REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

COMPREHENSIVE CUSTODIAL SERVICES

RFP information Solicitation details

Solicitation number ACBOE-CUST-2026-01

Issue date Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Mandatory preproposal meeting and walkthrough

Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time; begin at 249 Blackshear Highway, Baxley, Georgia 31513

Written questions due Thursday, September 24, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Anticipated final addendum Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Sealed written proposals due Friday, October 9, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Issuing Officer Dr. Ryan Flowers, Chief Operations Officer | ryan.flowers@appling.k12.ga.us | (912) 367-

8600 ext. 152 | Cell: (912) 347-3994

COMMUNICATIONS NOTICE. From release through award, all communications concerning this RFP must be directed to the Issuing Officer. Unauthorized contact with Board members, District employees, consultants, or evaluators may result in disqualification, consistent with District policy and applicable law.

Document control and contents

Document item Solicitation details

RFP title Comprehensive Custodial Services

Solicitation number ACBOE-CUST-2026-01

Version Initial public solicitation

Issue date September 15, 2026

Addenda None as of initial issue

Controlling deadline October 9, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Section Topic

1 Solicitation overview and procurement schedule

2 District background and desired outcomes

3 Scope of services and facilities

4 Contractor management, workforce safeguards, safety, supplies, and equipment

5 Performance standards, inspections, reporting, and remedies

6 Contract term, transition, pricing, and invoices

7 Instructions to Contractors and mandatory qualifications

8 Required proposal format

9 Evaluation, negotiations, and award

Appendix A Facility schedule and service conditions

Appendix B Cleaning frequencies and task specifications

Appendix C Contract management and service continuity plan

Appendix D Pricing forms

Appendix E Performance scorecard and corrective action

Appendix F Required certifications and proposal forms

Appendix G Proposed custodial services agreement

COMPANION DOCUMENT. Appendices A through G are published together in the separate companion file, Appling

County Custodial Services RFP Appendices. The companion file is incorporated into this RFP, and Contractors must review it and complete all applicable response forms.

1. Solicitation overview and procurement schedule

1.1 Procurement summary

Item RFP statement

Procurement method Competitive Request for Proposals; best-value selection

Award structure One contractor for all listed facilities, supplies, consumables, and equipment

Contract type All-inclusive fixed annual price with authorized unit-rate work

Initial term December 1, 2026 through November 30, 2027

Renewal options Up to three additional one-year options. Each renewal requires satisfactory performance, an annual financial-capacity review, available funding, and Board approval, and is subject to

O.C.G.A. section 20-2-506.

Service baseline Approximately 672,039 published service-area square feet. For the five instructional campuses, the Interior sq. ft. recorded in the District's Five-Year Local Facilities Plan is the controlling bidding area; Appendix A governs.

1.2 Procurement schedule

Milestone Date / time

RFP release and public posting Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Mandatory preproposal meeting and walkthrough Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 9:00 a.m. ET

Written questions due Thursday, September 24, 2026, 2:00 p.m. ET

District answers / anticipated final addendum Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Sealed proposals due Friday, October 9, 2026, 2:00 p.m. ET

Administrative review October 12, 2026

Evaluation and reference checks October 12-15, 2026

Interviews or clarifications, if used October 15, 2026; finalist or Board presentations may be requested

Anticipated notice of intended award October 16, 2026

Anticipated Board consideration October 19, 2026; if deferred, November 2, 2026

Anticipated contract execution Within five business days after Board approval

Transition and readiness October 26-November 30, 2026; if Board action occurs November 2, transition begins November 9

Service commencement Tuesday, December 1, 2026

Schedule control. The District may revise this schedule by written addendum. Contractors are responsible for monitoring the Georgia Procurement Registry and the District's official procurement posting for changes.

1.3 Questions, addenda, and common information

• Submit questions in writing to ryan.flowers@appling.k12.ga.us by the stated deadline. Identify the

RFP number, section, page, and specific question.

• Only written addenda issued by the District may change this RFP. Oral statements, site comments, informal messages, or vendor interpretations do not modify the solicitation.

• The District will publish material answers and corrections through the official posting locations. Each

Contractor must acknowledge every addendum on the required form.

• Information provided to one Contractor that is material to proposal preparation will be made available to all Contractors through the common addendum process.

2. District profile, procurement purpose, and desired outcomes

2.1 District and community profile

The Appling County School System serves approximately 3,400 students through three elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and associated administrative, support, transportation, alternative-school, and athletic facilities. The District's central office is in Baxley, and its sites range from compact support buildings to multi-building instructional and athletic campuses.

Appling County covers approximately 508 square miles and had an estimated population of 19,100 as of July

1, 2025. Its dispersed rural service pattern is relevant to mobilization, supervision, emergency response, supply delivery, and dependable coverage. This procurement covers approximately 672,039 published service-area square feet. District enrollment and community figures are informational only; Appendix A controls facility data.

Profile sources: Appling County School System public information and U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts. Facility sources are identified in

Appendix A.

