26-P-00055_-_DMI-45-Form-EBO-Determination-Letter-SLBE.pdf

This is an Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Determination Letter issued by the City of Tampa Parks & Recreation Department for contract 26-P-00055, pertaining to I-4 Interstate and Downtown Interchanges Grounds Maintenance services in Hillsborough County, Florida. The project involves comprehensive grounds maintenance across 15 designated sites along I-4 and downtown interchanges, including turf mowing, landscape bed maintenance, and amenity upkeep. The work requires 22 annual cuts with service frequencies varying between 14 and 21 calendar days depending on seasonal growth conditions. A mandatory pre-bid meeting and site inspection is scheduled for January 8, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the Parks & Recreation Department, with sealed bids due by 3:00 p.m. on January 22, 2026. The contract is estimated at $400,000 and will be awarded for a one-year term with three optional one-year renewal periods by mutual written agreement.

The procurement includes a Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) set-aside with a 5% bid discount not to exceed $10,000, exclusively for certified local businesses. The City has pre-qualified a vendor pool of 55 SLBE-certified vendors, primarily from Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, and surrounding Florida counties. Bidders must demonstrate financial capability, provide three professional references, maintain a permanent business in Hillsborough County or an adjacent county, possess DAC or PCO licensing or ISA Arborist Certification, and employ at least 20 experienced crew members with specified equipment including ride-on rotary mowers, walk-behind mowers, edgers, and landscape trucks. Required insurance includes Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence), Automobile Liability ($500,000 to $1 million), and Workers' Compensation. The pricing structure includes base maintenance services with optional additional tasks such as mulch application, herbicide treatment, tree pruning, and debris removal. Price escalation is permitted annually after the first year, limited to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), with the City retaining the right to award by division, aggregate total, or line item as deemed most advantageous. The EBO determination was approved on November 17, 2025.