1. INTRODUCTION
Heifer International is a global nonprofit organization working to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Since its establishment in 1944, Heifer International has supported millions of farming families by strengthening sustainable agriculture, improving livelihoods, and building resilient communities. Heifer International has been implementing development programmes in Kenya since 1981, working with smallholder farmers and communities to improve agricultural productivity, incomes, food security, and livelihoods.
Heifer International Kenya invites qualified and experienced service providers to submit proposals for the provision of professional cleaning and gardening services at the Heifer International Kenya office located at Ndama Place, Nairobi.
The selected service provider will be expected to provide reliable, professional, safe, and high-quality cleaning and tea service in accordance with the requirements outlined in this request for proposal and applicable Kenyan laws and regulations.
2. RATIONALE
The provision of high-quality cleaning, facilities management, and tea steward services is essential to maintaining a clean, hygienic, safe, well-organized, and conducive working environment for staff, partners, visitors, and other stakeholders.
The successful service provider shall be responsible for delivering professional cleaning and facilities support, and providing professional tea steward services to support the daily preparation, serving, and management of refreshments for staff, visitors, meetings, and official office functions. The services will include maintaining high standards of hygiene, cleanliness, food safety, and courteous service, and properly caring for kitchen equipment and supplies at the Heifer International Kenya Country Office on scheduled working days and at agreed times, in accordance with the required service standards, scope of work, and contractual terms.
The service provider shall:
• Provide professional cleaning facilities management services with due care, diligence, efficiency, and attention to detail. The service provider shall ensure that all internal and external areas are maintained in a clean, hygienic, safe, and presentable condition;
• The service provide will ensure tea and refreshments are prepared and served promptly and professionally; and facilities-related tasks are undertaken effectively. All services shall comply with agreed service standards, schedules, occupational health and safety requirements, and applicable organizational policies.
• Be responsible for the recruitment, employment, remuneration, statutory compliance, supervision, welfare, and performance management of its personnel.
• Comply with applicable Kenyan labour laws, statutory requirements, minimum wage regulations, working hours, leave provisions, occupational health and safety requirements, and other applicable employment obligations.
• Provide competent relief or replacement personnel during annual leave, sick leave, planned or unplanned absence, at no additional cost to Heifer International Kenya.
• Ensure all personnel deployed are suitably qualified, trained, instructed, supervised, and equipped to perform their duties.
• Provide appropriate uniforms and personal protective equipment (PPE), where applicable.
3. OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The main objectives of the assignment are to:
- Maintain a clean, hygienic, safe, and professional office environment.
- Ensure effective cleaning and sanitation of offices, meeting rooms, washrooms, kitchen areas, corridors, and common areas.
- Provide adequately trained, supervised, and properly equipped cleaning and tea service personnel.
- continuity and reliability of services throughout the contract period.
- Promote compliance with applicable health, safety, labour, and environmental requirements. .
4. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES
4.1 Cleaning Services
The service provider shall undertake, but not be limited to:
• Daily cleaning of offices and workspaces.
• Cleaning and disinfecting washrooms and sanitary facilities.
• Cleaning floors, corridors, stairways, and common areas.
• Cleaning and polishing office furniture and surfaces.
• Cleaning and preparation of meeting and conference rooms.
• Emptying and cleaning of waste bins.
• Collection and appropriate disposal of waste.
• Cleaning windows, glass surfaces, doors, and other accessible areas.
• Quarterly deep cleaning as required.
• Additional cleaning support during meetings, events, or other official activities where required.
4.2 Supervision and Quality Control The service provider shall:
• Provide adequate supervision of deployed personnel.
• Monitor service quality and compliance with the agreed work programme.
• Address service deficiencies promptly.
• Maintain appropriate attendance and service records.
• Coordinate with the designated Heifer International Kenya Contract Manager.
5. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE SERVICE PROVIDER
The service provider should demonstrate:
Valid legal registration and statutory compliance in Kenya.
- At least three years’ relevant experience in the provision of cleaning, tea service and facility management services.
- Capacity to recruit, deploy, supervise, and replace personnel as required.
- Availability of appropriate cleaning equipment, materials, chemicals, and PPE for deployed staff.
- Commitment to professional conduct, safeguarding, confidentiality, and occupational health and safety. .
6. EVALUATION CRITERIA
Mandatory Evaluation
• Current Tax Compliance Certificate
• KRA PIN
• Certificate of Business Registration
• Business Permit.
• Bank Account Details
• CR12
• Physical address, contact person, telephone number and email address.