2.2 Procurement purpose and contractor opportunity

Through this RFP, the District is seeking one qualified contractor to deliver a complete, performance-based custodial program across the listed instructional, administrative, support, and athletic facilities. The

Contractor will furnish management, supervision, labor, relief coverage, training, equipment, chemicals, cleaning supplies, restroom paper products, hand towels, soap, liners, dispensers, reporting, and related services necessary to meet the RFP requirements.

The District is looking for a dependable service partner that understands the daily demands of an occupied K-

12 environment and can maintain consistent results across a dispersed, multi-building portfolio. The District will define required outcomes, safety rules, cleaning frequencies, response times, and acceptance measures, while the Contractor will remain responsible for its workforce, schedules, methods, supervision, supplies, and business operations. The District intends to award the full scope to one responsible Contractor unless another award structure is determined to be in its best interest and is permitted by this RFP and applicable law.

2.3 Stated goals and desired outcomes

• Provide safe, healthy, welcoming, and instruction-ready schools for students, employees, families, and visitors.

• Maintain APPA Level 2 - Ordinary Tidiness / Comprehensive Care, as operationalized by the District's scorecard and task schedule.

• Deliver consistent daily, periodic, event, summer, and emergency service at every included facility.

• Provide sufficient management, relief capacity, equipment, and supplies without shifting workforce-management duties to the District.

• Protect students, employees, facilities, access credentials, information, and District property.

• Maintain service continuity during absences, vacancies, school events, severe weather, infectious-disease concerns, and other operational disruptions.

• Create comparable, all-inclusive pricing with no unapproved bonuses, retention charges, supply surcharges, or other employee-related additions.

• Use measurable inspections, timely corrective action, reinspection, and repeated-failure remedies while providing respectful, accessible, and nondiscriminatory service.

• Complete an orderly transition without interruption to school operations.

3. Facilities and Scope of Service

3.1 Facility baseline

Facility Address / location Controlling sq. ft.

Appling County Elementary Complex 680 Blackshear Hwy., Baxley, GA 31513 223,058

Fourth District Elementary School 13396 Blackshear Hwy., Surrency, GA 31563 33,444

Altamaha Elementary School 344 Altamaha School Rd., Baxley, GA 31513 57,296

Appling County Middle School 2997 Blackshear Hwy., Baxley, GA 31513 105,662

Appling County High School 482 Blackshear Hwy., Baxley, GA 31513 209,140

Board of Education / Main Shop 249 Blackshear Hwy., Baxley, GA 31513 14,659

Transportation Office Location and access details will be provided during the mandatory walkthrough and confirmed by addendum 3,080

Alternative School Location and access details will be provided during the mandatory walkthrough and confirmed by addendum

2,400

ACHS Field House / Athletic Facilities High-school campus; included areas will be identified during the walkthrough and confirmed by addendum 15,300

ACMS Athletic Facilities Middle-school campus; included areas will be identified during the walkthrough and confirmed by addendum 8,000

TOTAL 672,039

3.2 Complete service responsibility

The Contractor shall provide all resources necessary to clean and support the covered facilities in accordance with this RFP, its accepted operating plan, Appendix B, manufacturer instructions, applicable safety requirements, and District schedules. No task or cost reasonably necessary to achieve the stated service outcome may be omitted merely because it is not repeated in every appendix.

• Daily custodial cleaning and sanitizing of instructional, administrative, athletic, common, and support spaces.

• Restroom, locker-room, shower, cafeteria, gymnasium, field-house, stadium, and event-area service.

• Routine, periodic, annual, summer, and school-break floor care, carpet extraction, window cleaning, high dusting, and deep cleaning.

• Trash collection, interior waste removal, dumpster placement as directed, litter policing, recycling support, and odor control.

• Restocking and management of paper products, hand towels, toilet tissue, hand soap, liners, and other listed consumables.

• Response to spills, bodily fluids, weather events, emergency conditions, contagious-disease concerns, and other District-authorized urgent needs using District-approved products labeled for the intended purpose.

• Setup, cleanup, and restoration for included school activities and authorized extra events as identified in the event schedule and price forms.

• Prompt reporting of maintenance, plumbing, pest, safety, security, vandalism, damage, and access issues discovered during performance.

3.3 District operating conditions

• Schools remain occupied by students, employees, families, and visitors during significant portions of the workday and during evening and weekend activities.

• The Contractor shall coordinate cleaning so it does not disrupt instruction, testing, student meals, extracurricular activities, Board meetings, or emergency operations.

• The District may change room use, schedules, student enrollment, or activity patterns without changing the gross facility inventory. Material scope changes will be handled through the

Agreement's written-change process.

• The Contractor shall comply with site-specific access, alarm, key, energy-conservation, recycling, fire-safety, and emergency procedures.

• Known floor-surface types are listed by facility in Appendix B.8. The District has not provided square footage by floor-surface type. Each Contractor shall verify the location, approximate quantity, condition, finish, and required care of each surface during the mandatory walkthrough and shall identify any material discrepancy through the written-question process.

