NIGP 65025: Groomers, Snow, Self-Propelled or Towed Behind

NIGP 65025 Groomers, Snow, Self-Propelled Or Towed Behind, an Item code, encompasses snowmobile and cross-country ski trail grooming services that state and local parks departments contract on a seasonal, performance-based model. Grooming work involves maintaining designated winter trails to specified widths (minimum 10 feet for snowmobile trails, varying widths for ski tracks), clearing downed trees after storms, and operating specialized equipment with heated cabs, GPS tracking, communications systems, and backup lighting. Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is the dominant issuing body in the recent pipeline, having posted five separate RFPs between August 24 and August 28, 2026, each covering distinct geographic zones within the Gifford Pinchot and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests. Contractors must own or control all equipment, maintain insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence, and meet state-of-the-art specifications for grooming machinery. Compensation is hourly based on documented grooming time verified through Daily Trail Grooming Logs and GPS data, with season budgets ranging from approximately $17,400 to $46,900 and no guarantee of funding consistency year to year. Contracts are structured as five-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity on-call services agreements with potential extension to ten years through mutual negotiation.

Washington State Parks' recent solicitation activity concentrates in Skamania, Lewis, Kittitas, and Chelan Counties. Representative opportunities include Mt. Adams Cross Country Trail Grooming (RFP 527312, due October 15, 2026, covering 15.5 miles of ski trails), Mt. Adams Snowmobile Trail Grooming (RFP 527311, due October 15, 2026, 110 miles), Mt. St. Helens Area Snowmobile Trail Grooming (RFP 527310, due October 14, 2026, 36 miles), Cowlitz Area Snowmobile Trail Grooming (RFP 527309, due October 13, 2026, 77 miles), and Blewett Pass Snowmobile Trail Grooming (RFP 527315, due October 13, 2026, 70 miles). All five RFPs offer a 10-point procurement preference for Washington Small Business or Certified Veteran-Owned Business certification. Evaluation across all RFPs uses a 100-point scale with equipment description (35 points), pricing based on a standardized 140-hour winter season scenario (30 points), experience and capacity (25 points), and certification status (10 points), with a 60-point minimum for responsiveness. Mandatory prebid conferences occurred or are scheduled in September 2026, and question periods close in early October with responses posted by October 8, 2026 or earlier.