Sample bid: janitorial services for four VA clinics in New Hampshire

This is the complete quote we drafted for a real, public solicitation, the kind of draft you receive when you order a bid. It answers every instruction in the solicitation, in the order the agency evaluates quotes.

• Solicitation: 36C24127Q0022, Janitorial Services for NH CBOCs (notice on SAM.gov)
• Buyer: Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 1, Bedford MA
• Set-aside: 100% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. NAICS 561720, size standard $22M
• Quotes due 11/03/2026 10:00 AM Eastern, by email

How it was checked. Every instruction, evaluation standard and Statement of Work requirement in the solicitation was mapped to the place in the quote that answers it (the compliance matrix below). The quote was then reviewed against how federal evaluators score quotes under FAR 13 and FAR 15.

Jump to: the quote · compliance matrix · what a real bidder still supplies · order a first bid

The quote

Cover letter

[DATE]

Contract Specialist
Department of Veterans Affairs, Network Contracting Office 1
200 Springs Road, Bedford, MA 01730
By email to the contract specialist named in the solicitation

Subject: Quote, Solicitation 36C24127Q0022, Janitorial Services for NH CBOCs

Sample Cleaning Co. submits this quote for janitorial services at the Portsmouth, Conway, Tilton and Somersworth Community-Based Outpatient Clinics for the base year (12/01/2026 to 11/30/2027) and four option years.

"The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition."

The quote has four parts, in the order of the evaluation factors: (1) Price, (2) Technical (Corporate Experience, Technical Approach, Capability Statement, Quality Control Plan), (3) Past Performance, (4) Limitations on subcontracting.

Signed, [NAME], [TITLE], Sample Cleaning Co.

Part 1. Price

All prices are firm-fixed monthly prices covering the full scope of the Statement of Work: labor, supervision, contractor-owned equipment, any supplies and chemicals the VA does not furnish, travel between clinics, security onboarding, insurance, and all other costs. Wages and fringe benefits are at or above the Service Contract Act wage determinations for each clinic's county.

The same prices are entered on the solicitation's own line-item schedule (the solicitation calls it "page 2" in one place and "page 4" in another), which is returned with this quote. The table below is a copy for reading.

Annual price adjustments. Each option year rises [3.0]% over the prior year to cover expected wage-determination revisions and supply costs. If the Department of Labor issues a wage determination revision that changes required wages, we will request an adjustment under FAR 52.222-43 only for that change, as the clause provides.

How the base price was built (shown so the price can be judged reasonable; a real company replaces every figure with its own):

Note for the real bidder: the notice files on SAM.gov do not include a wage determination, though clause 52.222-41 applies. The only one found so far is for Rockingham County; ask the contracting office which determinations apply to the other three clinics (question deadline 10/21/2026 10:00 AM Eastern).

Part 2. Technical

2.1 Corporate Experience

Sample Cleaning Co. has performed recurring janitorial services in occupied healthcare and administrative buildings since [YEAR]. Projects in the last four years of similar scope and complexity:

All three are recurring contracts in occupied buildings, performed under written cleaning checklists like the one in section 2.4.

2.2 Technical Approach

Sites and schedule. All work is done Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, while clinics are open, and not on the 11 federal holidays listed in the SOW (observed on the Friday or Monday when a holiday falls on a weekend). Clinics are split into two routes so no cleaner spends the day driving:

Hours come from square footage at roughly 2,500 sq ft per cleaner-hour for daily clinic cleaning, plus extra time for restrooms; they are estimates to be checked against the bidder's own production rates.

Arrival times are agreed with each CBOC manager at the kickoff meeting so cleaning avoids peak patient hours. When the CO, COR or facility gives 48 hours' notice of an event, we reschedule that visit the same week at no extra cost.

Pease (Portsmouth) access. The Portsmouth clinic is on Pease Air National Guard Base. Before the start date, every cleaner and backup assigned to Portsmouth will complete the base's credentialing for gate entry. We will ask the COR at kickoff for the current gate procedure and allow [2-3] weeks for it. Only credentialed staff are scheduled there.