• The District will provide reasonable access, utilities, and coordination; the Contractor shall control its workforce, methods, supplies, and equipment.

3.4 Exclusions and separately authorized work

The base scope excludes building repairs, roof work, mechanical servicing, pest control, hazardous-material abatement, construction cleanup, snow/ice removal, pressure washing, light-bulb or lamp replacement, HVAC-filter replacement, and work above safe equipment limits. These excluded services are not part of the base scope or unit pricing. No extra work is billable unless added by written amendment or specifically authorized through a District-approved work authorization.

4. Contractor management, workforce safeguards, safety, supplies, and equipment

4.1 Performance-based service responsibility

• The Contractor shall continuously provide sufficient qualified personnel, supervision, relief coverage, equipment, supplies, and management resources to perform the complete scope and meet all required outcomes at every facility.

• The Contractor may organize and revise staffing levels, job classifications, facility assignments, shifts, labor hours, and work methods, but no change may reduce required service, violate safety or access requirements, change an accepted subcontractor or key manager without approval, or alter another material obligation.

• The proposal shall identify the Contract Manager and backup and present the Contractor's proposed staffing and coverage plan by facility and shift, including supervision, relief coverage, and plans for daily, periodic, event, emergency, vacancy, and absence coverage. The District's review of this plan does not authorize the District to manage the Contractor's workforce.

• Staffing shortages, turnover, call-outs, vacancies, overtime costs, recruiting difficulty, or internal scheduling decisions do not excuse missed work or deficient performance. The Contractor shall provide qualified relief coverage and other resources promptly whenever necessary to maintain service.

• School closures or shortened weeks do not eliminate periodic, project, floor-care, or deep-cleaning obligations; the parties will coordinate access and timing.

4.2 Contract management and site supervision

• Designate a qualified Contract Manager and backup with authority to receive District direction concerning results, coordinate access, commit resources, resolve deficiencies, and attend performance meetings.

• The Contract Manager shall conduct internal inspections, manage supplies and equipment, verify records, and ensure timely correction. Replacement requires prompt written notice and equal or better qualifications.

• Local service requests shall follow a simple school-based process. At a school, an employee reports a routine custodial concern to the assistant principal or designee. The assistant principal or designee reports the concern to the Contractor's designated site contact, who coordinates correction and reports completion. At a support facility, the designated site administrator follows the same process.

Urgent health or safety concerns may be reported immediately. This process identifies the needed result and does not authorize District staff to direct individual employees or approve extra cost.

4.3 Service records and accountability

• Maintain reliable facility-level records for required daily, periodic, project, floor-care, event, emergency, and corrective work, and submit the Section 5.4 support with each invoice.

• The District may verify completed work and inspect records reasonably related to performance, safety, access, training, supplies, subcontractors, invoices, and contract compliance.

• Falsification of service, inspection, incident, safety, or invoice records is a material breach and may result in withholding, default, termination, and referral as appropriate.

4.4 Contractor personnel and workforce continuity

• The Contractor has exclusive responsibility for recruiting, hiring, compensation, classification, scheduling, supervision, evaluation, discipline, leave coverage, and termination of its employees and subcontractor personnel, subject to the benefit, continuity, screening, safety, and performance requirements in this RFP and the obligation to provide uninterrupted service.

• The Contractor shall maintain a written employee benefit plan that includes access to healthcare coverage for employees assigned to this contract who meet the plan's stated eligibility requirements.

The proposal shall include a summary of the plan and describe eligibility, healthcare coverage offered, waiting periods, and the employee and employer shares of cost. The Contractor shall take the full cost of this benefit plan into consideration when developing its bid and include that cost in the annual and monthly base price. The Contractor remains solely responsible for plan administration and legal compliance, and the accepted benefit commitment becomes a material contract requirement.

• The District will communicate required results, access rules, safety concerns, and service deficiencies through the Contract Manager. Except for immediate safety or security direction, District personnel shall not assign daily tasks to, schedule, evaluate, or discipline individual Contractor employees.

• The contract price includes all workforce costs, including the required employee benefit plan and healthcare coverage. No separate employee-related or benefit-related payment is due unless approved by Board-authorized written amendment.

• The Contractor shall provide current custodial employees serving the District a fair opportunity to apply and be considered for available positions. The Contractor shall give timely notice of opportunities and conduct good-faith interviews for applicants who meet stated minimum qualifications. This requirement does not guarantee employment or limit the Contractor's responsibility for lawful hiring, screening, and personnel decisions. A continuity plan shall prevent absences, vacancies, turnover, or simultaneous needs from interrupting service.

4.5 Screening, identification, conduct, and campus safety

• Complete fingerprint-based criminal-history screening and any additional District-required eligibility review before an employee receives campus access. No unscreened person may work or train on

District property.

• Provide current rosters and proof of clearance status without unnecessary sensitive information. The

District may require removal of a person from its property without creating an employment relationship.

