GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS

Invitation For Bid

Purchasing Department 801 Green Valley Road Greensboro, NC 27408

Direct all inquiries to: Invitation For Bid: 6849

Alonzo Salter Bid due date: October 8, 2026 saltera4@gcsnc.com

(336) 574-5220

Commodity: Pest Control Services

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Bids, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received by the Guilford County Schools Purchasing Department via mail or in person at 714 Green Valley Road, Greensboro, NC 27408, or via email to Alonzo Salter at saltera4@gcsnc.com, until 2:00 PM ET on October 8, 2026. Bids are for furnishing and delivering the commodity described herein. Faxed submissions will not be accepted, and there will not be a public bid opening. Please return the entire bid document.

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Invitation for Bid (IFB), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein. By executing this bid, the undersigned Vendor certifies that this bid is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S.

14354), that none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and that it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1. False certification is a Class I felony. Furthermore, by executing this bid, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief that it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency. As required by G.S.

14348.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this IFB, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system. Failure to execute/sign bid prior to submittal shall render bid invalid and it WILL BE REJECTED. Late bids will not be accepted.

BIDDER: FEDERAL ID OR SOCIAL SECURITY

NO.

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE

NUMBER:

FAX NUMBER:

TYPE OR PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: TITLE

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: E-MAIL:

Offer valid for 60 days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated. After this time, any withdrawal of offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this IFB.

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The intent of this request is to obtain contract bids for Pest Control Services to encompass all properties owned and operated by Guilford County Schools. All products and/or services rendered by the vendor must meet all requirements outlined in this request and be completely satisfactory to Guilford County Schools.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

This IFB is comprised of the base bid document, any attachments, and any addenda released before contract award. All attachments and addenda released for this IFB in advance of any Contract award are incorporated herein by reference. Bids shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this IFB and any addenda issued hereto.

TAXES

Guilford County Schools is NOT tax-exempt. Unless otherwise indicated, tax must be computed and added to your bid. Any itemized shipping charges are also subject to tax. When invoiced, tax should be invoiced as a separate line item.

INSURANCE

Certificate of Insurance Each vendor shall furnish GCS a certificate of insurance showing that the required workmen's compensation and public liability insurance are carried by the Contractor. The certificate of insurance should show that it is issued to or at the request of the Guilford County Board of Education, Greensboro, North Carolina. All insurance carriers shall be licensed to do business in North Carolina or approved to issue insurance coverage by the Commission of Insurance of North Carolina.

The certificate of insurance shall include substantially the following provision: The insurance policies to which this certificate refers shall not be altered or canceled until after ten (10) days' written notice of such cancellation or alteration has been sent by certified mail to the Guilford County Board of Education, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Public Liability Insurance The vendor shall maintain public liability insurance covering his liability for bodily injury and property damage which may arise from his operations, contractual obligations, products and completed operations, as well as operations performed by independent contractors, in not less than the following amounts:

1. A combined single limit (CSL) of $1,000,000 each occurrence, or

2. A $1,000,000 limit for Bodily Injury Liability, and $1,000,000 limit for Property Damage Liability.

An occurrence form of policy will be required, and the certificate of insurance submitted by the Contractor must be personally signed by a resident licensed agent of each of the companies listed on that form.

Worker's Compensation Insurance The Contractor shall maintain during the life of his contract all such workmen's compensation insurance as is or may be required by the laws of North Carolina.

Terms and Conditions

It shall be the vendor’s responsibility to read the instructions, terms and conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this IFB and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors also are responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued relating to this IFB.

All bidders are hereby notified that they must have the proper license as required under the North Carolina laws. The award of a contract under this solicitation may be paid with federal funding. Funding is contingent upon compliance with all terms and conditions of funding award. All prospective contractors shall comply with all applicable federal laws, regulations, executive orders, FEMA requirements and the terms and conditions of the funding award. In addition, contractors providing submittals shall be responsible for complying with state law and local ordinances.

3.0 SPECIFIC INFORMATION

PRE-BID CONFERENCE – No conference.

