RM6378 is the Crown Commercial Service framework for Facilities Management and Security Services, and commercial cleaning sits within Lot 3 (Soft FM). Established as an open framework under the Procurement Act 2023, it lets public buyers award FM contracts — including cleaning — to approved suppliers by further competition or direct award. Here is how it works.
What is RM6378?
RM6378 (Facilities Management and Security Services) is the current Crown Commercial Service framework, now administered by the Government Commercial Agency. It was established as an open framework under the Procurement Act 2023 and replaces earlier CCS FM agreements. Public bodies use it to buy facilities-management services without running a full standalone tender each time, drawing on a pre-approved supplier pool.
The lots — and where cleaning sits
The framework is divided into lots by the type of FM service. Lot 1 covers Total FM (a single provider delivering the full range), Lot 2 covers Hard FM (building fabric, mechanical and electrical), and Lot 3 covers Soft FM — which explicitly includes cleaning, alongside security, catering, grounds maintenance and waste. Commercial cleaning contracts procured through RM6378 are therefore awarded within Lot 3.
How buyers call off a cleaning contract
A public buyer using RM6378 does not re-run an open tender. Instead it 'calls off' from the approved suppliers, either by further competition (inviting the relevant suppliers to bid against its specification) or by direct award where the framework rules allow. This shortens procurement timescales while keeping competition and transparency — the core aims of the Procurement Act 2023.
What it means for buyers and suppliers
For a public buyer, the framework is a compliant, faster route to a cleaning provider that has already passed CCS's checks. For a supplier, being on the framework is a credential in its own right. Either way, the underlying delivery standards do not change: cleaning is still specified, priced against the wage floor (National Living Wage £12.71 from April 2026, real Living Wage £13.45 often required), and audited. See how this fits the wider picture of public-sector cleaning contracts and our approach to soft FM services.
RM6378 lots at a glance
| Lot | Scope | Cleaning? |
|---|---|---|
| Lot 1 — Total FM | Single provider for the full FM range | Included within a bundled service |
| Lot 2 — Hard FM | Building fabric, mechanical and electrical | No |
| Lot 3 — Soft FM | Cleaning, security, catering, grounds, waste | Yes — cleaning sits here |