• Require uniforms, visible photo identification, sign-in/out, and compliance with key/card, alarm, restricted-area, photography, recording, confidentiality, and visitor rules.

• Prohibit weapons, alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco/vaping, harassment, abusive or profane language, solicitation, unauthorized visitors, and unauthorized use of District equipment or information.

• Limit student interaction to what is incidental and necessary. Employees shall not discipline, transport, photograph, communicate privately with, or be alone with students except as unavoidable in an emergency and immediately reported.

• Immediately report suspected abuse, threats, weapons, drugs, bodily fluids, injury, property damage, theft, security breaches, lost keys/cards, or other safety incidents to the designated District official.

4.6 Training and safety program

• Provide documented new-hire and annual refresher training in cleaning methods, equipment, SDS/hazard communication, bloodborne-pathogen precautions, PPE, dilution, ergonomics, slips/falls, fire and emergency response, student safety, and District procedures.

• Maintain current Safety Data Sheets at each site and electronically; properly label and store chemicals; use District-approved commercial products only for labeled purposes and dilution; and maintain exposure-control, spill-response, injury-reporting, and workers' compensation procedures.

4.7 Equipment, supplies, and consumables

• Provide, maintain, repair, and replace all cleaning equipment, carts, vacuums, extractors, scrubbers, burnishers, tools, PPE, chemicals, paper products, hand towels, toilet tissue, soap, liners, and dispensers required for the scope.

• Each Contractor shall submit a proposed product list and current Safety Data Sheets with its proposal. At no cost to the District, each Contractor shall provide representative samples of proposed cleaning materials and paper products at the time and place announced by the District for inspection. Chemical samples shall remain in unopened manufacturer-labeled packaging and shall not be placed inside the sealed proposal package. No product may be brought to or used at a District facility until the Director of Operations provides written acceptance.

• Maintain a labeled, current, site-specific SDS station or binder at every serviced location, accessible on every work shift and containing an index, every applicable SDS, and spill and emergency information. Provide matching electronic copies; electronic access does not replace the on-site station.

• Update the station, site inventory, and District file before introducing a new or replacement product or upon receipt of a revised SDS. Train employees on labels, hazards, dilution, contact time, PPE, spills, and SDS access. The District may inspect these records and locations at any time.

• Maintain serviceable commercial-grade equipment, backup capacity, and at least a 30-day normal-use supply of cleaning materials, chemicals, liners, soap, toilet tissue, paper towels, and other required paper products at all times. Stock shall be held in District-approved on-site storage or another readily accessible location approved by the District. Submit an initial and annual equipment inventory showing description, ownership, assigned site, condition, and planned replacement.

• Contractor property remains its responsibility and shall be removed at contract end. District property shall be inventoried, protected, and returned in equivalent condition, normal wear excepted.

• Any proposed product substitution must be equal or better, compatible with building finishes and dispensers, supported by a current SDS when applicable, and accompanied by a sample when requested. Written District approval is required before use.

4.8 Infectious disease preparedness and response plan

Each Contractor shall submit with its proposal a written Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Plan.

The accepted plan becomes a material contract obligation and shall address COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2, influenza, norovirus and other gastrointestinal illness, and other communicable-disease or outbreak conditions that may affect District facilities.

• Identify the responsible manager, 24-hour contacts, decision authority, and coordination procedures with District operations, school administrators, school health personnel, and public-health officials.

• Define activation levels for routine prevention, targeted response, enhanced disinfection, partial closure, and District-wide response using then-current District direction and applicable public-health guidance.

• Address high-touch cleaning, isolation and reopening of affected areas, employee training, exposure control, bloodborne-pathogen precautions, PPE, waste and laundry handling, equipment decontamination, documentation, and protection of confidential health information.

• Identify District-accepted products and methods appropriate to the suspected pathogen, including

SARS-CoV-2 when directed, and require compliance with label instructions for dilution, compatibility, wet-contact time, ventilation, PPE, and reentry.

• Provide workforce and supply continuity through trained relief, cross-training, call-out and escalation procedures, emergency stock, approved alternates, and alternate sourcing for disinfectants, PPE, liners, soap, and paper products.

• Include plan maintenance, training, readiness, required stock, and ordinary response in the fixed price. Extraordinary out-of-scope work requires advance written authorization except when immediate action is necessary and prior authorization is impracticable.

5. Performance standards, inspections, reporting, and remedies

5.1 Required appearance level

The Contractor shall maintain APPA Level 2 - Ordinary Tidiness / Comprehensive Care. Spaces must look clean, orderly, properly supplied, safe, and ready for use during ordinary observation. Minor recent dust or a light mark visible only on close inspection may be consistent with Level 2; visible buildup, odors, depleted supplies, overflow, unsafe conditions, repeated missed work, or Level 3-or-lower conditions are unacceptable. Appendix E provides the complete plain-language guide and inspection scorecard.