Daily tasks (every service day, every clinic):

1. Refill VA-provided toilet tissue, hand towels, soap and lotion, cleansers and trash liners from the supply room; check supply levels each visit and tell the CBOC manager in writing when stock is low, so clinics never run out.
2. Empty trash and recycling in all areas and replace liners.
3. Take cardboard to the dumpster.
4. Sweep and wet-mop all non-carpeted floors with the hospital-approved disinfectant, at the label's contact time.
5. Vacuum all carpeted areas.
6. Clean all floor mats and entries, inside and outside entrance doors.
7. Clean and disinfect restrooms: sinks, counters, toilets, floors, fixtures, dispensers.
8. Clean and disinfect kitchen counters and sinks.
9. Clean inside and outside of reception-area windows.

Weekly: wax floors as traffic requires (annual otherwise); spot-clean wall marks; dust all horizontal surfaces (desks, file cabinets, window ledges, phones, conference and coffee tables); clean and disinfect all telephones; remove cobwebs in all areas. Assigned day per clinic: [DAY].

Monthly: dust blinds and window coverings; dust and clean fixtures and office furniture (cabinets, desks, credenzas, display units, window ledges); dust picture frames, light fixtures and ceiling vents; vacuum fabric furniture and wipe down plastic and leather furniture. Done the [FIRST WEEK] of each month.

Annual: vacuum heating and cooling vents; clean inside and outside of all windows; clean all window treatments; steam-clean or shampoo all carpets; wax and buff all non-carpeted floors. Scheduled with each CBOC manager for [MONTHS], done in sections so the clinic stays open.

Exclusions we will respect: red-bag medical waste is handled by others, and clinical staff clean exam tables and lab areas. Our staff do not touch either. Any red-bag waste found outside its container is reported to the CBOC manager right away and not handled.

Infection control. The SOW requires cleanliness that meets VHA, Joint Commission and CDC standards. Our approach: clean before disinfecting; work clean to dirty and high to low; separate color-coded cloths and mop heads for restrooms and for everything else; follow each disinfectant's label for contact time; launder or replace cloths and mop heads daily. Cleaners are trained on these steps before their first shift (section 2.4).

Supplies and equipment. The VA furnishes standard supplies and the cleaning tools listed in the SOW. We furnish the equipment we own and operate (commercial vacuums, a carpet extractor, a floor machine for strip and wax, GFCI extension cords) and its supplies. Before first use we will give the COR a list of every cleaning agent or material we supply, with Safety Data Sheets, and will not use any of it until the VA approves.

Uniforms and identification. Staff wear company uniform shirts showing the company name and their own name, or a company photo ID badge, or a VA-issued badge, at all times. Uniforms are kept clean (no stain larger than 1/2 inch). Any item the COR or CBOC manager flags is replaced within 5 business days.

Security. Within 7 days of receiving the VA security form we return it listing every employee and backup who will need access, and we tell the CO and COR immediately of any staffing change so access can be added or removed. Staff display VA security identification at all times, park only where VA Police authorize (never in patient spaces or on grass), accept inspection of personal effects, smoke only in designated areas, and carry no weapons. Personal Identity Verification steps under FAR 52.204-9 and VAAR 852.204-70 are completed before the start date.

Start-up plan.

2.3 Staffing and scheduling plan

Periodic work (weekly, monthly and annual tasks; about 96 hours a year, priced in Part 1) is done by the Site Supervisor with a backup on the scheduled days in section 2.2, on top of the daily hours above, so daily cleaning is never cut short for it.

If a cleaner is absent, the Site Supervisor or a credentialed backup covers that day's route; the CBOC manager is told by 9:00 AM. [If the incumbent's staff are offered positions, say so here: FAR 52.222-17 is not listed in this solicitation, so this is optional.]

