Heating, fire alarm, gas, air conditioning and building services contracts nearly all ask the same core question: how will you deliver the planned visits and respond when something breaks? Here's a first draft for an invented firm, the kind bid help produces. Every [square bracket] is something only the firm can fill in.
"Describe how you will deliver the planned preventative maintenance programme and the reactive call-out service, including your response times and out-of-hours arrangements. (Maximum 1,000 words.)"
[n] engineers based in [town], [n] miles from the furthest site, all [relevant qualifications, e.g. Gas Safe / FIA / F-Gas], with [n] years' average experience. [Name] is the named contract manager and the buyer's single point of contact. Engineers keep the same sites wherever possible, so they know the equipment and the people.
| Priority | Example | Attend within | Make safe or fix within |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency | [Total loss of heating in winter, fire alarm fault] | [4] hours, 24/7 | [same visit] |
| Urgent | [Partial failure, one zone down] | [24] hours | [48] hours |
| Routine | [Minor fault, no risk] | [5] working days | [10] working days |
Calls come in by phone or email to [our helpdesk], which logs the time, gives the caller a job number and tells them who is coming and when. Out of hours, calls go to an on-call engineer on a published rota, not a voicemail. If a part isn't in the van, we make the system safe and give the buyer a fix date the same day.
A monthly report shows every planned visit done or rescheduled, every call-out with its attend and fix times against the targets above, defects found and their status, and any trends (for example, one boiler failing repeatedly). We meet the contract manager [quarterly] to review it. [Our attendance within target last year was [n]% across [n] contracts.]
Engineers sign in at every site, carry ID, and follow the site's own rules (permits, asbestos register, lone working). Risk assessments and method statements are on the tablet for every job. [DBS checks for school and care settings.]
From award: asset survey and system set-up in weeks 1 to 2, the planned schedule agreed by week 3, and the helpdesk number and escalation contacts issued before the start date, so the first call-out on day one is handled exactly as above.
More examples: taking over a school cleaning contract, a quotation for a footpath job and a go/no-go check.
Got a maintenance tender like this? Send me the link. The go/no-go check is free, and the first two full drafts I write are free in return for honest feedback.
An independent example from Kindling, not connected to any buyer or contractor. Figures in brackets are placeholders. General guidance, not technical or legal advice.