5.2 Inspection method

• The District may inspect any area at any time and will conduct at least one documented joint inspection per facility group each month.

• The monthly score uses the 100-point Appendix E scorecard. The minimum passing score is 90% overall and 95% for restroom/locker-room/shower items.

• The District may use representative sampling and expand the review when deficiencies indicate a broader condition. The Contractor may attend, correct, and submit evidence, but the District controls the final score.

• A passing score does not waive hidden, later-discovered, safety, access, recordkeeping, or task-frequency deficiencies.

5.3 Response and correction times

Priority Required response

Emergency / critical Immediate acknowledgment; on-site response within 30 minutes when staff are present or 60 minutes after-hours; contain and correct as soon as safely possible, generally within 2 hours.

Urgent Acknowledge within 30 minutes and correct during the same shift or within 4 hours, whichever is earlier.

Routine Correct by the end of the next business day unless the District approves a written schedule.

Periodic / project work Correct or reschedule within two business days without affecting the next required cycle.

5.4 Monthly reporting and invoice support

• Facility-level service summary covering required routine, periodic, floor-care, event, emergency, and corrective work.

• Manager changes, material continuity issues, inspections, complaints, incidents, corrective actions, reinspections, and open deficiencies.

• Equipment outages, replacement status, consumable exceptions, product changes, and completed annual or special work.

• Invoice reconciliation showing base price, authorized extra work, replacement-service costs, withholdings, and other authorized adjustments.

5.5 Corrective action and remedies

Inspection findings and service deficiencies shall be documented in writing. The Contractor shall correct health, safety, access, sanitation, or service-interruption concerns immediately and other deficiencies within the time stated by the District.

• Failure to correct, repeated failure, or failure to pass reinspection may result in a written corrective-action plan, withholding of disputed amounts, replacement service at the Contractor's expense, default, termination, or another remedy available under the proposed Agreement and applicable law.

• The Contractor bears correction and reinspection costs. If a material deficiency is not timely corrected, the District may obtain replacement service and deduct the reasonable cost.

• Two failing monthly scores at the same facility in any rolling three-month period require a formal corrective-action plan. Three failures in six months may constitute repeated failure and grounds for default or termination.

• Immediate safety, screening, fraud, falsified-record, key/access, or student-conduct violations may support removal of one or more of the Contractor's employees from District property, withholding, default, or termination without waiting for the ordinary scoring cycle.

6. Contract term, transition, pricing, and invoices

6.1 Term and renewals

The anticipated initial term is December 1, 2026 through November 30, 2027. The District may exercise up to three additional one-year renewal options. Each renewal requires satisfactory performance, available funding, a current annual financial statement demonstrating the Contractor's continuing financial capacity, written recommendation by the District Contract Administrator, and Board approval. No renewal is automatic.

Georgia contracting law. Any resulting Agreement shall comply with O.C.G.A. section 20-2-506. It shall terminate absolutely and without further obligation to the District at the close of the calendar year in which it is executed and at the close of each succeeding calendar year unless lawfully renewed. The final Agreement shall state the District's total obligation for the year of execution and for each calendar-year renewal period, and no provision shall create a debt beyond the calendar year then authorized.

Renewal financial statement. At least 90 days before each proposed renewal, the Contractor shall provide its most recent year-end financial statement package, including at minimum a balance sheet and statement of income or operations, certified as accurate by an authorized company officer. The Contractor shall also provide a statement of cash flows and an independent accountant's compilation, review, or audit report when those documents are prepared in its ordinary course of business. The District may request reasonable supporting information and may decline renewal if the submission is late, incomplete, materially adverse, or does not demonstrate fitness to continue the work.

6.2 Transition and readiness

Milestone Minimum deliverable

Within 5 calendar days after notice

Name transition team; provide insurance, licenses, E-Verify affidavit, screening plan, proposed kickoff agenda, and information requests.

Within 10 calendar days Provide final management and service-delivery plan, equipment/supply mobilization schedule, floor-care plan, access process, training plan, continuity plan, and risk log.

At least 10 days before start Submit cleared access roster, training records, service-record demonstration, equipment inventory, approved product list/SDS, consumable stock plan, emergency contacts, and facility service schedules.

At least 5 days before start Complete joint readiness inspection and correct every open item.

December 1, 2026 Begin service only after written District readiness confirmation.

6.3 All-inclusive pricing

• The annual and monthly base price includes every cost required for the scope: labor, overtime, relief, wages, the required employee benefit plan and healthcare coverage, payroll taxes, bonuses, retention, recruiting, screening, uniforms, training, management, supplies, consumables, equipment, repairs, depreciation, transportation, insurance, overhead, and profit.

• No surcharge, pass-through, allowance, delivery charge, administrative fee, fuel charge, supply escalation, or employee-related payment is due unless expressly priced in Appendix D and authorized by the Agreement.

• Contractors shall state facility prices, the total annual and monthly base price, event and extra-work unit rates, and any startup charge. The District does not require disclosure of internal wage, benefit, payroll, overhead, or profit allocations.

