lost or did not receive the account "freedom of information act" just ask them.

[skyclean]

How do you go about getting government contracts?

[Crowz]

Yes, all paperwork was in order. We were under-bid. We bid $1200.00 per month and low bidder was another Co. who bid $1090.66 per month. Oh well.... BTW, we are a member of the chamber of commerce and they advertise for us for cost of membership on their website and in their printed guide. The VA actually called US after they looked at the chamber website and asked if we would like to bid. I guess you could go to your local gvmt websites to find out what is open and bid-able.

[jcmarkey]

In 30 years we only had one government contract back in the first years being in business. We never made enough to cover our overhead, let alone a small profit plus it took three months to get paid.

In my opinion, government work is NOT what it is made out to be, unless you are a minority owned business/woman owned business where you are eligible to bid on set aside work.

We do not now, nor will we ever in the foreseeable future, bid on government work.

[Crowz]

I am glad now that we didn't get the VA contract. It was granted to a outfit based in Bullhead City... 30 miles from the clinic... at $1090.66 per month! I don't see how they can make ANY profit at all. We bid at $1200.00 and we are less than a mile away from the job ... still we would have been barely breaking even.

[Linda]

Hi everyone,

I have a question. I checked on a Post Office job and the guy running the PO told me what "they pay". Do I go with that or should I propose a price of my own? He just signed a 2yr. contract, but was interested in my business as a fill in until the contract ran out or was cancelled. The price isn't bad if I want to do the job myself or put someone in for very little pay, which I don't want to do. They supply the cleaning materials, which cuts the pay more than it should in my opinion. From the sounds of it, the lady that won the contract isn't reliable. One of the women who already works for the PO does the job when she can't make it. He doesn't seem to have a problem with that either. Any advice would be appreciated :-)

Thanks,
Linda

[monayuki]

If your Not Gonna lose Money the In my Opinion Go Get it. This will be one of a Portflio reference when you go Contracting with Bigger Ones May it Be Private or State or Fed. A reference such as a Post Offices or any other FED or State Entity can get you listed in both Databases. Being Listed will be an Opportunity for Future Gov Bids.