• Signed written declaration of Labour Laws and Minimum Wage Compliance
• Three recommendation letters from firms/organizations to which the bidder has provided or is currently providing similar services within the last three years.
• Company profile
• Technical proposal for service provision
• Financial proposal detailed with a monthly cost breakdown.
Note: Failure to provide any mandatory document or evidence may result in disqualification.
Technical Evaluation
• Cleaning Equipment and Accessories – List of at least five equipment/accessories owned by the firm, including vacuum cleaners, with intended use.
• List of detergents and chemicals to be used.
• Detailed cleaning work programme/schedule.
Requirements Prior to Contract Signing
• Certificate of good conduct provision for deployed staff.
• Valid Food Handler’s Medical Certificate for kitchen staff.
7. LATE SUBMISSIONS AND MODIFICATIONS
Proposals received after the submission deadline will not be considered. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their proposals are submitted in accordance with the instructions stated herein. Heifer reserves the right to terminate this request for proposals or modify the requirements upon notice to applicants.
8. VALIDITY OF PROPOSALS
Proposals submitted shall remain open for acceptance for Thirty (30) days from the last date specified for receipt of the proposal. This includes, but is not limited to, pricing, terms and conditions, service levels, and all other information. If your organization is selected, all information in this document and the negotiation process is contractually binding.
9. LIMITATIONS
This Request for Proposal does not represent a commitment to award a contract, to pay
any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFP, or to procure or to contract for services or supplies. Heifer reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted and reserves the right to accept or reject in its entirety and absolute discretion any proposal received because of the request for the proposal.
10. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Section 1. Ownership Generally. Subject to Section 2 below, any intellectual property (including but not limited to copyrights, trademarks, service marks, and patents), intellectual property rights, deliverables, manuals, works, ideas, discoveries, inventions, products, writings, photographs, videos, drawings, lists, data, strategies, materials, processes, procedures, systems, programs, devices, operations, or information developed in whole or in part by or on behalf of Contractor or its employees or agents in connection with the Services and/or Goods (collectively, the “Work Product”) shall be the exclusive property of HPI. Upon request, the
Contractor shall sign all documents and take all actions necessary to confirm or perfect HPI’s exclusive ownership of the Work Product.
Section 2. Prior-Owned Intellectual Property. Any intellectual property owned by a Party before the Effective Date (“Prior-Owned IP”) shall remain that Party’s sole and exclusive property. Regarding any of Contractor’s Prior-Owned IP included in the Work Product, Contractor shall retain ownership, and hereby grants HPI a permanent, nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable right and license to use, copy, reproduce, publicly display, edit, revise, perform, and distribute said intellectual property, in any format or any medium, as part of the Work Product.
Section 3. Work Made for Hire. To the extent copyright laws apply to the Work Product, the Parties agree that (a) HPI specially ordered or commissioned the Work Product, (b) the Work Product is a “work made for hire” under United States copyright laws, and (c) HPI shall be deemed the author thereof and shall own all right, title, and interest therein. To the extent such rights, in whole or in part, do not vest in HPI as a “work made for hire”, Contractor hereby irrevocably grants, assigns, and transfers to HPI, exclusively and in perpetuity, all of the Contractor’s rights of any kind or nature, now known or hereafter devised, in, too, and in connection with the Work Product, and HPI shall solely and exclusively own any rights therein, and in the elements thereof, including but not limited to any allied, ancillary, subsidiary, incidental, and adaptation rights. The Contractor hereby waives all rights known as “moral rights” and any similar rights that the Contractor may have in connection with the Work Product. The description of Services and/or Goods provided in this Agreement shall in no way limit the way HPI may use the Work Product.
11. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Heifer International values diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (“DEIB”) and believes that effectively accessing and managing diverse talent leads to improved outcomes. HPI takes a broad view of diversity and is inclusive of varied backgrounds, including, but not limited to, age, experience, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability status, national origin, and culture. HPI expect third-party providers to respect and reflect HPI’s value of DEIB. HPI’s ongoing monitoring of third-party service providers incorporates an assessment of vendors’ commitment to, adherence with, and track record of accessing and retaining diverse and inclusive workforces.
How to apply
The proposal (duly signed) from the service provider should comprise the technical and financial proposals. Applications will be accepted in soft copy through email and mentioning the subject line, “PROVISION OF CLEANING AND TEA STEWARD SERVICES” procurement-ke@heifer.org on or before Thursday, 8th October 2026.
For more information visit https://www.heifer.org/about-us/inside-heifer/procurement-and-contracting-services