IFB QUESTIONS

Upon review of the IFB documents, vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the IFB to submit the best bid possible. To accommodate the bid questions process, vendors shall submit any such questions by email to Alonzo Salter at saltera4@gcsnc.com, no later than 1:00PM, on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. All questions and responses will be posted in an addendum on the GCS website (i.e., see Bid Documents Section for website information). Questions and responses will be posted by 4:00PM on Friday, October 2, 2026.

Instructions:

Written questions shall be submitted by the date and time specified above. Vendors must enter “IFB# 6849 - Questions” as the subject for the email. Questions should include a reference to the applicable IFB section and be submitted in the format shown below:

Reference Vendor Question

IFB Section, Page Number Vendor question…?

No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any GCS personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise regarding this IFB, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall be entitled to rely only on written material contained in an addendum to this

IFB.

IFB DOCUMENTS

IFB documents and related information will be available on the Guilford County Schools website:

http://purchasing.gcsnc.com/BidCurrent/PurchasingQuoteList.aspx. Please locate #6849 and click on the PDF files listed under Scope of Work.

IFB SUBMITTAL

Bids, subject to the conditions made a part hereof and the receipt requirements described below, shall be received by the Guilford County Schools Purchasing Department via mail or in person at 714 Green Valley Road, Greensboro, NC 27408, or via email to Alonzo Salter at saltera4@gcsnc.com, as described herein. It is the responsibility of the bidder to have the bid delivered via mail, in person, or electronically by the specified time and date of the designated deadline. Bids submitted via facsimile machine (FAX) or any means other than those specified will not be accepted.

SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

MAIL TO or IN PERSON:

IFB# 6849

Guilford County Schools Purchasing Department 714 Green Valley Road Greensboro, NC 27408 ATTN: Alonzo Salter

NOTE: Bids delivered in person must be presented at the reception desk to be officially time-stamped.

BY EMAIL:

Subject: IFB# 6849 Alonzo Salter Saltera4@gcsnc.com

BRAND NAME

Unless otherwise indicated, manufacturer names and model numbers specified are used for purposes of identifying and establishing general quality level desired. Such references are not intended to be restrictive and comparable products of other manufacturers will be considered.

The specifications following are the minimum acceptable by Guilford County Schools. Any deviations from the specifications shall be so stated in writing in the bidder’s response. Please include in your response manufacturers’ model numbers along with prices of items offered. Submit complete descriptive literature and specifications on all items offered. Bids which fail to comply may be subject to rejection.

REFERENCES

Guilford County Schools reserves the right to require upon request a list of references from other school districts or similar service agencies for which the company has provided the services or goods solicited in this IFB. GCS may contact these users to determine quality level. Such information may be considered in the evaluation of the bid.

TRANSPORTATION CHARGES

Free on board (FOB) to designated sites in Guilford County, NC, with all transportation charges prepaid and included in the bid price.

4.0 AWARD AND BID EVALUATION

REVIEW AND AWARD

It is the intent of Guilford County Schools (GCS) to award this IFB to the responsible bidder(s) who best matches the needs of the school system. GCS reserves the right to reject any or all bids presented and to waive any informalities and irregularities. Award of this bid may be in whole or in part as deemed to be in the best interest of GCS. All projects are awarded contingent upon funding.

No bid may be withdrawn after the scheduled closing time for the receipt of bids for a period of 120 days.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

All qualified bids will be evaluated, and award will be made based on consideration of the following criteria; the lowest responsive, responsible bidder or best value analysis.

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS

GENERAL SCOPE:

It is the intent of this IFB to obtain contract bids for Pest Control Services to encompass all properties owned and operated by Guilford County Schools. All products and/or services rendered by the vendor must meet all requirements of this invitation and be completely satisfactory to Guilford County Schools.

By submission of a bid, the Contractor acknowledges that he/she has a complete understanding of the required scope of work, either as defined herein or as described orally by the designated representative.

