The Optus Glean promise: predictability
Three pillars. Three commitments. No exceptions.
Predictable cost. One fixed monthly fee, set against a defined scope and an annual indexed review. No variable hours. No surprise invoices. No padded callout charges. Budgeted once, paid by Direct Debit, reviewed once a year.
Predictable presence. The site is cleaned every day it is meant to be cleaned. A named primary cleaner is rostered to your contract, supported by a named relief who is already vetted, inducted, and trained on the same colour-coded system and IPC standard. The schedule does not depend on whether one person is available on one day.
Predictable freedom. A single point of accountability. One contract. One named manager. One number to call. Cleaning is no longer a problem the site has to manage — it is a service that runs.
Why cleaning in Ireland is structurally hard to get right
Most cleaning provision in Ireland — including in healthcare-adjacent settings — is delivered by a workforce that is structurally part-time and casual. A significant proportion of operatives across the sector also work as healthcare assistants in nursing homes, residential care, and acute hospitals. Cleaning shifts are typically taken when healthcare shifts are not available, and released when they are. This pattern is consistent with CSO labour data on accommodation, food, and administrative-support employment, and it is the underlying reason that buyers across Ireland encounter inconsistency from agencies they have contracted in good faith.
The pattern is reinforced by two background pressures specific to Ireland. Housing affordability limits the catchment for any role paying at or near the minimum wage. The Contract Cleaning Employment Regulation Order rate of €14.80 per hour for 2026, set under the Labour Court's sectoral employment framework, sits close enough to flexible care-sector pay that operatives drift toward whichever shift pays slightly more on the day. Both pressures pull cleaning staff away from contracted shifts and toward casual healthcare work.
The result, from the buyer's perspective, is the experience most practice managers, facilities leads, and procurement officers in Ireland describe: a clean that is half-completed when the contracted cleaner is available, missed entirely when they are not, and accompanied by recurring conversations with the agency about cover that may or may not arrive.
This is the structural problem Optus Glean is built to solve. Our operatives are fully PAYE-employed with guaranteed weekly hours, paid leave, and pension contributions under Irish auto-enrolment. They are paid above the ERO floor deliberately — because the structural reliability of the service depends on the cleaner choosing to remain in the role rather than rotating through casual healthcare shifts. A named primary cleaner is assigned to your site, supported by a named relief, both Garda-vetted and trained to Optus Glean's documented HIQA-aligned IPC standard.
Cleaning for Government and Public Bodies
The public sector in Ireland spends hundreds of millions of euros annually on facility services, including cleaning. Local authorities, the HSE, government departments, semi-state bodies, educational institutions, and public agencies all require professional cleaning services that meet rigorous procurement standards, employment legislation, and health and safety compliance requirements.
Optus Glean provides cleaning services to government and public sector organisations across Ireland. We are registered on eTenders (the national procurement platform), we maintain all required documentation for public sector tenders, and we are structured to participate in framework agreements established by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) and individual contracting authorities.
Unlike many cleaning companies that treat public sector work as a sideline, we have built our operational model specifically to meet the demands of public procurement: documented method statements, Garda vetted staff, TUPE compliance, SEO-rate wages, transparent reporting, and insurance cover that meets or exceeds tender requirements. When a contracting authority evaluates our tender submission, every box is ticked — because we built the company that way from the start.
Public Sector Environments We Serve
Optus Glean provides cleaning services across the full range of public sector environments in Ireland.
Local Authority Offices and Civic Buildings
County councils, city councils, and municipal districts operate offices, council chambers, public counters, and civic buildings that need daily cleaning to a consistent standard. These are public-facing environments where cleanliness directly impacts citizen experience and staff wellbeing. Our office and corporate cleaning service is designed for exactly this type of environment.
HSE Facilities and Health Centres
The Health Service Executive operates hundreds of health centres, primary care centres, community care facilities, and administrative offices across Ireland. Healthcare environments require specialist cleaning with infection prevention and control (IPC) compliance, particularly in clinical areas. Our healthcare cleaning service is HIQA IPC-compliant with full documentation for audit readiness.
Government Offices and Departments
Government department offices, from the Department of Social Protection to Revenue, require secure, reliable cleaning with vetted staff who have been cleared to work in sensitive environments. We provide daily contract cleaning with Garda vetted operatives, secure key-holding, and alarm-holding services where required.
Courthouses
Courthouses are high-security, high-footfall public buildings that need cleaning outside of operational hours. Our teams are experienced in working within the security protocols and access restrictions that courthouse environments demand, including working around court schedules and restricted areas.
Libraries and Community Centres
Public libraries and community centres are community-facing facilities that need to maintain high standards of cleanliness for the diverse populations they serve, including children, elderly users, and vulnerable groups. Daily cleaning, periodic deep cleans, and washroom management are core requirements.
