DTCC2711-LAWN_qa.pdf

DTCC2711-LAWN: Collegewide Lawncare Services

Questions and Answers Posed for Contact Number DTCC2711-LAWN

1. Partial proposals (Section I, pp. 4 to 5; Appendix B). May a vendor submit pricing for a subset of the listed properties, such as the New Castle County locations, and mark the remaining rows "No Bid"? Would such a proposal be considered responsive?

Yes, a vendor can submit pricing for some or all of the campus locations. Appendix B – Pricing Form – outlines the following instructions, “If a service is not offered or is not applicable, the Proposer shall enter "N/A." If the Proposer intends to provide a service at no additional charge, the Proposer shall enter "$0.00." The Proposer can add additional services that are not included on this list at the bottom of the page.”

Proposal responses that do not cover all locations will still be considered responsive.

2. Cost scoring (Section IV.E, p. 16; Appendix B). Appendix B asks each vendor to supply its own estimated number of cuts per year. Will the 40 cost points be scored on cost per cut, on total estimated annual cost, or on a number of cuts set by the College? If the College has an expected number of cuts per year for each property, would it provide that figure so pricing is comparable across vendors?

The College does not have an expected number of cuts per year. Cost/Pricing will be scored based on cost per cut.

3. Business references (Section W, p. 11; Attachment 6). Where the work will be performed by a subcontractor identified on Attachment 7, may the subcontractor's customer references be submitted on Attachment 6, either alone or together with the proposing vendor's own references?

Yes, that is acceptable.

4. Certificate of insurance (Section IV.D, p. 16; insurance terms, p. 24). The required documents list includes a copy of a current certificate of insurance. May the certificate be furnished upon notice of award rather than with the proposal?

The College recommends that the Certificate of Insurance is provided with the proposal.

However, please note, the College cannot begin the contracting process without having a certificate of insurance on file.

5. Insurance coverages (pp. 24 to 25). The RFP requires one of medical/professional liability, miscellaneous errors and omissions, or product liability, "depending on the scope." Which of these, if any, does the College require for this lawncare scope? Where a subcontractor performs the work, may the subcontractor's commercial automobile and workers' compensation coverage satisfy those requirements, with the prime vendor carrying commercial general liability and hired and non-owned automobile coverage?

No need for medical/professional liability, miscellaneous errors and commission, or product liability.

When a subcontractor is used to perform the work covered by the contract, if the equipment being used belongs to the subcontractor, their automobile coverage will be acceptable. If the employees performing the work are the subcontractor’s employees, they should have workers’ compensation insurance. The contractor will be required to ensure that their subcontractors comply with that requirement.

The awarded vendors’ commercial general liability and hired and non-owned automobile coverage will not be accepted to cover their subcontractors. That is for the subcontractors to carry.

The College will be made an additional insured on any insurance policy provided by either the contractor or the subcontractor.

6. Site conditions. Are there natural turf athletic fields or irrigation systems at the Stanton Campus, the George Campus, or the Middletown Training Center that the contractor would be expected to maintain?

No.

7. Service schedule. What mowing season and service frequency does the College anticipate at each property? Are there restrictions on work hours, access, or parking at the George Campus in downtown Wilmington?

Cutting frequency depends on weather and the speed of growth but typically once a week. Parking is not an issue at the George Campus as the College lets the crews park their work trailers in the lots available. There is not any restriction on time of day to mow.

8. Current service. Is there a current lawncare contract covering these properties, and can the College share the current annual cost or prior pricing?

The College currently uses the lawncare vendor under the State Contract GSS23062- LAWN_CUTTI. Contract materials are available at this link:

https://mmp.delaware.gov/Contracts/Details/6004

9. Do you post bid results on the Delaware Website, or would an attendance be required?

The College would post any awarded vendors on the State’s contract directory. For the proposal opening the College would only read the vendor’s name and address. This practice is outlined in Section VII. Proposal Reply section.

10. Is there a company or companies who currently do this work and if so, how long have they been performing this service?

The College currently uses the lawncare vendor under the State Contract GSS23062- LAWN_CUTTI. Contract materials are available at this link:

11. Please also confirm whether quoted prices must remain fixed for all three initial contract years or only through June 30, 2027, given the differing language.

As outlined in the section 15 of the RFP, “Prices and/or rates shall remain firm for the initial three-year term of the contract, unless further negotiations are deemed necessary by Delaware Technical and Community College.” Additionally, Appendix B – Pricing Forms state, “Unless otherwise specified, prices shall remain firm for the initial contract term. Any proposed annual price adjustments shall be clearly identified on the applicable pricing form and shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the resulting contract.”

12. Are there previous bid tabs that could be made available?

No.

13. Can you provide an aerial map of all the locations?

We do not have aerial maps of the locations.