• The District is tax exempt to the extent provided by law. The Contractor remains responsible for taxes applicable to its operations, employees, property, and purchases.

6.4 Invoices and payment

• Invoice monthly in arrears in twelve equal installments of the annual base price, adjusted only for authorized extra work, withholdings, offsets, and other written adjustments allowed by the

Agreement.

• Each invoice must include the performance and service-record support in Section 5.4 and identify the purchase order and contract period.

• The District may dispute, withhold, or offset unsupported or nonconforming charges while paying undisputed amounts in accordance with applicable law and District procedures.

• Extra work requires a written work authorization stating scope, price basis, maximum amount, and approving District official before work begins, except a documented emergency where advance authorization is impracticable.

7. Instructions to Contractors and mandatory qualifications

For proposal-submission and evaluation purposes, the term Contractor includes any company that submits or is preparing to submit a proposal, whether or not that company is ultimately selected for award.

7.1 Mandatory walkthrough

A representative authorized to prepare the Contractor's proposal must attend the common preproposal meeting and facility walkthrough. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on September 22, 2026 at 249 Blackshear

Highway, Baxley, Georgia 31513. The District will control the route, sign-in, photography, safety, and access.

Questions arising during the visit must be submitted in writing; oral responses are not binding. Failure to attend the full mandatory event may make a proposal nonresponsive. The Contractor shall use the walkthrough to verify the floor-surface schedule in Appendix B.8, including surface locations, approximate quantities, finishes, and any special care limitations.

7.2 Sealed written submission

Requirement Instruction

Required copies One signed original and five complete paper copies of the technical proposal; one separately sealed signed original and two paper copies of the price proposal.

Delivery Dr. Ryan Flowers, Chief Operations Officer, Appling County Board of Education, 249 Blackshear

Highway, Baxley, Georgia 31513.

Label

SEALED PROPOSAL - CUSTODIAL SERVICES - ACBOE-CUST-2026-01 - DO NOT OPEN BEFORE

OCTOBER 9, 2026, 2:00 P.M. ET.

Deadline Proposals must be physically received by October 9, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Postmarks, shipping notices, or attempted delivery do not establish receipt.

Separation

No cost information or federal tax identification number may appear in the technical proposal.

Place the completed Appendix D price proposal, District New Vendor Application, and current signed IRS Form W-9 in a separate sealed administrative and price envelope. Place the notarized E-Verify affidavit in Tab 8 of the technical proposal.

Validity Proposal remains valid for 120 calendar days after the deadline unless extended by written agreement.

7.2.1 Public sealed proposal and price opening

Contractors and members of the public may attend the sealed proposal opening at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on

October 9, 2026 at the Appling County Board of Education, 249 Blackshear Highway, Baxley, Georgia 31513.

Attendance is optional and does not affect proposal eligibility.

• At the deadline, the Issuing Officer will close receipt of proposals, secure the delivery area, and identify any package received after the deadline. Late proposals will not be opened except as necessary to identify the sender and will be handled under District procedure.

• District representatives will open each timely outer package in public, announce the Contractor's name, and record whether the required technical proposal and separately sealed administrative and price envelope appear to be present. The District will then open the price envelope and announce the Contractor's total annual base price. A sign-in sheet and opening log will be maintained.

• Technical proposal contents, unit prices, supporting pricing details, and confidential vendor information will not be read aloud. Only the Contractor's name and total annual base price will be announced. Each announced amount is preliminary and remains subject to arithmetic verification, responsiveness review, clarification, and the evaluation procedures in Section 9.

• No Contractor may correct, supplement, explain, or withdraw a proposal during the opening. The public opening is limited to receiving and announcing proposals; evaluators will not discuss or score proposals at the opening. Afterward, the District will conduct the administrative review, technical scoring, cost ranking, and award recommendation in a separate evaluation process. The opening is not an award and does not determine responsiveness, responsibility, final score, or price reasonableness. Evaluation and procurement records will be handled and released as required by applicable Georgia law.

7.3 Mandatory qualifications

Category Minimum requirement

Legal status Authorized to conduct business in Georgia and able to enter the proposed Agreement; submit the registration and license evidence listed in Appendix F.

Relevant experience At least three years of successful custodial-services experience of comparable operational complexity; K-12 experience will be evaluated.

References At least three comparable references for work performed within the most recent 36 months.

Capacity Demonstrated management, staffing and coverage, service-delivery, continuity, equipment, supply, financial, safety, and transition capacity. Submit the most recent year-end financial statement package required by Section 6.1.

Insurance

Furnish with the proposal a current Certificate of Insurance (COI), schedules, endorsements, and supporting insurance evidence listed in Appendix F, including contractual liability, sexual abuse and molestation, products/completed operations, automobile liability, workers' compensation, employers' liability, and the required cancellation-notice evidence. Final

District-specific certificates and endorsements are required before contract execution.