2.4 Quality Control Plan (delivered with the quote, as the SOW requires)

1. Per-visit checklist. Each clinic has a checklist of the SOW's daily, weekly, monthly and annual tasks. The cleaner initials each task each visit and leaves a copy in the clinic [binder / shared log]. This is the documented record the SOW requires for every visit and is available to the COR and CBOC manager at any time.
2. Supervisor inspections. The Site Supervisor inspects each clinic at least [twice a month], unannounced, using the same checklist, and rates each area pass or fail.
3. Defects and corrective action. Any defect found by us, the CBOC manager or the COR is logged with date, area and cause. Defects affecting sanitation (restrooms, floors, trash) are fixed the same day if reported before 2:00 PM, otherwise by the next service day; others within [2] service days. The log notes how recurrence is prevented (retraining, schedule change, checklist change).
4. Government surveillance. We will align our checklist with the VA's Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan at kickoff and attend the COR's periodic performance meetings at no cost.
5. Monthly report. Before each monthly invoice (submitted electronically through Tungsten), we send the COR the month's checklists, inspection results and defect log.
6. Training. Before their first shift, each cleaner is trained on: the SOW tasks; disinfectant use and contact times; chemical hazards and Safety Data Sheets (OSHA Hazard Communication); PPE; safe operation of each machine; red-bag and clinical-area exclusions; VA security rules. Refresher training [annually] and after any repeated defect.
7. Changes to this plan are made only with the Contracting Officer's written acceptance.

2.5 Safety

• Sample Cleaning Co. is responsible for the safety of its employees and of patients, staff and visitors affected by its work.
• Follow OSHA, VA and National Center for Patient Safety requirements; PPE supplied by us to every employee as OSHA requires.
• Wet-floor signs and, where needed, barriers placed before mopping or floor work, removed when dry.
• Commercial-grade GFCI extension cords only; any frayed or nicked cord removed from service at once and replaced.
• Equipment operated only by trained staff and meets VA and OSHA safety codes; tools and equipment stored securely.
• Work stops at once if a patient or staff member reacts to a chemical or fumes, and the COR is told.
• Work that would interfere with normal or emergency operations is suspended and the COR notified, then rescheduled with the COR.
• At least 24 hours' notice to the COR before removing any contractor-owned equipment from VA property; electrically powered equipment is unplugged and cords secured before moving.

2.6 Capability statement

Sample Cleaning Co. can perform every service in the SOW at all four clinics from the start date:

• Staff: [N] employees, including a Project Manager, a Site Supervisor and [N] trained cleaners, with two credentialed backups for this contract.
• Equipment: [LIST: e.g., 4 commercial upright vacuums, 1 carpet extractor, 1 floor machine, wet-floor signs, GFCI cords], plus two vehicles for the routes.
• Supervision: named Project Manager as single point of contact, Site Supervisor inspections at every clinic.
• Commitment: we confirm we will meet all SOW performance, safety and quality requirements, including documented records of each visit, the Quality Control Plan above, the safety requirements in section 2.5 and the security requirements in section 2.2.

Part 3. Past Performance

The solicitation refers to a "Past Performance sheet in section D", which is not among the notice files. The references below give every item it asks for; we will use the VA's sheet if it is provided.

[If the company has CPARS records, list contract numbers here; the CO may also check CPARS and FAPIIS.]

Part 4. Limitations on subcontracting

Sample Cleaning Co. will perform the work with its own employees and will not pay more than 50% of the amount paid by the government to firms that are not certified SDVOSBs, as FAR 52.219-14 and VAAR 852.219-75 require. [Attach the signed VAAR 852.219-75 certificate if the CO requests it.]

Compliance matrix

Every requirement in the solicitation, with where the quote answers it. Met (placeholder) means the structure is there but the real company must supply true facts. Open means the notice does not answer it and the bidder must ask the contracting office or supply it.

1. Submission instructions and evaluation (solicitation, after the provisions list)

2. Statement of Work

What a real bidder still supplies

A compliant draft is not a winning bid on its own. Between acceptable quotes, the award turns on things only the company can provide:

• A real price built from its own wage rates and production rates, at or above the Service Contract Act wage determination for each clinic's county.
• Three real references from similar healthcare or office cleaning work.
• The wage determinations for Carroll, Belknap and Strafford counties, which the notice files do not include (ask the contracting office before the question deadline).
• Its SBA VetCert certification. This solicitation is set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, so a firm without it cannot win, however good the quote.

When you order a first bid, the draft comes with this kind of compliance checklist and a written list of the open questions for your solicitation. See pricing.