GENERAL LICENSING & INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS:

The Contractor must have a current legal license for all work specified in the contract, from the State of North Carolina and a current city and/or county business license, if required, and is expected to perform all work with competent licensed/certified personnel. All work is to be coordinated with the Guilford County Schools representative, Program Administrator II Health/Safety, Todd Ebert, or his designee. The contractor must provide and keep in effect the entire contract period a current license, issued by the State of North Carolina, stating the areas in which your company is licensed by the State to work. The contractor must provide and keep on file with the owner a current "Permit", issued by the State of North Carolina, showing the particular certification for the person performing the specific work in reference to this contract. Contractor must provide General Liability insurance in the amount of $1,000,000.00 and Vehicle Insurance in the amount of $500,000.00 per vehicle, through a company that is licensed and authorized by the State of North Carolina to do business in North Carolina. The Contractor must be capable and willing to provide all the services contained in this contract.

GENERAL WORK REQUIREMENTS:

The Contractor shall provide all labor and equipment required and/or implied for the complete and satisfactory performance of Pest Control services for Guilford County Schools. The control of pests shall be performed in a safe manner and in accordance with the most modern and effective scientific pest control principles of IPM (Integrated Pest Management). IPM is a process for achieving long-term, environmentally sound pest suppression and prevention through the use of a wide variety of technological and management practices

The Contractor employees shall report to the main office at each facility to sign in upon arrival.

Each visit to any Guilford County Schools facility will be accompanied by a copy of the GCS work order describing pest control need. This will need to be presented upon arrival at the facility. Upon completion of any and all action(s), documentation of the visit must be provided and signed by a staff member of the facility visited. Information provided should include services performed, pest activities observed and recommendations for pest prevention. A copy of this form is to be sent to the Building Services Health/Safety administrator and is also to be included with the invoice.

The Contractor shall bring to the attention of Guilford County Schools any conditions that are conducive to the breeding or harborage of pests and otherwise assist Guilford County Schools by providing recommendations on correcting these conditions and providing educational materials to educate staff about how their actions affect pest management.

The Contractor shall ensure that all workmanship be of a quality grade accepted as the best management practices of the Pest Management Profession involved and as stipulated in written standards of recognized Pest Control organizations or institutes.

The Contractor shall ensure that the Pest Control program emphasizes monitoring for pest presence and the targeted use of appropriate pesticides, rather than simply routine preventive spraying without identifying a need for the use of pesticides. Routine service to any facility must include monitoring/assessing of pest populations before a decision is made to use pesticides.

Pesticide application can only be performed during periods when students are not on campus.

Normally, application would be performed at the end of the school day after 3:30 pm, although this may be subject to vary depending on dismissal times for particular schools.

The Contractor shall ensure that all pest control materials shall be used in strict accordance with product labels, manufacturer’s instructions and with state or local ordinances with all due precaution to obviate the possibility of accident to humans, domestic animals, pets, and wildlife.

The Contractor shall furnish Guilford County Schools a certified list of materials used for pest control, along with copies of the most recent complete EPA-approved label and a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each. The Contractor will also be responsible for providing the EPA approved labels and MSDS sheets before using any new products.

The Contractor shall ensure where pressurized sprayers are used, that the Contractor will use only insecticides that are considered to be “odorless” or of negligible odor and will not damage any treated/exposed surfaces. The Contractor shall be responsible for cleaning, repairing, or replacing any surface damaged due to negligence or misuse of materials.

The Contractor shall ensure that all personnel providing services under the contract are readily identifiable as employees of said Contractor with appropriate uniforms and identification badges.

The Contractor shall promptly respond to all service requests. Emergency service requests shall normally be provided within 24 hours of request or the shortest amount of time appropriate for the situation.

Guilford County Schools reserves the right to inspect all work performed under the terms of this contract to determine whether service is satisfactory. Failure to satisfactorily perform any service outlined herein shall be grounds for cancellation of said contract.

Guilford County Schools reserves the right to order changes in the work consisting of additions, deletions, or other revisions within the general scope of the contract.

SCOPE OF SERVICE CHARGES:

Request to Contractor to provide general pricing structure including material and labor as well as all necessary taxes, permitting costs and other administrative costs for control of the following;

1. Indoor populations of insects, arachnids, and arthropods. Include fee structure for any species that require additional charges for material and/or labor such as fire or Pharaoh ants, millipedes, yellow jackets, flies, and mites.

