Transport for London (TfL) has today (Thursday, 8 January) announced the award of a five-year contract for the provision of cleaning and associated services to Mitie.

The contract covers the cleaning of trains, Tube and bus stations, as well as TfL head office locations, the London Transport Museum and waste collection at City Hall.

Under this new contract, Mitie will deliver intelligence-led, data-driven cleaning services, waste management and pest control across the TfL network, with a team of more than 2,000 colleagues.

Mitie will establish a dedicated TfL Cleaning Centre of Excellence in London, using real-time data monitoring and trialling new technologies to enhance efficiency and productivity.

Additionally, a 24/7 specialist team will address ongoing challenges TfL faces with graffiti across its fleet.

Central to this contract is a strong focus on colleague welfare, including fair pay, pay progression, and secure working hours.

Reflecting a commitment to fair work and employment stability, TfL and Mitie will ensure that all colleagues receive at least the London Living Wage, enhanced sick pay, and comprehensive safety and training measures, as well as the Living Hours standard minimum working hours contracts.

Mitie will also offer additional industry-leading benefits, including free life assurance, a multi-language 24/7 online GP service, and an Employee Assistance Programme that provides practical and mental wellbeing support for colleagues and their immediate families.

As with TfL's previous cleaning contract, the Low-Paid Transport Workers' Concession, which provides free travel on the TfL network, will also be provided to workers who are paid no more than 10 per cent above the London Living Wage.

The new contractors Equality and Diversity plan, and Strategic Labour needs and Training plan, will be tracked throughout the contract term.

Annually, £400,000 will be invested in social enterprise initiatives, creating apprenticeships and offering employment opportunities to underrepresented groups across London.

Mitie will also support TfL's wider sustainability goals, helping to achieve net-zero carbon across operations by 2030.

Now the contract has been awarded, TfL will be working with Mitie and Trade Union partners on a comprehensive pilot in order to understand the necessary steps to deliver these services in-house in an efficient, affordable and productive manner.

TfL does not currently specialise in cleaning, facilities management and associated services so the pilot will help build internal expertise while assessing the benefits that insourcing can deliver.

Although there is much detail to work through, TfL says it will be looking at suitable scope, locations and success criteria as part of the pilot design - which will cover aspects like trains, depots and head office buildings - to ensure TfL's requirements are comprehensively understood. 

According to TfL, "Success criteria are likely to encompass impacts on safety, security, environmental, Customer Satisfaction Survey scores and other operational indicators, as well as quality and cost."

Patrick Doig, Director of Group Procurement and Contracts at TfL, said: "Following a competitive tendering process, we're delighted to award Mitie a new five-year contract for the provision of cleaning and associated services on TfL's services.

"In addition, to better understand how we could deliver affordable cleaning services in-house, we plan to work with the successful bidder on a comprehensive pilot.

"We will now be working closely with Mitie and our Trade Union partners to work through the detail of this pilot and will provide more details in due course as these discussions progress."

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, added: "I'm delighted that TfL has committed to a comprehensive pilot exploring how they could deliver affordable cleaning services in-house, as I have long championed insourcing where possible.

"I am pleased to see TfL taking this important step to explore potential benefits for customers, as well as for hardworking and dedicated cleaning colleagues, as we continue working to build a fairer and more prosperous London for everyone."

Jason Towse, Managing Director for Business Services at Mitie said: "We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with TfL and play an increasingly active role in keeping London moving, which aligns with our belief in creating better places and thriving communities. 

"As a daily user of London's transport network, I am proud that our dedicated cleaning and hygiene teams will delivering innovative, data-led services, that help the network run safely and smoothly.

"Alongside better benefits for our colleagues, this contract is a demonstration of Mitie's commitments to providing apprenticeships and partnering with social enterprises allowing London's communities and commuters to benefit too."

According to TfL, this contract builds on the longstanding partnership between Mitie and TfL, following the successful delivery of security services since 2017, and more recently, Engineering Maintenance support across TfL's key head office locations, major transport hubs, and the London Transport Museum.

As the UKs leading cleaning and facilities management provider, Mitie employs over 25,000 cleaning technicians across the country and supports iconic London locations such as Heathrow Airport, Network Rail and Imperial College London.

With its scale and expertise, Mitie provides colleagues with tailored training, clear pathways for career progression and access to the latest cleaning technologies, all while delivering exceptional service and value for customers.