We’re reviewing our facilities services on campus.
Overview
What it is: Re-procuring the contracts for services such as cleaning and general building maintenance, collectively known as facilities management.
Why it’s better for you: A new partner for the delivery of facilities management services will help the University provide a first-class facilites management service which puts our campus community of students, staff and visitors at the heart of what we do.
Why it’s better for the University: Re-procuring our facilties management contracts will allow Sussex to bring some services in house, providing greater oversight of strategy and performance, while also retaining the sector-leading experience and expertise of a dedicated facilities management supplier.
When it’s happening: Following the completion of the tender process and the announcement of the successful bidder in April 2025, the new partner for the delivery of facilities management services will be in place as part of a partnership with Sussex by July 2025.
How it will launch: Full details will be provided via staff news channels.
What’s happening
The University is seeking a facilities management partner who can ensure that we receive an excellent service quality and value for money. Our partnership will be founded on high levels of innovation, the intelligent use of technology, and a clear focus creating a sustainable and fully inclusive campus for our whole community. Our facilities management services will be simple and quick to access, ensuring that our campus operates smoothly while remaining safe, clean and secure.
Timeline
Follow our step-by-step process to see the stages the project will go through.
Facilities management
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Consultation
Extensive consultation took place with the campus community in early 2023. The information and feedback from our campus community helped us to decide that a hybrid facilities management model, where some services are brought in-house, best suits Sussex’s needs and capabilities.
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Procurement
During 2024 we worked with potential suppliers through a process called ‘competitive dialogue’ to understand what they could offer to Sussex, and how the organisations can work together. Final bids from suppliers were received in November, and these were then evaluated by a panel of subject matter experts from teams across the University, including Estates, Finance, Legal, HR, ITS, Faculties, and Student Experience, with Procurement overseeing the process. The panellists scored the bids against transparent evaluation criteria, and the scores were then added up to arrive at a preferred bidder.
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Announcing the successful bidder
Our new partner will be announced once contracts are signed. According to current timelines this is expected to take place by early April 2025.
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Move to the new service
The new services will be mobilised between April and June 2025, before going live at the start of July.