2026-2027_Tree_Trimming_Storm_RFP.pdf

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

ISSUED DATE: January 28, 2026

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc. is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to provide Storm

Response Services for 2026-2027. This document is a request for proposal for the scope of work described below. This RFP establishes minimum requirements a bidder must meet to be eligible for consideration as well as information to be included in the Contractor’s bid response.

TERRITORY DESCRIPTION

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc., is an electric distribution Cooperative in north central Florida, serving 37,130 active services as of year-end, 2025. The Cooperative maintains 4,059 miles of overhead distribution line, 417 miles of underground distribution line, and 43 miles of transmission line in Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy Counties. The Cooperative operates 16 distribution substations, purchasing power at 69 kV from Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc., a statewide cooperative power supplier.

The Cooperative’s service territory, located in the “Big Bend” area of Florida, is flanked by the Gulf of

America on the west; Tri-County and Clay ECI’s to the north and northeast, respectively; and Sumter and

Withlacoochee ECI’s to the south and southeast, respectively. The majority of the area is rural where small farms, multiple dairies, and timberlands are the predominant land usage. There are several small towns within the service area, along with some “pockets” of residential development. The service area is bisected by U.S. Highway 19 & 98, which runs from the northwest to the southeast, and by U.S. Highway 27A, which runs west to east.

BID SUBMISSION

All proposals should be submitted through the VendorLink portal where the opportunity was broadcast.

Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. on February 27, 2026.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

CFEC will entertain questions for clarification until February 11, 2026, at 3:00 pm. All questions must be submitted in writing by email to cbeauchamp@cfec.com. No questions will be answered after that date.

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc.

PO Box 9, Chiefland, FL 32644

11491 NW 50th Ave, Chiefland, FL 32626 mailto:cbeauchamp@cfec.com

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

• Submittal of Proof of Insurance as required by the requirements below

• Submittal of Resume

• Submittal of (3) Letters of Reference-MANDATORY

• Submittal of CFEC’s MANDATORY rate sheet

• Submittal of Litigation, Debarment, etc. if applicable

• Submittal of Safety Record

• Completion of Exhibit “A”

INSURANCE

Contractor shall, at its own cost and expense, procure and maintain in full force and effect during the term of this Agreement, policies of insurance, of the types and in the minimum amounts stated herein, with responsible insurance carriers duly qualified in those states (locations) where the Services are to be performed, covering the operations of Contractor, pursuant to this Agreement.

TYPES OF INSURANCE

Required

(X)

LIMITS OF LIABILITY

(Minimum Amounts)

Comprehensive or Commercial General

Liability and Third-Party Property

Damage

X $1,000,000 per occurrence, $3,000,000 aggregate

Excess Liability insurance X $2,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate

Comprehensive or Business Automobile

Liability; Personal Injury (including bodily injury) and Third-Party Property

Damage

X $1,000,000 per occurrence, $3,000,000 aggregate

Workers' Compensation X Statutory limits

Employer’s Liability X $500,000 per accident

Professional Errors and Omissions

Insurance

N/A

CFEC shall be named as an additional insured in such policies which shall contain standard cross liability clauses. The contractor shall cause the liability it assumed under this Agreement to be specifically insured under the contractual liability section of the liability insurance policies. The liability policy shall be primary without the right of contribution from any insurance by CFEC. Such policies shall require that CFEC be given not less than thirty (30) days prior written notice of any cancellation thereof or material change therein.

CFEC shall have the right to request an adjustment of Limits of Liability for General Liability and Errors and Omissions Insurance as Contractor’s exposure to CFEC increases (i.e. if Contractor’s annual payment is expected to be $2,000,000 then $1,000,000 limits are no longer adequate). Such policies shall provide coverage for CFEC during the term of this Agreement and up to and until the expiration of any applicable statute of limitations applicable to the occurrences triggering any of the insurance, indemnification, subrogation, and defense clauses included in this Agreement.

Upon CFEC’s request, Contractor shall provide CFEC with certificates of insurance evidencing all of the above coverage, including all special requirements specifically noted above, and shall provide CFEC with certificates of insurance evidencing renewal or substitution of such insurance thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of such renewal or substitution.