2. Indoor populations of rodents.

3. Outdoor populations of potentially indoor-infesting species that are within 3 yards of specified buildings.

4. Nests of stinging insects within the property boundaries.

5. Individuals of all excluded pest populations that are incidental invaders inside the specified buildings.

6. Individuals and populations of vertebrates (other than rodents) including birds and bats.

Measures must conform to the regulations of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission regarding the “taking” of wildlife and the need for any permits to take such vertebrates.

7. Termite infestations

8. Other pest control service requests as needed will be managed with written quotation clearly identifying charges.

6.0 PRICING SHEET

Pest Control Pricing Matrix

Please follow scope of service charge descripƟon 1-7 as noted in IFB as much as possible.

Scope

Name (print)

Signature

Company name

Date ___________________________________________________

DescripƟon Labor cost/hr

Material cost/lb or oz

Permit cost if any

General admin fee as %

Required taxes as %

Removing Indoor populaƟons of insects

Removing Indoor populaƟons of rodents

Removing Outdoor populaƟons of potenƟally indoor-infesƟng species

Removing Nests of sƟnging insects

Removing Incidental invaders inside the specified buildings

Removing Individuals and populaƟons of vertebrates such as birds or bats

TreaƟng area for Termites

Other

Guilford County Schools

Building Services Department

SPECIFIED TERMS AND CONDITIONS

o All workers need to have required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) per OSHA standards.

All requirements relevant to COVID 19 restrictions in effect at the time the work is performed must be followed.

Terms of Contract

• Change in the Work. The GCS reserves the right to cancel the contract, or any part thereof, to make any additions or deletions in the number of sites served or without invalidating the contract, upon a thirty-day written notice to the contractor. The charge for the addition or deletion shall be on an equitable basis satisfactory to GCS and the contractor.

• Performance and Default If the contractor fails to satisfactorily provide service in accordance with the Terms and Conditions at any point of this agreement, GCS may cancel the contract upon fifteen (15) days written notice. GCS may then seek to procure the same service from the next lowest bidder for this contract. The contractor may be held responsible for any excess cost occasioned thereby.

• Termination for Convenience. GCS shall have the right, without assigning any reason thereof, to terminate any work under the Contract Documents, in whole or in part, at any time at its complete discretion by providing 10 days’ notice in writing from GCS to Contractor. If the Contract is terminated by GCS in accordance with this paragraph, Contractor will be paid in an amount which bears the same ratio to the total compensation as does the Services actually performed to the total originally contemplated in the Contract. GCS will not be liable to Contractor for any costs for completed services, services in process or materials acquired or contracted for, if such costs were incurred prior to the date of this Contract.

• Contract Funding. It is understood and agreed between Contractor and GCS that GCS's obligation under the Contract is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for Contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of GCS for any payment may arise until funds are made available to GCS's Chief Finance Officer and until Contractor receives notice of such availability. Should such funds not be appropriated or allocated, the Contract shall immediately be terminated. GCS shall not be liable to Contractor for damages of any kind (general, special, consequential or exemplary) as a result of such termination.

• Contract Transfer. Contractor shall not assign, subcontract or otherwise transfer any interest in the Contract without the prior written approval of GCS.

• Contract Modifications. The Contract may be amended only by written amendment duly executed by both GCS and Contractor. However, minor modifications may be made by GCS Director of Building Services or his Designated Representative to take advantage of unforeseen opportunities that: (a) do not change the intent of the Contract or the scope of Contractor's performance; (b) do not increase Contractor's total compensation or method of payment; and (c) either improve the overall quality of the product or service to GCS without increasing the cost, or reduce the total cost of the product or service without reducing the quantity or quality. All such minor modifications to the Contract must be recorded in writing and signed by both the GCS Director or his Designated Representative and Contractor, and placed on file with the Contract. No price adjustments will be made unless the procedure has been included in the Contract and a maximum allowable amount stipulated.

