Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO)
Merton and Waltham Forest councils are currently using Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation frameworks for new cleaning and temporary worker contracts.
Merton Council's Cabinet approved a new procurement approach for corporate and schools cleaning contracts in September 2026, using the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) Total Cleaning Solutions Framework. Also in September 2026, Waltham Forest Council's Cabinet approved a new contract with Matrix SCM for temporary agency workers, utilising the ESPO MSTAR4 framework agreement.
The Waltham Forest contract for temporary agency workers is set to commence in December 2026 for an initial two-year term. Merton Council's corporate cleaning contract is due to expire in March 2027, and its schools cleaning contract in July 2027, with re-tendering through a single procurement process.
Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) is a public sector buying organisation owned by local authorities, providing procurement services and framework agreements for public sector organisations in the UK, including the MSTAR4 framework.
Key facts
- Merton Council's Cabinet approved a new procurement approach for cleaning contracts using the ESPO Total Cleaning Solutions Framework in September 2026. Source
- Waltham Forest Council's Cabinet approved a new contract for temporary agency workers using the ESPO MSTAR4 framework in September 2026. Source
- The Waltham Forest temporary agency worker contract is set to commence on December 1, 2026. Source
- Merton Council's corporate cleaning contract is set to expire on March 31, 2027. Source
- Merton Council's schools cleaning contract is set to expire on July 31, 2027. Source
About this summary
This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.