RM6378: What FM and Security Suppliers Need to Know About the New CCS Framework

RM6378 is the Crown Commercial Service’s consolidated Facilities Management and Security Services Framework, launched in November 2024. For the next four years, this framework will determine how most public sector organisations procure FM and security services. If you work in facilities management, security, cleaning, maintenance or related services, this is the primary route to public sector work until 2029.

This matters not because bidding on RM6378 is required, but because missing this window creates a significant gap in your access to public sector procurement. The framework reopens for new suppliers at years three and six, but the initial window is now. If you don’t bid successfully in this cycle, you’re looking at 2027 or later for the next realistic opportunity.

Most guidance on CCS frameworks falls into two categories: generic advice that applies to any tender, or promotional content from bid firms making promises they cannot deliver. This article avoids both. It’s based on work with FM and security suppliers currently preparing for RM6378, focusing on what actually determines success.

Why RM6378 Consolidates Previous Frameworks

Until RM6378, public sector FM procurement operated through fragmented channels. Central government used one route, local authorities another, NHS a third. Security services were tendered separately from facilities management. Schools, emergency services and other public bodies each followed their own procurement patterns.

RM6378 consolidates this. It replaces RM6232 (Facilities Management and Workplace Services) and RM6257 (Security – Physical, Technical and Support Services), bringing all FM and security procurement under a single framework that serves central government, local authorities, NHS trusts, emergency services, education and schools.

This consolidation creates a more complex buyer base. Previously, the majority of framework users were central government departments operating under similar budgets and requirements. Now the framework serves councils with different budgets and constraints, NHS organisations with healthcare-specific requirements, schools with education governance, and emergency services with operational priorities that differ materially from civilian FM buying.

CCS has responded by introducing value bands under £2 million and over £2 million to reflect that these different sectors and spending levels require different approaches. This structure is deliberate. Tier 1 national providers compete for larger contracts. Regional specialists and smaller firms focus on the sub-£2 million opportunities. Both represent genuine revenue streams and both are competitive in their respective bands.

What CCS Has Explicitly Warned Against

During recent supplier engagement sessions, CCS issued a clear statement: “CCS does not work with or endorse any third-party bid management organisations.”

This warning followed specific complaints from suppliers about misleading sales practices by external bid writing firms, particularly those targeting SMEs with claims of “inside knowledge,” “guaranteed wins,” or suggesting special access to CCS evaluation processes.

The specific claims to be cautious of include suggestions that consultants have inside contacts at CCS, that proprietary templates guarantee success, or that external advisors know the evaluation model in ways CCS itself has not publicly disclosed. None of these claims are credible. CCS operates transparent, published evaluation criteria. No external firm has special access to how bids are scored. No template ensures success regardless of content or delivery capability.

What does matter is straightforward: sound pricing reflecting actual delivery costs, genuine evidence of relevant experience, compliant responses addressing CCS’s stated requirements, and alignment between what you commit to contractually and what you can deliver operationally and financially.

CCS issued this warning not to discourage external support, but because suppliers have been harmed by firms making commitments they cannot keep. The warning protects suppliers from poor advice.

Where Bid Failures Actually Originate

The assumption that CCS bid success hinges on writing quality is incorrect. Most successful suppliers to CCS produce competent, professional written submissions. The difference between winning and losing bids typically lies elsewhere.

During the last CCS FM framework, CCS issued over one thousand clarifications—formal requests for suppliers to explain or provide additional information. This volume indicates a systematic issue: misalignment between what suppliers committed to and what their pricing, operations or evidence actually supported.

These gaps manifest in several ways. A supplier commits to specific service standards without fully costing the delivery of those standards. Staffing levels promised do not correspond to the cost model. Social value commitments lack resource allocation. Geographic coverage claims exceed actual operational capability. Statutory compliance obligations are underestimated in pricing.

These contradictions emerge because the work is fragmented internally. Finance develops a cost model working from one set of assumptions. Operations plans delivery from a different understanding. The bid team writes responses without comprehensive visibility of either costs or operational constraints. Legal reviews compliance late in the process.

When CCS identifies these inconsistencies, suppliers must either provide credible explanations which damages confidence in the submission or rework components, consuming time that is typically scarce.

CCS evaluators identify these gaps systematically. The result is either clarification requests that require management or withdrawal of the bid.