Schools and Educational Facilities
Primary schools, secondary schools, and ETB (Education and Training Board) facilities require cleaning services that are safe for children and young people. All operatives on educational sites are Garda vetted, products are certified safe for use in educational environments, and cleaning schedules are designed around school hours and term times. See our education sector page for more detail.
eTenders Registered and Tender-Ready
Optus Glean is registered on eTenders (etenders.gov.ie), the Irish Government's national procurement platform. We actively monitor eTenders for cleaning opportunities across all CPV codes relevant to our service lines.
Our tender documentation pack is maintained and ready for submission at all times, including:
- Company registration and tax clearance documentation
- Insurance certificates (€6.5M PL, €13M EL, Professional Indemnity)
- Health and safety policy and management system documentation
- Method statements for all cleaning service types
- Risk assessments for all environment types
- COSHH data sheets and chemical management procedures
- Staff training records and Garda vetting confirmation
- Quality management procedures and audit frameworks
- Environmental and sustainability policy
- TUPE transfer management procedures
- References and case studies from comparable contracts
Framework Agreement Capability
Framework agreements are the preferred procurement mechanism for many public sector cleaning contracts in Ireland. The OGP establishes national frameworks for common goods and services, and individual contracting authorities can also establish their own frameworks for regional or specialist requirements.
Optus Glean is structured to participate in framework agreements, including multi-lot frameworks where cleaning is divided by geography, facility type, or service line. Our national reach across all 26 counties means we can bid on frameworks covering any region of Ireland, and our four-division structure allows us to compete in frameworks covering multiple service categories.
TUPE Compliance
When a public body changes cleaning provider, the European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003 (SI 131/2003) — commonly known as TUPE — apply. The existing cleaning staff transfer to the incoming provider on their existing terms and conditions of employment.
Optus Glean has documented TUPE transfer procedures covering:
- Pre-transfer due diligence and information requests
- Employee consultation and communication
- Transfer of contracts of employment on existing terms
- Transfer of accrued leave entitlements and service continuity
- Induction and training of transferred employees on Optus Glean systems
- Uniform and equipment provision
- Ongoing compliance with transferred terms and conditions
For a detailed guide on TUPE in the context of cleaning contracts, see our TUPE and cleaning contracts resource.
How Public Procurement Works for Cleaning
For facilities managers and procurement officers new to tendering cleaning services, here is a brief overview of how the process typically works in the Irish public sector.
- Specification — The contracting authority defines the cleaning specification, including areas to be cleaned, frequencies, standards, and any specialist requirements (healthcare IPC, security clearance, etc.).
- CPV codes — The tender is classified using Common Procurement Vocabulary codes. The main codes for cleaning are 90910000 (cleaning services), 90911200 (building cleaning), and 90919200 (office cleaning).
- Publication — For contracts above EU thresholds (currently €215,000 for services), the opportunity must be published in the Official Journal of the EU (OJEU) via eTenders. Below threshold, national advertising on eTenders is sufficient.
- Evaluation criteria — Tenders are evaluated using the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) criteria, typically weighted 60–70% quality and 30–40% price. Quality criteria include methodology, staffing, quality management, health and safety, environmental management, and relevant experience.
- Award — The contract is awarded to the highest-scoring tenderer. A standstill period applies before the contract is signed, during which unsuccessful tenderers may request a debrief.
Our Documentation Advantage
In public sector procurement, the quality component of tender evaluation is almost entirely based on documentation. The tenderer who provides the most detailed, relevant, and credible written submissions scores highest. This is where Optus Glean's documentation-backed approach delivers a genuine competitive advantage.
Our 172 operational documents are not generic templates downloaded from the internet. They are working documents that our teams use daily, tailored to specific service types and environments. When a tender asks for our method statement for cleaning a healthcare facility, we submit a document that describes exactly how our teams clean healthcare facilities — because it is the document our teams actually follow.
Related Services
- Office & Corporate Cleaning — Daily cleaning for government offices and civic buildings
- Healthcare & Clinical Cleaning — HIQA IPC-compliant cleaning for HSE facilities
- Washroom Services — Consumables, hygiene units, and washroom management
- Window Cleaning — Internal and external window cleaning for public buildings
- Carpet & Floor Cleaning — Periodic deep cleaning and floor restoration
- TUPE & Cleaning Contracts — Guide to TUPE obligations when changing provider
Frequently asked questions
How much does public-sector cleaning cost in Ireland in 2026?
A government or public-sector contract is priced as a fixed monthly fee against the published specification, held under a multi-year framework or call-off contract with an annual indexed review. The Contract Cleaning ERO 2026 sets a €14.80/hour labour floor across the sector — public-sector buyers expect the labour line to clear ERO comfortably, not just sit on it. Pricing is in the tender response, not negotiated on call.
