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Advisory for clients in the public and private sector

Procurement of Security Services
expertly prepared

We relieve your specialist department of the preparatory burden, prevent the typical pitfalls in the specification document, and bring sound market knowledge to your procurement.

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What makes a sound security services tender — and what can go wrong

When commissioning security services, quality issues often only become apparent during operations: shifts are not staffed at all or only partially, deployed personnel lack the required certification under § 34a GewO (Gewerbeordnung — German Trade Regulation Act), staff turnover at the provider is high, communication problems disrupt the daily routine. Such issues are rarely accidental — they almost always have their root in the tender.

On top of this: the procurement procedure itself must be structured and documented — from needs analysis through specification to bid evaluation and award decision. Each of these phases ties up capacity in the procurement department and the building management, which still has to handle day-to-day business in parallel.

All of this can be avoided.

Three reasons why we are commissioned

01

Relieving the specialist department

Preparing a security services tender — including needs analysis, staffing calculation, bill of quantities, suitability and certification requirements, contract structuring and procurement documentation — typically requires several hundred hours of specialist capacity. We take on this preparatory work in modular form, tailored to your needs. The decisions remain with you; we handle the demanding detail work.

02

Quality assurance in the specification

The most common problems during ongoing security contracts — unstaffed shifts, inadequate certification, incomplete patrol logs, missed response times, unclear responsibilities between provider and client — do not arise at contract signing, but later, because the specification had gaps or the suitability requirements were drafted too generically. Our specifications are structured so that it is clear which posts must be staffed when with what qualifications, how shift documentation and escalation paths are governed, and how poor performance is sanctioned. We close these gaps consistently, because we know them from many procedures.

03

Market knowledge and pricing insight

For years we have been supporting tenders in building services, and we understand how security service providers price their bids: which staffing and collective-agreement costs are realistic, where surcharges for night, Sunday and public-holiday duty are correctly applied, which bidder calculations are sustainable and which fail in operations. We bring this knowledge into the bid evaluation — without recommendations for or against individual bidders, but with a technical assessment of which bids are sustainable.

Our services — modular and individually bookable

You decide which part of the process you keep in-house and where you bring us in. The following modules can be commissioned individually or in combination.

01

Needs analysis and concept development

Systematic recording of the properties to be protected, broken down by risk class, usage profile and operating hours. Derivation of the specific security needs: which posts must be staffed when, with what qualifications. Assessment of the existing security concepts and identification of optimisation potential.

02

Specification and bill of quantities

Preparation of a differentiated specification with a clear separation of reception and lodge services, property and works security, patrol and mobile services, event security as well as access control. The bill of quantities is structured so that bidders submit comparable staffing-based pricing — including correct collective-agreement classification and surcharges for night, Sunday and public-holiday duty.

03

Procurement documents and procedure support

Support in compiling the complete procurement documentation, technical input on the development of suitability and award criteria as well as the evaluation matrix. Technical support of the procedure through to the award decision — including communication with bidders, bid evaluation and technical assessment. In security services, particular attention is paid to suitability evidence: security trade licence under § 34a GewO, mandatory liability insurance under the Bewachungsverordnung (BewachV — German Security Services Ordinance), certification and police clearance certificates for the personnel deployed.

04

Contract input with quality assurance mechanisms

Technical input to the contract document — so that topics such as shift documentation, response times, sanctions for unstaffed posts, adjustment mechanisms for changes in staffing needs and clear responsibilities for points of contact are addressed in a practice-oriented way. Consideration of the applicable collective agreements (BDSW — Bundesverband der Sicherheitswirtschaft, the federal association of the security industry, with state-specific agreements) and the resulting pricing basis.

05

Quality measurement and acceptance

Definition of measurable quality criteria under DIN 77200 and based on the technical requirements of your properties: shift coverage rate, response times to incidents, completeness of shift documentation, certification evidence. Establishment of control routines that work in practice during contract operations and do not turn the day-to-day acceptance process into an excessive burden.

06

Social criteria and staffing conditions

Integration of social standards into the specification: collective-agreement remuneration, provision of work clothing, appropriate shift design, language requirements for deployed personnel. These requirements can be weighted as award criteria or formulated as binding minimum requirements, depending on your priorities.

07
Beyond contract award

Quality assurance and ongoing contract management

Our involvement does not end with the award. We support shift controls during the contract, the analysis of shift documentation, the handling of incident reports and the structured escalation in cases of recurring poor performance. This keeps the contract sustainable over its full term, and remediation happens in a planned rather than reactive manner.

Advisory path

Restructuring mandates — when existing contracts no longer hold

A frequent reason for being engaged is not new tenders, but existing contracts that no longer hold: shifts are not reliably staffed, staff turnover at the provider is high, deployed personnel lack the required certification, communication with the contractor becomes increasingly difficult.

In such cases we conduct a contract analysis, identify the root causes of the difficulties and develop an approach — which can range from remediation within the existing contract through to a full new tender. The aim is a baseline that will hold for the years ahead.

Restructuring existing contracts is a distinct advisory path — for public sector and private sector clients alike.

Specialist insights

Technical specifics of security services

A security services tender differs from other service tenders in several technical respects, which we address in the specification and the contract:

Certification under § 34a GewO

Every deployed security worker requires either the briefing or the certification examination under § 34a of the German Trade Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung, GewO). We draft the suitability requirements so that the evidence must be available before deployment, and we structure the contract clauses accordingly.

Collective bargaining and minimum wage

The BDSW collective agreements differ between federal states and are not declared generally binding — however, the sector-specific minimum wage is mandatory through the Mindestlohnverordnung Sicherheitsdienste (German minimum wage regulation for security services). We reflect the resulting minimum conditions in the specification and in the assessment of bid pricing.

Shift operations and surcharge logic

Security services are often delivered on a 24/7 shift basis — with different surcharges for night, Sunday and public-holiday duty. These pricing components must be cleanly captured in the specification so that bidders can submit realistic and comparable bids.

Suitability evidence under BewachV

Security trade licence under § 34a GewO, mandatory liability insurance under the Bewachungsverordnung (BewachV), police clearance certificates for the personnel deployed — these are not formalities but decisive evidence of suitability. We draft the requirements so that they can be verified during the procedure.

DIN 77200 as a reference framework

DIN 77200 <em>"Requirements for security services"</em> provides the framework for quality standards — from personnel selection through to documentation. We use this standard as a reference, but tailor the specific configuration to your properties.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What must a security services tender include?

A personnel requirements profile, qualification evidence (e.g. under § 34a GewO), property and site descriptions, response times, and documentation and reporting obligations. Without verifiable quality criteria, price alone will determine the outcome.

When is a security concept required before tendering?

For sensitive premises — public authorities, hospitals, educational institutions — a security concept is strongly advisable before tendering. It defines protection objectives, presence times and requirements, forming the basis for a sound specification.

What procurement procedure is typical for security services?

Above EU thresholds, the restricted procedure under VgV (Vergabeverordnung — German procurement regulation above EU thresholds) is most common. Below threshold, the UVgO (Unterschwellenvergabeordnung — sub-threshold procurement regulation) offers more flexibility. The choice depends on contract value and the contracting authority's budgetary regulations.

How long do security service contracts typically run?

Contract terms of 2–4 years are common, often with extension options. Shorter terms increase procurement effort; longer terms reduce flexibility when quality issues arise. Robust quality assurance provisions are essential regardless of term length.

Further reading

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Why High-Quality Security Services Begin with the Tender Process

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