Minimum Qualifications for Vehicle and Vessel Towing and Storage Services

This is a Minimum Qualifications exhibit for the City of Sarasota's exclusive Vehicle and Vessel Towing and Storage Services contract (Invitation for Bid 26-27MC) supporting the Sarasota Police Department. The solicitation seeks qualified towing contractors to provide twenty-four-hour, seven-day-per-week removal, towing, storage, and secure handling of vehicles and vessels with a mandatory thirty-minute response time. Services extend forty-five miles from City limits, with vessel towing available beyond those boundaries. The contract term is three years from the Notice to Proceed, with two optional one-year renewal periods available at the City's discretion, permitting annual increases not exceeding three percent during renewals. Questions must be submitted by March 24, 2026, at 5:00 pm, with sealed bids due April 7, 2026, at 2:00 pm. Award is anticipated for late April 2026 and will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

Respondents must satisfy eight mandatory minimum qualifications to be deemed responsive. These include Florida business registration; minimum three years of professional vehicle towing and storage experience including law enforcement services; current listing on the Sarasota County North County Rotation Wrecker List; a secured storage facility and staffed office within five miles of Sarasota city limits; minimum equipment consisting of one standard wrecker, one flatbed wrecker, and access to one 5-ton heavy-duty wrecker with low-boy trailer; properly licensed personnel capable of meeting 24/7/365 service with thirty-minute response times; comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and Automobile Liability of at least $1,000,000 combined per occurrence; and demonstrated financial capacity to perform services and remit the annual fee. This is a revenue-generating contract with no identified set-asides or restrictions limiting respondent eligibility. Bids below $8,000 annually will be rejected as non-responsive. The successful bidder shall pay an annual fee submitted through the Bid Form, payable in twelve equal monthly installments due by the tenth of each month, with the annual fee remaining firm and fixed during the initial three-year term. The City does not guarantee any minimum number of tows, and services are provided on an as-needed basis.