--- title: "Separate, Bundled or Integrated FM Contracts for Schools | SPS Group" url: https://spsgroupservices.com/guides/separate-bundled-or-integrated-contracts-for-schools description: "Should a school or multi-academy trust buy cleaning, security and fire systems separately, bundled or as one integrated contract? A practical comparison for business managers and estates leads." lang: en-GB --- Skip to content Clean · Protect · Detect · Maintain · Train · Integrate · Yorkshire and Lincolnshire since 1992 01482 226570 (+441482226570) Facilities management guide # Separate, bundled or integrated contracts: which suits your school or trust? In short Separate contracts suit a single school with good in-house premises staff. Bundled contracts suit schools that want fewer suppliers without changing how services run. Integrated contracts suit trusts with several schools that want one coordinated service, aligned renewal dates and trust-wide reporting. Written by the SPS Group team · Updated 29 October 2026 ## The three options compared | | Separate contracts | Bundled | Integrated | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Suppliers to manage | One per service | Fewer | One relationship | | Coordination between services | Your premises team | Some | The provider's senior team | | Renewal dates | Often all different | Partly aligned | Aligned | | Reporting | Different formats from each | Partly combined | Combined or per service, trust-wide | | Best for | Single school with strong premises staff | Schools wanting fewer suppliers | Trusts and multi-site estates | ## Questions that point you to the right option - How many schools or sites are you buying for, and are more joining the trust? - Who coordinates cleaning, lock-up, alarm response and system maintenance today? - When does each current contract end, and what are the notice periods? - Do governors or trustees want one set of reports across every school? - Does your procurement route allow lots, so you can buy integrated or separately? ## What works in practice for schools - Holiday deep cleans and fire and security system servicing scheduled together while buildings are empty - Cleaners, lock-up and alarm response working to one timetable at the start and end of the day - One specification across the trust, with each school's differences built in - DBS-checked staff and safeguarding training for everyone working on site - Trust-level and school-level reporting from the same system How SPS Group does it SPS Group has worked with schools, academy trusts, colleges and universities for nearly 30 years, and ICS Cleaning alone cleans more than 100 education sites. Schools can use one SPS business, combine several, or move to an integrated contract with a senior team overseeing every site. How our integrated facilities management works (https://spsgroupservices.com/integrated-facilities-management) ## Questions Can a trust buy integrated FM but keep separate lots?▾ Yes. Many trusts tender by lot so each service can be awarded separately, while still allowing one provider to win several lots and deliver them in a coordinated way. Do all schools in a trust need the same contract?▾ No. A trust-wide specification can set common standards while allowing for differences in each school's size, hours and facilities. Is integrated FM only for large trusts?▾ No, but the benefits grow with the number of sites. A single school often gets most of the value from combining cleaning with lock-up and alarm response. Related - Facilities management for schools and academy trusts: https://spsgroupservices.com/sectors/education - How to tender facilities services for a multi-academy trust: https://spsgroupservices.com/guides/how-to-tender-facilities-services-for-a-multi-academy-trust - Integrated facilities management: https://spsgroupservices.com/integrated-facilities-management Facilities management across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Facilities management in Hull and East Yorkshire: https://spsgroupservices.com/facilities-management/hull-east-yorkshire Facilities management in Grimsby and North East Lincolnshire: https://spsgroupservices.com/facilities-management/grimsby-north-east-lincolnshire Facilities management in Lincolnshire: https://spsgroupservices.com/facilities-management/lincolnshire Facilities management in South Yorkshire: https://spsgroupservices.com/facilities-management/south-yorkshire Facilities management in West Yorkshire: https://spsgroupservices.com/facilities-management/west-yorkshire Facilities management in York and North Yorkshire: https://spsgroupservices.com/facilities-management/york-north-yorkshire Talk to us about facilities management for your sites. We'll arrange a site review and show you where combining services makes sense. 01482 226570: +441482226570 Integrated FM: https://spsgroupservices.com/integrated-facilities-management Accredited and approved ## Independently accredited across every capability All accreditations and frameworks (https://spsgroupservices.com/accreditations) - Image: SIA Approved Contractor, held by SPS Security (https://media.base44.com/images/public/698915a4f050929687a915b6/3d7d7139b_image.png) - Image: BAFE SP203-1 fire detection and alarm systems, held by SPS Technical (https://media.base44.com/images/public/6989f2350e53aab8836435e3/406d9784c_bafe-logo.png) - Image: SSAIB certified security systems, held by SPS Technical (https://media.base44.com/images/public/698915a4f050929687a915b6/c9e7dc74b_image.png) - Image: ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, UKAS accredited certification, held by ICS Cleaning, SPS Security, SPS Technical (https://media.base44.com/images/public/698915a4f050929687a915b6/3f160a20c_image.png) - Image: Crescent Purchasing Consortium supplier, held by ICS Cleaning (https://qtrypzzcjebvfcihiynt.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/base44-prod/public/698d1493256c3e7612121fcc/c6b8bd093_CrescentLogo_Suppliers.png) - Image: CHAS accredited contractor, held by SPS Group (https://media.base44.com/images/public/698915a4f050929687a915b6/a31a34ebe_image.png) - Image: SafeContractor, held by SPS Group (https://media.base44.com/images/public/698915a4f050929687a915b6/8031d3964_image.png) - Image: BSIA member, held by SPS Group (https://media.base44.com/images/public/698915a4f050929687a915b6/93e58a076_image.png) - Image: Achilles Network Silver Plus, held by SPS Security (https://media.base44.com/images/public/698915a4f050929687a915b6/4a8991034_image.png) - Image: Achilles BuildingConfidence, held by SPS Security (https://media.base44.com/images/public/698915a4f050929687a915b6/6d454a108_image.png) - Image: Acclaim Accreditation (SSIP), held by SPS Security (https://media.base44.com/images/public/698915a4f050929687a915b6/79dcd06bd_image.png) ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Separate, bundled or integrated contracts: which suits your school or trust?", "description": "Should a school or multi-academy trust buy cleaning, security and fire systems separately, bundled or as one integrated contract? 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