CHANGES, INTERPRETATIONS, QUESTIONS

CFEC reserves the right to cancel a solicitation at any time prior to the execution of a resulting contract.

The decision to cancel a solicitation cannot be the basis for a protest.

CFEC reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted and to request additional information of any Respondent. Any such request should not be construed by a Respondent as an indication of the selection to provide proposed services.

Any proposal may be withdrawn until the date and time set above for the submission of the proposals. Any proposal not so withdrawn shall constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of 90 days, to provide to CFEC the services set forth in this RFP, or until one or more of the proposals have been awarded.

Respondents shall not direct any queries or statements concerning their proposal to CFEC staff during the selection process, from the time of submission of a proposal until the execution of a contract. Any respondent who initiates any discussions with staff in any manner other than that described below is subject to disqualification from this procurement. No oral interpretation of this RFP shall be considered binding.

EVALUATION AND AWARD

CFEC will evaluate and rank the most advantageous proposals and make a selection for contract negotiation and award. The selected Respondent(s) will be notified in writing with an intent to award letter. CFEC reserves the right to award the contract to someone other than the lowest price offeror.

Award criteria may include, but is not necessarily limited, to the Contractor’s background and experience in performing requested services, availability, and best financial value.

Each proposal will be evaluated individually and in the context of all other proposals. Proposals must be fully responsive to the requirements described in this RFP and to any subsequent requests for clarification or additional information made by CFEC through written addenda to this RFP. Proposals failing to comply with the submission requirements, or those unresponsive to any part of this RFP, may be disqualified. There is no obligation on the part of CFEC to award the proposal to the lowest-priced Respondent, and CFEC reserves the right to award the contract to the Respondent(s) submitting the best overall responsive proposal which is most advantageous to and in the best interest of CFEC consistent with the evaluation criteria. CFEC shall be the sole judge of the proposals that are in the best interests.

Since this is not a public bid opening and Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CFEC) does not meet the definition of “state and local government agency,” we do not share the bid tabulations. CFEC reserves the right to protect our privacy and business information of our bidders and vendors.

A Selection Committee appointed by CFEC will evaluate and rank each Proposal per the evaluation criteria listed below. Scoring will be based on a 100 point-scale. To be considered “qualified,” a Respondent must receive a minimum of 70 points.

• Cost/Price (0-30)

• Prior Experience (0-20)

• References (0-20)

• Technical Merit (0-15)

• Responsiveness to Proposal (0-15)

RFP TIMETABLE

The anticipated schedule for this RFP and contract approval is as follows:

Question Deadline February 11, 2026 —3:00 p.m.

Proposal Due Date and Time February 27, 2026 —3:00 p.m.

Proposal Evaluation Date March 13, 2026

Contract Award Date April 3, 2026

SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS (limited to two pages plus resumes)

Respondents shall provide a summary regarding their ability to deliver the requested services in a specific timeframe, including a proposed project timeline. Information regarding dedicated staff and current workload should be provided. Resumes of key personnel should also be included. Resumes should not exceed two pages per person. Resumes should include a description of:

• Training, education, and degrees.

• Related experience and for whom.

• Professional certifications, licenses, and affiliations.

Respondents shall provide three letters of reference demonstrating their experience and/or skill with similar projects. Prior experience and skills with other rural electric cooperatives are desirable. Respondents are responsible for verifying correct phone numbers and contact information provided. Failure to provide accurate information may result in the reference not being obtained or considered

DEFAULT, TERMINATION, LITIGATION, DEBARMENT, ETC.

Respondents should provide a summary of any default, termination, litigation, or debarment against, or which named the Respondent in the past five (5) years which is related to the goods and/or services sought in this RFP or that Respondent otherwise provides in the regular course of business. The summary shall state the nature of the default, termination, litigation, or debarment and a brief description of the outcome or projected outcome, and the monetary amount involved. If none, state as such.

DRUG FREE WORKPLACE

CFEC is a Drug Free Workplace. CFEC also requires its Contractors to be drug free and have their employees periodically drug tested by Contractor.

