Akron sits in Summit County between Cleveland and Canton, and its federal cleaning market reflects that geographic role: a consistent flow of GSA Great Lakes Region 5 solicitations for the John F. Seiberling Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, a VA Medical Center that serves the southern Cuyahoga corridor, and federal field offices that bridge Cleveland and Youngstown coverage areas. Ohio’s $10.45/hr state minimum wage is above the federal floor but well below Akron’s commercial janitor market of $13–$16/hr, and the SCA floor for Summit County provides a meaningful premium that supports worker retention in a market where commercial BSCs routinely underbid and struggle with annual attrition exceeding 60%.

Federal Building Inventory and Contract Volume

Core federal sites in the Akron MSA include the John F. Seiberling Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse (Two S. Main St., Akron), the Akron VA Outpatient Clinic (55 W. Waterloo Rd.), the SSA Akron Field Office, an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center, and federal field offices for USCIS and various law enforcement agencies in Summit County. The GSA Inventory reflects both GSA-owned and leased space in the Great Lakes Region 5 portfolio. Akron’s proximity to Cleveland means some regional federal building portfolios are managed jointly through the Cleveland contracting office.

Aggregate federal janitorial spend in Akron is estimated at $4–$9 million/year. The Seiberling Federal Building and courthouse is the primary civilian award. Solicitations post on SAM.gov through GSA Region 5 and VA NCO 10.

SCA Wage Determinations for Summit County

SCA Wage Determinations for Summit County are at sam.gov/wage-determinations, filtered by Ohio / Summit County. Occupation code 11150 base rates typically run $14.50–$16.50/hr. Commercial janitor wages in Akron run approximately $13–$16/hr per BLS OEWS. The SCA base premium is moderate; the CONUS H&W fringe of $5.36/hr per DOL Wage and Hour Division provides the primary compensation differentiation. See the wages breakdown for the Akron MSA.

SAM.gov Activity for NAICS 561720 in Akron

Search SAM.gov with NAICS 561720, PSC S201, Ohio, Summit County. Akron generates three to six active NAICS 561720 solicitations at any given time. GSA Region 5 sometimes bundles Akron buildings into Northeast Ohio portfolio awards that include Cleveland sites; Akron-based BSCs who can cover multi-site portfolios across Summit and Cuyahoga counties have an advantage on these portfolio solicitations over single-site competitors.

SBA Set-Asides and Small Business Programs

Summit County has HUBZone-designated tracts in north and west Akron neighborhoods. Confirm at the SBA HUBZone map. Ohio’s veteran community creates SDVOSB certification pathways relevant for VA outpatient clinic work.

• 8(a): sole-source up to $4.5M
• HUBZone: north/west Akron tracts; 35% employee residency compliance
• WOSB/EDWOSB: active for NAICS 561720
• SDVOSB: relevant for VA Akron work; search DSBS

Past Performance Pathways for New Entrants

New Akron BSCs can enter through courthouse or VA outpatient clinic subcontracting, through GSA Schedule 03FAC, or through a mentor-protégé relationship with a Cleveland-area 8(a) or SDVOSB firm with existing Great Lakes Region 5 awards. The Cleveland adjacency is a two-edged factor: it means Cleveland BSCs may compete on Akron awards, but it also means an Akron BSC can build cross-county portfolio experience quickly. Timeline to first prime award: 18–24 months.

Federal Bid Mechanics in Akron

1. Active SAM.gov registration with current UEI and CAGE code
2. SCA compliance under FAR 52.222-41; Summit County WD posting
3. E-Verify enrollment for contracts at or above $150,000
4. GL + WC insurance; Ohio BWC rates for janitorial approximately $2.50–$3.20 per $100 payroll per Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
5. HSPD-12 background investigations for courthouse staff; 60–90 day lead times

Reference FAR Part 52. Ohio BWC is state-administered; out-of-state BSCs entering Ohio for the first time should verify BWC classification codes before pricing any Ohio federal award.

Local Conditions Affecting Federal Bid Math in Akron

Northeast Ohio winters require seasonal floor-care uplift similar to other Great Lakes metros: budget $0.08–$0.14 per sq ft/year above baseline for winter floor maintenance. Ohio’s state-administered workers’ comp system (BWC) requires experience modification factor (EMF) management that differs from private insurance markets; a BSC with no Ohio BWC history starts at a base rate that may be higher than the steadily-operating EMF rate and will improve over three years of claims-free operation. Build the baseline BWC rate (not the mature EMF rate) into the indirect rate for the first contract year in Akron.

A Tradeoff: GSA Portfolio Bundling and Cleveland Competition

Akron’s proximity to Cleveland creates a structural risk: GSA Region 5 sometimes bundles Akron federal buildings into Northeast Ohio portfolio awards that are attractive to large Cleveland-area BSCs with established regional relationships. An Akron-only operator may find that its most accessible federal accounts disappear into a multi-city portfolio where it can't cover the full geographic scope. The defensive strategy is to build relationships with the Akron-specific contracting officer contacts within GSA Region 5 before the next recompete, advocate for standalone awards rather than portfolio bundling, and develop the multi-county service capacity to compete on Northeast Ohio portfolios if bundling does occur. Use the account profitability auditor to model the per-site economics of a portfolio award versus a standalone Akron award before committing proposal resources.

Primary Sources

• SAM.gov: Contract Opportunities (NAICS 561720)
• SAM.gov: SCA Wage Determinations (Ohio)
• GSA Inventory of Owned and Leased Properties
• SBA HUBZone Eligibility Map
• FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions
• Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
• DSBS: Dynamic Small Business Search
• BLS OEWS Metropolitan Area Wage Data

See the companion commercial bid template for Akron, OH. Build the federal proposal with the bid generator and calibrate pricing with the cleaning bid benchmarks tool.

By the Opora Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026