Questions and Answers 3.docx

This is a Questions and Answers document for solicitation 1232SA26Q0977, a Request for Quotation (RFQ) issued by the Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service for Grounds Maintenance services with 4 option years at the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory. The document clarifies five key requirements: shrub and hedge trimming is limited to four scheduled annual services with no additional trimming required; fertilizer is not a contractor responsibility and weed control is covered under a separate contract; the contractor must haul off-site all trash, debris, and organic materials too large for on-site dumpsters; the maintenance schedule should total 37 mows and 37 trash pickups (removing the 38th January pickup); and facility access requires only standard SAM registration with work scheduled Monday through Friday, with no special security clearances or background checks beyond normal requirements. This is a small business set-aside with a $9.5 million size standard under NAICS code 561730, with quotations due by 4:00 PM Central Standard Time on Friday, August 14, 2026, submitted electronically to lynn.hults@usda.gov, and the deadline for submitting questions is 3:00 PM Central Standard Time on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.