Eligibility Legally eligible and not prohibited under Georgia law from contracting with the District;

compliant with E-Verify and other applicable state and local requirements.

Walkthrough Full attendance and sign-in at the mandatory preproposal meeting and walkthrough.

7.4 Public records and confidentiality

PUBLIC RECORDS NOTICE. Proposals and procurement records are subject to the Georgia Open Records Act and other applicable law. Contractors must not submit unnecessary confidential information. Any claimed trade secret must be specifically identified, supported as required by law, and accompanied by a redacted copy if requested. The District makes the final disclosure determination and does not promise blanket confidentiality.

7.5 District reservations

• Reject any or all proposals, cancel or reissue the RFP, or postpone award when in the District's best interest and permitted by law.

• Waive minor informalities that do not prejudice competition, but not waive material requirements.

• Verify information, contact references, inspect facilities/equipment, request limited clarifications, and determine responsibility.

• Conduct interviews, presentations, negotiations, or a best-and-final-offer process only as reserved and in a consistent manner.

• Award only after required approvals and execution of the Agreement; a notice of intended award is not a contract.

• Document the basis for responsiveness, responsibility, scoring, price reasonableness, recommendation, and award.

7.6 Protests

A Contractor must raise any objection to the terms of this RFP by the written-question deadline so the

District can respond by addendum before proposals are due. After notice of intended award, a Contractor that submitted a proposal may submit a written protest to the Superintendent at 249 Blackshear Highway, Baxley, Georgia 31513, with an electronic copy to the Issuing Officer, no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the fifth business day after the notice is posted. The protest must identify the procurement, the protesting

Contractor, the specific action challenged, the factual and legal grounds, all supporting documents, and the requested relief. The Superintendent or designee may request additional information and will issue a written determination or refer the matter to the Board. Filing a protest does not automatically stay the procurement;

the District may proceed when delay would materially harm District operations. The District's written determination and any Board action constitute the final local decision.

7.7 Nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and accessibility

Each prospective Contractor and the selected Contractor shall comply with applicable nondiscrimination, equal-employment-opportunity, anti-harassment, anti-retaliation, and accessibility requirements.

Applicability of a particular employment law may depend on employer size, activity, and other facts; this section does not expand or limit rights established by law.

• Do not unlawfully discriminate in any employment term because of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or another protected status; prohibit unlawful harassment and retaliation.

• As applicable, comply with Title VII, the Equal Pay Act, ADEA, ADA Titles I and II, GINA, 42 U.S.C.

Section 1981, the Georgia Equal Employment for Persons with Disabilities Code, O.C.G.A. Title 34, Chapter 6A, and other applicable requirements.

• Do not block accessible routes or features; cooperate with reasonable modifications and effective communication within the work; and report conditions that may deny equal access.

• Train supervisors and assigned personnel, apply these requirements to approved subcontractors, investigate and correct reported violations, and notify the District of allegations affecting school safety, access, service, or compliance. Material or repeated violation may result in corrective action, removal, withholding, default, termination, or other remedies.

8. Required proposal format

Contractors shall use the following order and respond directly to each requirement. Marketing material may be included only when it supports a requested item. The District may disregard information outside the required structure.

Order Section Required content

Tab 1 Signed offer and executive summary

Authority to bind; contact; proposal validity; concise understanding, solution, benefits, and material assumptions.

Tab 2 Company qualifications and responsibility

Legal entity; history; ownership; Georgia registration; business licenses and permits; Certificate of Insurance and supporting insurance evidence; most recent year-end financial statement package; litigation, claims, safety, eligibility, and contract-termination disclosures.

Tab 3 Relevant experience and references Comparable K-12 and other contracts, dates, values, square footage, scope, contact information, outcomes, and adverse performance.

Tab 4 Technical operating plan

Cleaning methods; scope compliance; daily and periodic work; floor-care methods and assumptions based on Appendix B.8; events; equipment; supplies;

site SDS stations; consumables; sustainability; and a complete Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Plan meeting Section 4.8.

Tab 5 Contract management and service continuity plan

Complete Appendix C; identify the Contract Manager and backup; provide the Contractor-determined staffing and coverage plan by facility and shift, including supervision and relief coverage; attach a summary of the required employee benefit plan including healthcare; and describe absence and vacancy coverage, emergency capacity, the local service-request process, and corrective-action reporting.

Tab 6 Quality and performance plan APPA Level 2 approach; inspections; electronic service records; complaints;

corrective action; invoice support; and continuity.

Tab 7 Transition and implementation

Detailed mobilization schedule through December 1; process for notifying, accepting applications from, and interviewing qualified current custodial employees; equipment and 30-day supply staging; readiness evidence; risk management.

Tab 8 Required forms and certifications

Every completed technical form in Appendix F, including addenda, exceptions, subcontractors, non-collusion, conflicts, nondiscrimination compliance, the notarized District E-Verify affidavit, and every required certification and signature. Submit confidential vendor forms only as directed below.