What standards apply to public-sector cleaning in Ireland?
The OGP Cleaning Services Framework specification, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (HSA), and OPW estate management standards where the building is on the OPW portfolio. Tax clearance from Revenue is mandatory above €10,000. Social-clause requirements (employment of disadvantaged groups, training, local supply) are increasingly written into specifications. The cleaning programme must produce an audit trail that survives a Comptroller and Auditor General review.
What does framework-compliant cleaning mean?
Framework-compliant means the provider is admitted onto an OGP or sectoral framework agreement (cleaning, facilities) after a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire process, can be called off against the framework's standard terms, holds tax clearance, ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 / ISO 45001 or equivalent management systems, and meets the framework's insurance and reference thresholds. Mini-competitions among admitted providers determine which buyer gets which provider.
What's the social-clause requirement in Irish public cleaning contracts?
Many public-sector contracts now include social-clause obligations: a minimum percentage of contract hours delivered by long-term unemployed, apprentice, or disadvantaged workers; documented progression pathways; living-wage commitments above the ERO floor; or community-benefit reporting. The provider has to deliver these and evidence them — and failure is a contractual breach, not a sales risk.
What's the difference between PAYE and casual cleaning contracts in the public sector?
A PAYE-employed cleaner is on payroll with the company that signs the contract, paid above the Contract Cleaning ERO €14.80/hour floor, with paid leave and PRSI/pension. A casual or self-employed operative is none of those things and rarely survives a tender quality scoring. PAYE staffing aligns with social-clause obligations and is the only model that holds tender pricing through a multi-year contract without quality collapse.
How do I evaluate a cleaning provider for a public-sector building?
Tender scoring will already cover financial standing, insurance, references, and ISO certifications. Beyond that: are the cleaners PAYE-employed, paid above ERO, with paid leave and pension? Who is the named primary cleaner and named relief? Can the provider deliver social-clause commitments and evidence them? Is the audit pack ready for Comptroller and Auditor General-grade scrutiny on day one?
What should be in a public-sector cleaning contract?
The OGP framework specification or the buyer's own scope, social-clause commitments with measurable KPIs, a named primary cleaner and named relief, the chemical regime with SDS, ISO management system references, tax clearance evidence, fixed monthly fee against the tendered price, annual indexed review, transparent reporting, and a clean exit clause. No per-hour pricing variance from the tender.
How does eTenders procurement actually work for cleaning contracts?
Public-sector cleaning contracts above the threshold are advertised on eTenders.gov.ie under CPV code 90910000 (cleaning services). Bidders register on eTenders, complete a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (financial standing, references, insurance, ISO certifications, tax clearance), submit a full tender response per the published specification, and are scored on price and quality. Award decisions are publicly notified and standstill periods apply.
How Optus Glean handles staff shortages
Every Optus Glean contract is staffed on a redundancy model rather than a single-person model. A named primary cleaner is assigned to the site at contract start. A named relief is assigned alongside them. Both are PAYE-employed by Optus Glean, both are Garda-vetted, both are inducted on the site's specific layout, access protocols, and colour-coded equipment system, and both are trained to the same documented HIQA-aligned IPC standard. Substitution is built into the contract from the first day, not arranged on the day cover is needed.
Sick day cover. When the primary cleaner is unable to work, the named relief is deployed. The site site contact is notified by 06:30 on the morning of the absence by SMS or email, with the name of the relief who is attending. The relief follows the same task list, uses the same equipment, and finishes within the same window. The standard of clean is unchanged because the relief was prepared for this scenario before the absence happened.
Annual leave cover. Annual leave is rostered weeks in advance and the relief is scheduled to cover the full leave period. The site is informed at the start of the leave period — not on the morning leave begins. This is the same model used in clinical rota management: known absences are pre-staffed, not improvised.
Long-term cover. If the primary cleaner is absent for more than two weeks (extended illness, parental leave, bereavement leave), cover is drawn from the wider trained bench rather than relying on the single named relief. The site is kept informed of the cover plan, the named individuals involved, and the expected duration. Continuity of standard is maintained because every operative on the bench is trained to the same documented standard.
Permanent reassignment. If the primary cleaner moves to a new permanent role within Optus Glean — promotion, relocation, retirement — the relief is promoted to primary on a planned timetable, a new relief is trained on the site, and both are introduced to the site before the handover takes effect. There is no day on which the site discovers, after the fact, that their cleaner has changed.
Substitution is Optus Glean's operational problem, not the site's risk to absorb. The buyer pays a fixed monthly fee for a defined scope to be delivered, every day it is meant to be delivered. The mechanism by which we deliver it — primary, relief, bench, retraining — is our cost to manage and our risk to carry.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-06