01
What a facility management tender should achieve
A facility management tender is a structured invitation for providers to propose how they would deliver or coordinate an agreed property requirement. It may also be called a request for proposal, or RFP. The document should explain the operating need, supply common property information and tell bidders how to present their technical and commercial responses. Its purpose is to create informed comparison, not simply collect the lowest headline amount.
The tender should match the scale and risk of the property. A single occupied building and a multi-property portfolio may need different data, governance and evaluation. Before issue, define the decisions the process must support: delivery model, included services, attendance, service levels, reporting, contract boundaries and transition. Procurement and legal advisers should review any formal process or contract wording that requires specialist approval.
02
Build a reliable property and operating data pack
Start with property identity, location, use, gross or serviceable areas where known, occupancy pattern, operating hours and access arrangements. Describe shared areas, tenant interfaces, peak periods, permit controls, loading or parking restrictions and any work that must occur outside normal occupied hours. Include available drawings, manuals, warranties and recent reports through a controlled document list rather than referring to information that bidders cannot inspect.
Provide a concise history of recurring concerns, major open actions, current contractors and known planned projects. Clearly label information that is incomplete, unverified or subject to change. A site visit and clarification process can help bidders understand conditions that are difficult to describe, but all material answers should be issued consistently. When one bidder receives extra scope information privately, the final offers may no longer be comparable.
03
Define assets, areas and service boundaries
Create an asset and area schedule that identifies the systems or locations the provider is expected to maintain, inspect or coordinate. Useful fields can include asset reference, description, location, quantity where verified, current service arrangement and known warranty or specialist responsibility. If the register is incomplete, explain whether bidders should allow for verification during mobilisation and how material differences would be handled after award.
Use a service matrix to separate integrated management, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, civil work, cleaning or other relevant requirements. For each line, state whether the provider delivers the task, manages another contractor, monitors a warranty provider or only records and escalates the issue. Distinguish recurring services from corrective projects, replacement, materials and specialist testing. A broad trade name without a responsibility boundary leaves each bidder to price a different interpretation.
04
Describe planned, reactive and specialist requirements
For planned work, provide the existing maintenance schedule or the rules bidders should use to propose one. Identify the intended asset, task outcome, frequency basis, permitted service window, evidence and treatment of inaccessible equipment. Avoid prescribing activity that is not supported by reliable asset data or competent technical guidance. Ask bidders to identify schedule assumptions and any information they need to validate after appointment.
For reactive work, explain how requests are raised, classified, authorised, attended, updated and closed. Separate acknowledgement, attendance, temporary restoration and final completion where those stages matter. Define the route for parts, specialist diagnosis, shutdowns and follow-on quotations. Specialist services should have a named interface: who appoints the provider, checks the report, communicates recommendations, obtains approval and tracks the resulting action to closure.
05
Set responsibilities, approvals and access rules
A responsibility matrix should show the client, facility provider, landlord, tenant and third-party roles for each important activity. Include work requests, access, permits, utility coordination, shutdown approval, specialist appointments, expenditure approval, incident communication, document control and close-out. The same task should not appear to be fully owned by two parties, and a required action should not be left without an accountable owner.
State approval limits and the information needed for commercial decisions. Clarify arrangements for keys, security checks, restricted rooms, occupied spaces and work that affects essential services. If the owner retains a contract representative or managing agent, describe that interface and meeting authority. Bidders can then propose supervision and communication that fit the real operating environment instead of assuming unrestricted access or immediate client decisions.
06
Write measurable SLAs, KPIs and reporting outputs
Service levels should define the event being measured, start and stop points, applicable hours, priority rules, required evidence and permitted exclusions. Targets should reflect property consequence, access and the proposed resource model. Do not use one undefined word such as response for acknowledgement, attendance and repair. Ask bidders to confirm where a requirement cannot be supported and to explain the operational basis of any alternative.
Keep the KPI set focused on management decisions. Planned-task completion, high-priority progress, overdue actions, repeat-fault review, recommendation closure and report submission can be useful when their formulas and data sources are defined. Provide the expected monthly report headings, action log and meeting cycle. A prescribed reporting sample lets the evaluation team test whether each bidder can turn service activity into clear owner-facing information.
07
Create a commercial schedule that exposes assumptions
Require every bidder to complete the same pricing structure. Separate recurring management or service amounts from mobilisation, corrective labour, parts, consumables, specialist work, access equipment, after-hours attendance and optional services where relevant. Ask whether rates include supervision, transport, tools, leave coverage, reporting and subcontractor management. The objective is not to force one commercial model, but to show which responsibilities sit behind each number.
Include an assumptions and exclusions schedule and require bidders to state qualifications against the exact tender clause or service line. Where estimated quantities are used, explain how actual usage will be measured and approved. The owner should also identify the proposed change-control and quotation route. A low base amount may not represent the lowest operating cost if routine needs are left outside the recurring scope or depend on unclear approval rules.
08
Control bidder submissions and clarifications
Give bidders a response structure covering company information, proposed organisation, attendance model, service methodology, planned-maintenance approach, specialist controls, helpdesk or request workflow, reporting, mobilisation, risks, assumptions and commercial schedules. State which evidence is required and avoid requesting documents that do not help the evaluation. The page limit, file naming and submission method should suit the formality of the procurement process.
Use a single clarification register with a deadline, question reference, owner response and any resulting tender amendment. Material changes should be shared with all participating bidders and reflected in the final submission rules. Record the version of every issued document so the evaluation team knows which information each offer addressed. If a post-submission clarification changes scope or price, preserve it as part of the decision trail.
09
Evaluate capability, method and price consistently
Set the evaluation method before offers are opened. Criteria may include understanding of the property, proposed resources, service method, relevant operating evidence, reporting quality, mobilisation, risk controls and commercial clarity. Define any mandatory requirement separately from scored preferences. The evaluation team should use the same questions and scoring basis for each bidder, with written reasons supporting material differences in the result.
Test whether the operating method can support the promised service levels and price. Review staffing assumptions, specialist interfaces, leave or absence coverage, technology dependencies and items transferred back to the owner. Reference checks or presentations should verify specific concerns rather than replace the written comparison. Any procurement, licensing, insurance, technical or legal due diligence should be completed by the owner’s appropriate advisers before appointment.
10
Connect tender award to mobilisation and contract control
The preferred offer is not the complete operating agreement. Consolidate the accepted scope, asset and service schedules, responsibility matrix, SLA definitions, KPI formulas, reports, commercial schedules, assumptions, exclusions and agreed clarifications into controlled contract documents. Resolve contradictions before work begins. Important commitments should not remain only in presentation slides, email or evaluation notes.
Require a mobilisation plan covering contacts, documents, access, permits, asset verification, planned schedules, open issues, current contractors, reporting setup and baseline observations. Identify the owner actions needed for a successful start and set a first review point. A phased verification process may be appropriate when building information is incomplete, but urgent issues still need a clear route from day one.
Friends Facilities Management can review a Dubai property brief and discuss an annual, outsourced or coordinated facility management proposal. Final services, assets, attendance, service levels, reporting, parts, specialist responsibilities, exclusions, mobilisation and commercial terms must be confirmed for the specific property in an accepted written agreement. This guide is general information and not legal, technical or procurement advice.