Warranties. Seller warrants that all Materials and Services delivered hereunder will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for one year from the installation date. This warranty shall survive any inspection, delivery, acceptance or payment by GCS of the Services and shall run to GCS and any user of the services. This express warranty is in addition to Seller's implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose which shall not be disclaimed. In addition to any other rights available at law or equity, GCS shall be entitled to all rights and remedies provided by the Uniform Commercial Code Chapter 25 of the North Carolina General Statutes for breach of express warranties and implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, including but not limited to consequential and incidental damages.

Invoicing Invoices are to reflect material, labor and taxes (if applicable) cost as separate items. Separate invoices are to be submitted for each of the sites within thirty days of completion of the pest control services effort. All invoices must include the purchase order number and work order number, which will be provided by Guilford County Schools Building Services Department. Invoices are to be e-mailed to Todd Ebert at ebertj@gcsnc.com.

Taxes. Any applicable taxes shall be invoiced as a separate item on the invoices.

Damages. The contractor is responsible for repairing all damages his organization causes to any school property during the performance of the service.

Safety Precautions. The contractor shall cooperate with the GCS in complying with any OSHA and local fire ordinances and regulations.

Protection of Property.

• The contractor shall take all necessary precautions to protect the GCS' property from damage, injury or loss arising in connection with the prosecution of this work. All necessary safety precautions shall be taken by the contractor during operations on school property to prevent bodily injury or property damage.

• Contractor is to isolate the work site, as much as possible, from students/public by means of ropes, fencing, barricades, etc.

Affirmative Action. The contractor shall take affirmative action in complying with all Federal and State requirements conceding fair employment of the handicapped, and the treatment of all employees, without regard or discrimination by reason of race, color, religion, sex, national origin or physical handicap.

Certificate of Insurance

• The contractor shall furnish the owner a certificate of insurance showing that the required workmen's compensation and public liability insurance are both carried by the contractor.

The certificate of insurance shall show it is issued to or at the request of the Guilford County Schools, Greensboro, North Carolina. All insurance carriers shall be licensed to do business in North Carolina or approved to issue insurance coverage by the Commissioner of Insurance of North Carolina.

• The certificate of insurance shall include substantially the following provision: The insurance policies to which this certificate refers shall not be altered or canceled until ten (10) days written notice of such cancellation or alteration has been sent by certified mail to GCS, Greensboro, North Carolina.

• Insurance Rejection. GCS reserves the right to reject any carrier of insurance shown in the certificate of insurance by the contractor on the grounds of poor claim service or financial responsibility.

Indemnification.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless the GCS and the agents, consultants and employees of the GCS from and against all claims, damages, losses and expenses, including, but not limited to, attorneys' fees, arising out of or resulting from the performance or failure of performance of the contractor, provided that any such claim, damage, loss or expense (l) is attributable to bodily injury, sickness, disease or death, or to injury to or destruction of tangible property including the loss of use resulting there from, and (2) is caused in whole or in part by any negligent act or omission of the contractor, the contractor's subcontractor, or the agents of either the contractor or the contractor's subcontractor. Such obligation shall not be construed to negate, abridge, or otherwise reduce any other right or obligation of indemnity which would otherwise exist as to any party or. person described in this item.

Contractor’s personnel

• Background Checks. At the request of GCS Director or his designated Representative, Contractor (if an individual) or any individual employees of Contractor shall submit to GCS criminal background check and drug testing procedures.

• Uniforms. All employees of the Contractor will be required to wear neat, clean, logoed uniform or shirt bearing the company name and individual's name during duty hours.

• The Contractor shall see that all employees wear their badges on the outside of their uniform at all times when in School System building or premises. o Identification Badges. The Contractor shall see that every employee on the Contractor's work force is provided an identification badge and/or company logoed uniform or shirt which shall be worn while on school system property.

• Vehicles. Vehicles must be marked with company name and logo. Contractor Technicians shall be employees of the company. The Contractor shall provide sufficient service vehicles and technicians to be available to perform work at various GCS and support facilities.

• Prohibit Interaction. The Contractor shall strictly prohibit interaction between their employees and the student and employee population.

• Security Standards. The Contractor shall adhere to security standards as established by the Guilford County Schools.