SAFETY RECORD

Bidders shall provide their OSHA 300A Summary and the OSHA incident rate for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024, preferably for work performed in the state of Florida. Additionally, bidders shall include their company’s Experience Modification Rate (EMR) for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024. Bidders may also submit a brief description of their safety plan. Please do not include your safety manual.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

CFEC has identified the need for additional equipment and manpower in the event of storm damage. The goal of this contract is to provide CFEC during 2026-2027 with equipment and qualified manpower to restore power after a storm strike. The work will be typical for that as a result of hurricanes, storm surges, and tornadoes. The contractor shall provide all labor and equipment necessary to complete this service.

Start date will be determined on an as needed basis determined by CFEC. Duration will be determined by

CFEC. Rates should be in effect at least through December 31, 2027. The cost and availability will be considered for each event determining the contractor offered/selected for services.

Hourly Prices, unless otherwise indicated, shall include all labor (operators, laborers, supervisors), equipment, and materials including but not limited to supplies, equipment maintenance, repairs, repair parts, fuels, lubricants, cellular phones, transportation, and housing, if required, necessary to complete this project.

Equipment must be in good mechanical condition, complete with all required attachments. Each rate covers all costs for ownership and operation of equipment, including depreciation, overhead, all maintenance, field repairs, fuel, lubricants, tires, OSHA equipment, and other costs incidental to operation. Standby equipment costs will not be compensated. Equipment must be in actual operation performing work to be invoiced. LABOR COSTS OF OPERATOR ARE NOT INCLUDED in the rates and should be invoiced separately from equipment costs.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

The contractor shall be responsible for the control of pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the work area.

The contractor shall supervise and direct the work, using skilled labor and proper equipment for all tasks.

The safety of the contractor’s personnel and equipment is the responsibility of the contractor.

The contractor shall provide contact information for all key personnel to CFEC that shall include name, phone number, cell phone number, and email address. The contractor and its agents shall respond in a timely manner to all CFEC inquiries at all times. The contractor must report all claims to CFEC within the same day of the damage.

CFEC or its designee shall forward all claims of damage to the contractor daily. The contractor shall provide all contact information, including name, phone number, cell phone number, fax number, and email address, for personnel responsible for resolving all claims of damage. The contractor must respond to all claims of damage within 24 hours and resolve them within ten calendar days. The contractor is responsible for all damage caused by his crew and/or subcontractors in the performance of power restoration.

2026 Tree Trimming Storm Rate Sheet

Company Name: __________________________________________________________

Required Pricing and Information

Labor Straight Time Premium Time

Supervisor/General Foreman

Foreman/Crew Leader

Climber

Trimmer

Groundman/Laborer

Equipment

55-60’ Bucket

Pick Up

Skid steer or Tractor w/ grapple

Mobilization estimated hours per Google Maps at time of submittal

Number of 2-man crews available at time of submittal

Additional labor and equipment pricing can be added as an appendix.

2027 Tree Trimming Storm Rate Sheet

Company Name: __________________________________________________

Required Pricing and Information

Labor Straight Time Premium Time

Supervisor/General Foreman

Foreman/Crew Leader

Climber

Trimmer

Groundman/Laborer

Equipment

55-60’ Bucket

Pick Up

Skid steer or Tractor w/ grapple

Mobilization estimated hours per Google Maps at time of submittal

Number of 2-man crews available at time of submittal

Additional labor and equipment pricing can be added as an appendix.

EXHIBIT “A”

AFFIDAVIT OF CORPORATE OWNERSHIP RFP

I, know all men by these presents that “Contractor’s Name,” hereafter called the “Contractor” as principal, do certify the following in regard to Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc., hereafter called the “Owner” in connection with the project described in the scope of services.

1. That the contractor, its proprietor, any partners, or stockholders are NOT an employee of the Owner and are NOT or HAVE NEVER BEEN on the Owner’s Board of Trustees; and

2. That the contractor, its proprietors, any partners, or stockholders are NOT immediately related to any employee of the Owner or the Owner’s current Board of Trustees other than those listed below

(immediately related means grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, and corresponding in-laws). Check “yes” or “no” accordingly. By listing individuals, it is understood that this subject action may disqualify the contractor from entering any contractual agreement with the Owner.

Relationship Yes No

Contractor Employee Relationship

% Owner

Owner

Employee

Relative