The solution requires starting earlier and working differently. Rather than proceeding sequentially—framework price first, then operations, then bid, then legal the foundation must be solid cost modelling that reflects genuine delivery requirements. This cost model becomes the reference point for operations planning, bid writing and compliance review. The components work in alignment because they are built from the same cost foundation.

This approach requires beginning preparation well before the bid window opens and maintaining integrated team involvement throughout. It also means being honest about capability. If you lack evidence of delivery at a particular value band or in a particular service line, that information should influence lot selection, not be addressed through unsupported claims in the bid.

What RM6378 Actually Covers

RM6378 encompasses the full range of FM and security services that public sector organisations actually require.

On the facilities management side, this includes asset and building maintenance, cleaning services (soft FM), waste management and catering, reception and administrative support, grounds maintenance and horticultural services, CAFM (Computerised Asset and Facilities Management) systems, and the statutory obligations that many organisations struggle to resource: asbestos management and surveying, PAT testing, electrical safety compliance and related inspections.

The security element covers guarding and patrol services, technical security installation including CCTV, security consultancy and risk assessment, and supporting security services.

The framework is structured into lots that broadly follow service categories: Total FM, Hard FM, Soft FM and Security Services, with value bands reflecting the market reality that contracts under £2 million operate on different economics and procurement timescales than those above £2 million.

For most FM and security providers, the relevant question is not whether RM6378 applies to your business—it almost certainly does but rather which specific lots and value bands represent genuine opportunities where you have competitive capability and supporting evidence.

The Timing Challenge

Preparing a competitive RM6378 bid requires substantially more time than many suppliers initially estimate. The error is understandable: bid teams naturally focus on writing, where the visible work occurs. But writing is the final component, not the primary workload.

The real preparation centres on cost modelling, which requires current market data across regions, service lines and client sectors. This data must reflect current staffing costs, logistics expenses, compliance requirements, and market realities not historical benchmarks or estimates. Building and validating this cost model, then stress-testing it against different scenarios and service requirements, is detailed work that cannot be compressed.

Simultaneously, you need to consolidate evidence of capability. Technical Ability Certificates must demonstrate you have delivered similar services at similar scale within the specified timeframe. Case studies should illustrate relevant experience. References must be available to validate claims. If your evidence gaps align with the lots you intend to bid, you face a choice: build the evidence before bidding or adjust your lot strategy to reflect current capability. Either way, this requires time.

Internal alignment also requires early attention. Finance must be confident in cost assumptions. Operations must confirm that delivery model is operationally viable. Bid leadership must understand the cost constraints and operational realities. Legal must review compliance requirements while the model is being built, not after writing is complete. This requires structured engagement, not crisis management at submission.

Starting early and maintaining team alignment throughout materially improves submission quality and reduces the likelihood of clarifications that damage credibility or consume time you do not have.

Sector and Capability Context

RM6378 extends CCS frameworks into sectors where requirements differ from central government procurement. Local authorities operate under different budget constraints and governance frameworks. NHS organisations have healthcare-specific compliance requirements. Schools operate under education sector regulations. Emergency services have operational demands that shape procurement differently.

This diversification means that effective lot selection requires honest assessment of where you have delivered comparable services under comparable constraints. If you have primarily served central government FM procurement, that experience is valuable but may not directly equate to capability in local authority or NHS environments, where governance structures and procurement decision-making operate differently.

This is not an argument against expanding into new sectors. It is an argument for transparent capability assessment. If you are bidding into a new sector, that should be reflected in your evidence gathering, your cost modelling (accounting for sector-specific requirements), and potentially in your lot selection strategy.

The Practical Path Forward

If you are preparing for RM6378, the sequence of work matters.

First, review the CCS framework documentation. The specification, ITT guidance and evaluation model are published. Review these to understand the lots, value bands, evaluation criteria and requirements specific to the framework. Set up tender alerts so key dates are visible across your organisation.

Second, assess your capability honestly. Which lots align with services you currently deliver? Which value bands reflect your turnover and track record? Where do you have evidence of recent, relevant delivery? Where are capability gaps? This assessment determines your lot strategy.

Third, build your cost model. This is the foundation. Gather current market data on staffing, logistics, compliance and service delivery costs across the regions and service lines you plan to bid. Validate this data against market benchmarks and stress-test it against different service requirements. This model becomes your reference point for operations planning and bid writing.