• Behavior. Proper behavior and language by all employees of the Contractor on school property is strictly required. The Guilford County Schools will not tolerate behavior that is not conducive to an educational facility.

• Guilford County Schools reserves the right to remove any employee permanently without cause.

• Prohibit Use of Products. The contractor shall see that every employee on the contractor's work force adheres to the GCS policy which prohibits the use of tobacco products or drugs on or in any school property, or at any school sponsored activity or event (regardless of location).

ATTACHMENT (C)

BIDDER'S REFERENCE SHEET

CLIENT DESCRIPTION OF

SERVICES

PERSON TO

CONTACT

PHONE NUMBER

Bidder’s name__________________________________________

GUILFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS & GENERAL REOUIREMENTS

REOUIRED WORK SCHEDULE

Prior to beginning work, the contractor is to provide a schedule that defines the construction effort. Work is to be completed as per the approved project schedule, unless revised by the Guilford County Schools (GCS) Maintenance or Facilities Department. Work may begin when a Notice to Proceed is given. The NTP may be a phone call from a GCS Maintenance or Facilities Department Representative, with a verbal PO number, followed by a written notice to proceed and/or actual PO.

PERMITS

The Contractor is responsible for obtaining all required permits and for having and ensuring all applicable certification requirements are met prior to the start of the work. The cost of any required permits is also the responsibility of the Contractor.

ASBESTOS:

The Contractor is advised that no representation is made by the Owner that the work site is completely free of asbestos-containing materials. Reasonable steps have been taken by the Owner to identify any such asbestos containing materials; however, the Contractor is hereby notified that if any suspect materials are encountered, the following steps are to be taken:

• Stop work immediately.

• Rope off the work site to prevent anyone from contacting suspect materials.

• Contact the Owner and describe what was found.

• Comply with requirements of 29 CFR Part 1926 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry.

SITE CONDITIONS UNDERGROUND UTILITIES

It is the responsibility of the Contractor to become familiar with the specific conditions at the worksite. The Contractor is responsible for locating and marking all public and private underground utilities. Once marked, it is the Contractor's responsibility to maintain markings for reference. If the Contractor damages any underground utility, the Contractor must arrange for repair of the damage at their cost. The Contractor must also isolate the work site as much as possible from students/public by means of ropes, fencing, barricades, etc.

DIGGING:

Any required digging must be done Monday-Friday from the hours of 7:00 am until 4:00pm UNLESS other times are approved by project manager.

SOIL DISRUPTION

l. The Contractor will ensure that all holes are refilled and compacted (minimum 95%) in 6" intervals and the area disrupted by his effort is leveled and re-seeded.

2. The Contractor shall avoid driving across sidewalks, grass or other non-vehicular areas. Where vehicular access cannot be avoided, the Contractor shall be responsible for repairing and reseeding these areas to the Owner's satisfaction. The Contractor shall notify the school principal or GCS representative prior to crossing non-vehicular areas.

TRASH

All trash, construction debris, etc., should be removed from the site daily or stored safely in a container belonging to the contractor.

DAMAGES

The contractor is responsible for repairing all damages his organization causes to any GCS property during the performance of the work.

CHANGE ORDERS

When unforeseen conditions require modifications to the Contract, the Contractor must propose changes by submitting a request for a change to the Owner (GCS). This request must include the following:

l. A statement outlining the reasons for the change and the effect of the change on the contract total cost and time for completion. The request is to provide a detailed description of the proposed change.

2. A list of required products, quantities needed, and unit cost, with the total amount of purchases to be made.

3. Applicable taxes, delivery charges, equipment rental, and amounts of trade discounts

The GCS representative must accept the proposed changes and give a notice to proceed to the Contractor prior to any Change Order work being performed. This notice may be either verbal or written; HOWEVER, verbal change orders are only authorized for amounts of $500.00 or less.

PROJECT DELAYS

The Contractor will be responsible for contacting the GCS PM when a delay is anticipated. The PM will evaluate the cause and make a recommendation to his/her supervisor if the delay justifies an extension of time in completing the project. If the delay is deemed warranted and an extension is granted, the PM shall notify the Contractor in writing.