14. The scope of services described in Appendix A pages 58-61 includes much more work than mowing. The Appendix B pricing form only specifies mowing cost per cut. Is the base bid on Appendix B to be for mowing only or for all services in Appendix A? Please clarify.

The pricing form is for edging and mowing only. At stated on the form, additional services may be requested by each campus. Please indicate which additional services you would be willing to offer to the College. Prices will be negotiated on an individual basis when a quote is requested.

15. Will there be a fixed number of cuts per year established in the pricing Appendix B so all vendors are comparing similar pricing?

Cutting frequency depends on weather and the speed of growth but typically once a week.

16. Is the Grounds program currently outsourced by a vendor? If so, who is the vendor and how long have they been servicing Delaware Technical and Community College?

The College currently uses the lawncare vendor under the State Contract GSS23062-

17. What is the current yearly budget for the Grounds program?

The College does not have a separate budget for its Grounds program.

18. Can you please provide the last 3 years of total expenses incurred by the Grounds program?

The College does not have a separate budget for its Grounds program. All College payments are available on the State of Delaware’s Open Checkbook website at https://opencheckbook.delaware.gov/#!/year/2027/

19. Can you please provide the names of the members on the Evaluation Committee?

No. That information is not needed in order to prepare a proposal for evaluation.

20. Please confirm whether any portion of this contract is subject to Delaware prevailing wage requirements?

This contract is not subject to prevailing wage requirements as it does not involve construction/renovation of any kind.

21. Can vendors bid individual campuses/properties, or is pricing required for all locations?

Yes, vendors can bid for individual campuses and properties. If you do not want to bid on a campus or property, please insert “N/A” on the pricing form.

https://opencheckbook.delaware.gov/#!/year/2027/

22. If vendors are permitted to bid individual properties, is there any evaluation advantage or preference given to firms that submit pricing for the complete package versus selected campuses only?

No, there is no advantage. Proposals will be evaluated based on the rubric outlined in Section E – Criteria and Scoring.

23. Will the contract award be based primarily on lowest price?

Proposals will be evaluated based on the rubric outlined in Section E – Criteria and Scoring.

24. The pricing sheet references an estimated number of cuts per year, but those quantities are not provided. Can DTCC provide the anticipated annual mowing frequency for each property?

Cutting frequency depends on weather and the speed of growth but typically once a week.

25. Please define what should be included in the "Cost Per Cut" pricing. Should this include mowing, trimming, edging, litter removal, and blowing of hard surfaces?

The cost per cut should include mowing and edging.

26. Are athletic field mowing and maintenance services to be included within campus mowing pricing, or should they be treated as separate services?

The Owens Campus is the only campus with athletic fields. The Owens Campus will be maintaining their athletic fields using College staff. Please do not include the mowing and maintenance of the athletic fields in the pricing.

27. Are spring and fall cleanups included within the base contract pricing?

No. The pricing form is for edging and mowing only. At stated on the form, additional services may be requested by each campus. Please indicate which additional services you would be willing to offer to the College. Prices will be negotiated on an individual basis when a quote is requested.

28. Are fertilizer applications, weed control, grub control, and turf treatments considered part of the base maintenance contract or additional services quoted separately?

Yes. Vendors should indicate what additional services they can provide on the pricing form. Prices will be negotiated on an individual basis when a quote is requested.

29. Is irrigation service limited to repairs and quoted work, or are seasonal startup, shutdown, inspections, and routine maintenance expected to be included in the base contract? How many zones of irrigation per property are there?

Irrigation service is an additional service that would fall outside of the pricing form.

Pricing for irrigation related services will be negotiated on an individual basis when a quote is requested.

The Stanton and George campus do not have any irrigation systems.

30. Are mulch installation, bed edging, pruning, and shrub maintenance included in base pricing or treated as separate quoted services?

Those services would be treated as separate quoted services. The pricing form is for edging and mowing only. Prices will be negotiated on an individual basis when a quote is requested.

31. Can the College provide current service frequencies, scope sheets, or existing maintenance specifications for each campus so all vendors are pricing the same level of service?

The College does not have this information.

32. Can the College provide site maps identifying maintained turf areas, landscape beds, athletic fields, and other areas included in the scope?

The College does not have any maps that outline this information.

33. The RFP identifies Terry Campus as approximately 112 acres. Can you clarify how many acres are actively maintained turf?

The College does not have that exact information; however, all grass (non-wooded areas) on the property is regularly mowed. It is recommended that you drive through the campus to gain a better understanding of the size.

34. Can you clarify the mowing and edging requirements at George Campus, including maps or exhibits showing the maintained areas?

The College does not have maps showing the mowing and edging requirements.

35. Approximately how many landscape maintenance contractors has DTCC utilized over the past ten seasons, either collegewide or by campus?

The College currently uses the lawncare vendor under the State Contract GSS23062-