Separate sealed envelope Price proposal

Complete Appendix D, including facility prices, inclusions and exclusions, unit and event rates, and any startup charge.

Include the completed District New Vendor Application and a current signed IRS Form W-9 in this sealed administrative and price envelope. Do not place these confidential forms in the public technical copies.

9. Evaluation, negotiations, and award

9.1 Administrative and responsibility review

The District will first determine timely receipt, mandatory walkthrough attendance, signatures, required forms, separation of cost, minimum qualifications, responsiveness, and responsibility. A proposal that materially fails this review may be rejected without technical scoring.

9.2 Published scorecard

Factor Points Published basis

Technical approach and scope compliance 25 Understanding, methods, task/frequency compliance, equipment, supplies, floor care, events, safety, and practical execution.

Quality assurance, reporting, and performance management 20 APPA approach, inspections, service records, response, corrective action, continuity, and measurable results.

Price 20 Rank order of the verified initial annual base price, together with completeness, reasonableness, facility pricing, unit rates, exclusions, and price certainty.

Management, service-delivery capacity, and continuity 15

Qualifications and authority of the Contract Manager and backup; feasibility of the Contractor-determined staffing and coverage plan; benefit package including healthcare;

facility and shift coverage; supervisory accountability; relief capacity; and ability to sustain required outcomes.

Relevant experience, references, and financial/operational capacity 10

Comparable performance, K-12 experience, references, current year-end financial statement, financial capacity, risk history, and responsibility.

Transition, emergency response, and service continuity 10 Readiness, current-employee opportunity process, mobilization, emergency coverage, risk controls, and exit transition.

TOTAL 100 One published scorecard controls the evaluation.

EVALUATION NOTICE. The published weights total 100 points. The District will evaluate the required performance outcomes and the feasibility of each Contractor's proposed staffing and coverage plan. No specific headcount, job classification, shift structure, or labor-hour minimum is prescribed. The Contractor retains responsibility for its workforce and for achieving every required result.

9.3 Price rank-order scoring

The District will rank responsive proposals from the lowest to the highest verified initial annual base price and assign price points as follows: first (lowest), 20 points; second, 18 points; third, 16 points; fourth, 14 points; fifth, 12 points; and sixth or lower, 10 points. Proposals with the same verified price will receive the same points, and the next lower price will receive the points for the next rank. Before ranking, the District will verify arithmetic, price completeness, exclusions, and consistency with the required scope. Unit prices will affect the ranking only if the District identifies evaluation quantities by addendum before proposals are due.

Renewal adjustments are not included in the price ranking.

9.4 Evaluation process

• Evaluators independently score using only the published factors and documented instructions.

• The evaluation committee may meet to discuss evidence and establish a documented consensus score; individual and final records will be retained as required.

• References, responsibility information, site verification, interviews, or demonstrations may validate the same published factors. No unpublished preference or second point system will be used.

• Clarifications may not permit a material rewrite or give a Contractor an unfair advantage. If negotiations or best-and-final offers are used, similarly situated Contractors will be treated consistently.

• The recommended award will be made to the responsible Contractor whose proposal is most advantageous to the District under the published factors, subject to Board approval and contract execution.

RFP APPENDICES A-G

COMPREHENSIVE CUSTODIAL SERVICES

RFP information Solicitation details

Solicitation number ACBOE-CUST-2026-01

RFP issue date Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Mandatory preproposal meeting and walkthrough

Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time

Sealed written proposals due Friday, October 9, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Issuing Officer Dr. Ryan Flowers, Chief Operations Officer | ryan.flowers@appling.k12.ga.us | (912) 367-

8600 ext. 152 | Cell: (912) 347-3994

Appendix contents

Appendix Topic

Appendix A Facility schedule and service conditions

Appendix B Cleaning frequencies and task specifications

Appendix C Contract management and service continuity plan

Appendix D Pricing forms

Appendix E Performance scorecard and corrective action

Appendix F Required proposal forms and certifications

Appendix G Proposed custodial services agreement

SUBMISSION NOTICE. The proposal must follow RFP Section 8. Submit completed Appendices C, D, and F, together with any other requested information. Appendix G is the proposed agreement and may be revised only through a written addendum or District-approved negotiation.

Appendix A - Facility schedule and service conditions

How Contractors must use this appendix. The descriptions below use inventory information from the Appling County

Five-Year Local Facilities Plan, System 601, generated August 8, 2026 and expiring June 30, 2028. For each instructional campus, the Plan's Interior sq. ft. is the controlling published square footage and overrides any inconsistent figure elsewhere in the procurement record. The walkthrough identifies actual service conditions, included structures, access, and exclusions; it does not change a controlling area unless the District issues a written addendum expressly doing so.

Facility Address Controlling

sq. ft.

Facility-data source

Appling County Elementary Complex

680 Blackshear Hwy.

Baxley, GA 31513 223,058 Five-Year Plan profile below

Fourth District Elementary School 13396 Blackshear Hwy.

Surrency, GA 31563 33,444…