PROJECT DEFAULT

If the Contractor defaults or neglects to carry out the work in accordance with the project specifications or fails to provide adequate manpower, material, or resources within 48 hours of written notice of default by Owner, GCS may correct such deficiencies, or provide adequate manpower, material, and resources (including supplementing the Contractor's workforce). In such cases, an appropriate change order shall be issued deducting from current or future payments due the Contractor to include the actual cost of correcting such deficiencies, or providing adequate manpower, material, and resources including all other expenses GCS incurs. GCS may withhold payments to the Contractor until the cost of correction is determined. If payments due to the Contractor are not sufficient to cover such amounts, the Contractor's surety shall pay the difference to GCS.

INSPECTIONS

The contractor is to notify the GCS Building Services Point of Contact or Facilities Department project manager of all inspection dates and times involving the services of all certifying agencies.

The contractor will determine, within the specified contract period, when work is completed and ready for owner's acceptance inspection. At the acceptance inspection, the GCS representative will, if warranted, record a list of discrepancies that will be used to identify work that is incomplete or not in accordance with the specifications. This list of discrepancies is to be known as the punch list. At conclusion of the final inspection, the owner (Guilford County Schools) shall make the following determination:

l. That the project is complete and accepted.

2.That the project is accepted subject to resolution of the punch list. Correction of work not in accordance with specifications or determined to be unacceptable shall begin within 48 hours after receipt of notice from the owner or inspector and shall be pursued to completion.

3.That the project is not accepted and another date for a final inspection will be identified.

WORKSITE CONDUCT

The contractor shall at all times obey the rules and restrictions of the Guilford County Board of Education pertaining to conduct while on school property. NO TOBACCO PRODUCTS, ALCOHOLIC

BEVERAGES OR WEAPONS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY.

Due to the commitment to a drug and alcohol-free workplace, it is also the policy of the Guilford County Schools that the work environment shall be free of the presence of alcoholic beverages or unlawful controlled substances and that contractor's employees shall perform their job assignment(s) safely, efficiently, and without the adverse influence of alcohol or controlled substances. Therefore, the school system prohibits all employees from possessing, using, manufacturing, dispensing, selling, distributing, or being under the influence of illegal drugs and from the use, sale, distribution or possession of drug paraphernalia. All employees are prohibited from unlawfully possessing, using, manufacturing, dispensing, selling, distributing, or being under the influence of alcohol.

IDENTIFICATION

When on GCS property, the contractor and all persons performing work for him shall wear some form of identification showing the company name or logo, either by identification badge or by clothing (shirts, uniforms, hats) with the company name or logo.

SPECIAL REOUIREMENTS REGARDING CRIMINAL BACKGROUND

A. Criminal Background Investigations of individuals working on school property (sites occupied with students and sites not occupied with students).

B. At a minimum, the contractor shall obtain a complete North Carolina statewide criminal background investigation for all employees and subcontractors who will work on this project, covering a period for the last seven (7) years. In the event that the contractor or subcontractor is from out of state, the criminal background investigation shall be broadened to include their home state, as well as the state of North Carolina as outlined above. The company providing such information must be recognized by local law enforcement agency as qualified to do so. All costs associated with these criminal background checks is the responsibility of the contractor.

Each prime contractor will be responsible for all their employees and all of their subcontractors working under them.

On sites that are occupied with students and staff, a daily sign-in sheet will be presented by each prime contractor to the principal and SRO — Student Resource Officer by 9:00 a.m. each morning.

If there is no SRO — provide to the Principal. This list will contain the name of each person on site and the company they work for.

C. Any individual with the following criminal convictions or pending charges will NOT be permitted on any school project or property.

l. Child Molestation or Abuse or indecent liberties with a child;

2. Rape;

3. Any Sexually Oriented Crime;

4. Drugs: Felony use, possession or distribution;

5. Murder, manslaughter or other death related charge; or

6. Assault with a deadly weapon or assault with intent to kill.

D. Any individual with a prior conviction or pending charges contained in the aforementioned list, shall be banned (not allowed) from any school project or property.