Fourth, consolidate evidence and align teams. Identify the Technical Ability Certificates, case studies and references that support your lot strategy. Ensure finance, operations, bid and legal leadership understand the cost model, delivery model and compliance requirements. Establish decision-making processes so that choices made during bid development are informed by shared understanding.

Fifth, address social value substantively. The Procurement Act 2023 requires public sector organisations to consider social value in procurement. CCS has aligned social value evaluation to five Government Missions. Work out how your FM or security services actually contribute to these missions, cost that contribution properly, and commit to deliver it. Social value is not marketing language. It is a commitment that must be resourced.

Then, once this foundation is solid, you write. Because your costs are sound, your evidence is genuine, your operations are aligned and your compliance is mapped, what you write will be credible, consistent and defensible.

Market and Timeline Context

RM6378 is the primary public sector FM and security framework through 2029. It will reopen for new suppliers at years three and six, but the initial window is the present.

If you do not secure a place on RM6378 now, you will either wait until 2027 for a reopening or until the next full framework cycle, anticipated for 2028 or 2029. For FM and security providers, this represents a significant gap in access to public sector procurement. Competitors who win RM6378 will have regular access to this work across multiple public sector buyers for the duration of your absence.

This creates clear commercial logic to approach RM6378 systematically. The work is substantial but structured. The timeline is demanding but manageable if you start now. The opportunity is material and enduring.

The question is not whether to bid, but how to bid effectively. That requires the preparation outlined above. It requires honesty about capability. It requires integrated team effort. It requires starting early. And it requires willingness to do the work properly rather than rushing to submission.

The framework is open. The opportunity is real. The preparation is significant but achievable. The difference between success and failure lies in the foundation you build before you write.

Baachu’s Perspective on RM6378

At Baachu, we’ve been at the heart of every Crown Commercial Service Facilities Management framework since 2015, helping eighteen suppliers secure their place. We understand what it takes to win because we’ve worked inside FM businesses, not around them.

We don’t peddle templates, recycled answers, or hype. We deliver a joined-up process that connects pricing, benchmarking, compliance, and writing into a single, disciplined approach that performs under real operational pressure.

If you are preparing for RM6378, we can help you decide whether the framework is right for your business, focus on the right lot and value band, and build a compliant, competitive submission you can genuinely deliver.

Why Baachu Is Different

Baachu is not another bid agency churning out generic copy or claiming “inside knowledge”. We are FM and security procurement specialists with deep commercial, technical, and operational experience. We know how CCS thinks, how frameworks are evaluated, and where most suppliers go wrong.

Framework and Lot Strategy

We help you identify where you can truly compete, and where you should not waste effort. Our guidance is rooted in evidence, not guesswork.

Pricing and Estimating Support

Our cost models and benchmarks stand up to scrutiny. We build realistic, data-backed pricing that aligns with your operational capacity and CCS requirements.

Bid Writing and Review

Our submissions are clear, direct, and credible. We strip away the fluff, align every promise with evidence, and make sure your narrative holds up from the first page to financial evaluation.

Social Value and Compliance

We integrate the Procurement Act 2023 and Government social value priorities into your pricing and delivery model, ensuring your commitments are both measurable and sustainable.

The Baachu Standard

We’ve helped eighteen suppliers win places across Hard FM, Soft FM, Total FM, and Security Services  from focused SMEs to national providers. Our results speak for themselves.

Unlike most “bid support” outfits, we don’t just write and walk away. We work with you to get your strategy right, your costs right, and your delivery right. Because winning a CCS framework isn’t about spinning a story — it’s about credibility, evidence, and commercial realism.

If you want to win RM6378, work with people who’ve done it before and understand what it takes to deliver call off contracts afterwards.

What to do now

1. Visit the CCS framework page: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6378
2. Set up an alert in your tender platform for RM6378.
3. Map which lots fit your capability and turnover.
4. Start building your cost model early — writing is the easy part; pricing will take time.

RM6378 is not just another tender. For FM and security suppliers, it will be the main public sector framework for several years. If you miss it, you may have to wait until the next cycle in 2028 or 2029.

If you want honest, practical support across bid strategy, estimating, pricing, benchmarking, writing and compliance, get in touch at hello@baachu.com.

No guarantees, no hype. Just clear thinking and hard work to give you the best possible chance of success.

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