How to win work from facilities managers

Facilities managers keep buildings running with a long list of outside contractors. To get on that list you pass their checks first, then you become the easy call.

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Who they are

A facilities manager (FM) looks after the buildings and grounds a business, school or landlord relies on. Some work in-house, such as a school business manager, a council property officer or the site manager at a factory. Others work for facilities management companies that run dozens of sites under contract: office towers, shopping centres, business parks, warehouses and schools.

Their work comes in three kinds. Planned work runs on a schedule: cleaning, grounds, pest control, fire safety servicing, test and tag. Reactive work is whatever broke this morning: a blocked toilet, a smashed window, a leak over the server room. Projects are one-off jobs like repainting a floor or replacing a car park light.

FMs rarely do the work themselves, so they depend on contractors. They also carry legal risk for who they let on site. Under the model work health and safety laws, an FM and every contractor on the job share duties and must consult, cooperate and coordinate with each other. Those duties can't be handed off. That is why the checks come before price.

What they’ll ask a new supplier for

A public liability certificate of currency. Shopping centre contracts commonly ask for at least $20 million.
Workers’ compensation cover for your employees.
Your trade licences, and any high risk work licences your people hold.
A safe work method statement (SWMS) for any high risk construction work, prepared before the work starts.
Your safety documents: WHS policy, risk assessments and how you report incidents.
A completed site induction, often online, before your first visit.
For school sites, the checks that state requires. In NSW, contractors need a paid Working with Children Check from 1 September 2026.
Your ABN, rates and call-out terms.

What they buy, and what they pass on

Commercial cleaning

Usually a contract with a set scope, from nightly office cleans to centre common areas. Reviewed and retendered from time to time.

Grounds and gardens

A regular mowing and maintenance schedule, plus seasonal work and clean-ups after storms.

Test and tag

Inspection and testing of portable electrical equipment, usually to AS/NZS 3760, on a schedule set by the risk of each site.

Fire safety servicing

Routine servicing of extinguishers, hydrants, alarms and exit lights under AS 1851, with records kept for every visit.

Hygiene services

Sanitary bins, washroom supplies and air fresheners on a regular cycle across every site.

Plumbing, electrical and painting

Reactive jobs at short notice, plus planned projects. Reactive work tends to go to whoever answers the phone and turns up.

Pest control

Scheduled treatments and inspections, often more frequent at food courts and warehouses.

How they choose who to use

You are already approved

If you are not in their contractor system, they often can’t use you, however good you are.

You answer and turn up

For reactive work, the contractor who picks up at 7am and arrives when promised gets the next call.

Your documents are current

Expired insurance or a missing licence stops the job at the gate.

You report back

Photos, job sheets and service certificates after each visit. FMs need the records for their own compliance.

You cover their area

A contractor who can service all of an FM’s sites in a region saves them managing several.

Getting on their list

Most larger FMs keep an approved contractor list inside a prequalification system. Common ones in Australia include Cm3 and Rapid Global, and many councils use Rapid Global as well. You register, answer questions about your work and upload your insurances, licences and safety documents. The system tracks expiry dates.

Some systems charge the contractor. Cm3, for example, charges an annual fee set by the risk level of your work, with no extra cost for linking to more clients. Usually an FM invites you to register once they have decided to try you, so registering and waiting rarely brings work on its own. Make contact first, win a trial job, then complete the prequalification they point you to.

Schools are often managed through the state education department. NSW public schools, for example, list contractors in the department's own system after checks. Our guides on getting on a preferred supplier list and winning council work cover the wider process.

How to approach them

Pick the sites you suit

Offices, schools, centres and industrial sites need different things. Choose one kind and an area you can cover quickly.

Get your documents in one folder

Certificates of currency, licences, SWMS and safety policy, ready to send or upload the same day.

Find the person who calls contractors

At an FM company, that is often the regional or site facilities manager. At a school, the business manager. At a centre, the centre or operations manager.

Offer to be the backup

Most FMs already have a contractor for your trade. Being the reliable second option for after-hours or overflow jobs is a realistic way in.

Send the report the same day

After the first job, send photos and the job sheet before they ask. It is the fastest way to become the first call.

A first email that works

Subject: Backup plumber for your Redbank sites

Hi Mark, I run a small plumbing business in Ipswich with two vans. I saw your team looks after a few business parks around Redbank. If you ever need a second plumber for after-hours or overflow jobs on that side of town, I’d like to be on your list. I hold $20 million public liability and current workers’ comp, and I’m used to site inductions. I can send my documents or register in whatever system you use. Is there a job coming up I could quote on? Cheers, Dan

An example only. The business is made up.

Three mistakes that cost the work

Arriving without the induction or with lapsed cover

You get turned away at the gate, the job goes to someone else, and the FM has a problem to explain.

Slow paperwork after the job

Without a job sheet or service certificate, the FM can’t close the job or prove compliance. They stop calling contractors who make them chase.

Pitching the whole portfolio at once

An FM won’t hand a new contractor twenty sites. Ask for one site or one job and earn the rest.

Businesses that work with facilities managers

Cleaners Plumbers Painters Landscapers ElectriciansTest and tagPest controlFire safety servicesHygiene services

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Questions people ask

Do I have to pay to get prequalified?

Sometimes. Some systems charge the contractor an annual fee, often set by how risky your work is. Ask the FM which system they use before you pay for one, since different clients use different ones.

Do I need a SWMS for every job?

No. A SWMS is required for high risk construction work as defined in the WHS regulations, such as work near energised electrical installations or with a risk of falling more than 2 metres. It must be prepared before the work starts. Many FMs ask for risk assessments for other work too.

Is test and tag a legal requirement?

It depends on your state and the type of workplace. AS/NZS 3760 is the standard most FMs work to, and it sets out the inspection, testing, tagging and records they expect. Check your state regulator for the rules that apply to the sites you service.

Do I need a Working with Children Check to work at schools?

It depends on the state. NSW requires contractors at public school sites to hold a paid check from 1 September 2026. In Victoria, the school principal decides based on the role. Ask the school before your first visit.

Am I too small for facilities managers?

Not usually. What matters is that you answer, turn up and send the paperwork. A small business that covers one area well can be easier to use than a big one.

Sources

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