E. Each person on site must wear a plastic laminated identification badge that identifies the name of the company and the person's name. These badges are to be computer produced at a font large enough to be clearly visible. All costs associated with these criminal background checks is the responsibility of the contractor.

The ID badge template will be made available to the successful prime contractors at the Pre-Construction Meeting.

F. Guilford County Schools, may, at any time, request verification of criminal background investigation for any employee or subcontractor on school property.

7.0 Term of the Contract

This contract covers the Guilford County Schools 2026-2027 Traditional Academic Calendar beginning the date the contract is signed by both parties, through June 30, 2027, with the option to renew for four (4) additional one-year periods, beginning July 1, 2027, if pricing and all other factors are satisfactory to both parties. Requested price increases must be negotiated and approved by both the owner and the vendor.

INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

1. READ, REVIEW AND COMPLY: It shall be the bidder’s responsibility to read this entire document, review all enclosures and attachments, and comply with all requirements specified herein.

2. NOTICE TO BIDDERS: All bids are subject to the provisions of the Instructions to Bidders, special terms and conditions specific to this Invitation for Bid, the specifications, and the North Carolina General Contract Terms and Conditions.

The Guilford County Schools (GCS) objects to and will not evaluate or consider any additional terms and conditions submitted with a bidder response. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the bidder’s response. DO NOT ATTACH ANY ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS. By execution and delivery of this document, the bidder agrees that any additional terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect.

3. DEFINITIONS:

• BIDDER: Company, firm, corporation, partnership, individual, etc., submitting a response to a Invitation for

Bids.

• TERM CONTRACT: A contract generally intended to cover all normal requirements for a commodity for a specified period of time based on estimated quantities only.

• STATEWIDE TERM CONTRACT: A term Contract for all agencies, unless exempted by statute, rule, or special term and condition specific to this bid.

• AGENCY SPECIFIC TERM CONTRACT: A Term Contract for a specific agency.

• OPEN MARKET CONTRACT: A contract for the purchase of a commodity not covered by a term contract.

4. EXECUTION: Failure to sign under EXECUTION section will render Bid invalid.

5. ORDER OF PRECEDENCE: In cases of conflict between specific provisions in this bid, the order of precedence shall be (1) special terms and conditions specific to this bid, (2) specifications, (3) North Carolina General Contract Terms and Conditions, and (4) Instructions to Bidders.

6. TIME FOR CONSIDERATION: Unless otherwise indicated on the first page of this document, bidder’s offer shall be valid for 45 days from the date of bid opening. Preference may be given to bids allowing not less than 45 days for consideration and acceptance.

7. PROMPT PAYMENT DISCOUNTS: Bidders are urged to compute all discounts into the price offered. If a prompt payment discount is offered, it will not be considered in the award of the contract except as a factor to aid in resolving cases of identical prices.

8. SPECIFICATIONS: Any deviation from specifications indicated herein must be clearly pointed out; otherwise, it will be considered that items offered are in strict compliance with these specifications, and bidder will be held responsible therefore. Deviations shall be explained in detail. The bidder shall not construe this paragraph as inviting deviation or implying that any deviation will be acceptable.

9. INFORMATION AND DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE: Bidder is to furnish all information requested and in the spaces provided in this document. Further, if required elsewhere in this bid, each bidder must submit with their Bid sketches, descriptive literature and/or complete specifications covering the products offered. Reference to literature submitted with a previous Bid will not satisfy this provision. Bids which do not comply with these requirements will be subject to rejection.

10. RECYCLING AND SOURCE REDUCTION: It is the policy of this State to encourage and promote the purchase of products with recycled content to the extent economically practicable, and to purchase items which are reusable, refillable, repairable, more durable, and less toxic to the extent that the purchase or use is practicable and cost-effective.

We also encourage and promote using minimal packaging and the use of recycled/recyclable products in the packaging of commodities purchased. However, no sacrifice in quality of packaging will be acceptable. The company remains responsible for providing packaging that will protect the commodity and contain it for its intended use.

Companies are strongly urged to bring to the attention of the purchasers in the Division of Purchase and Contract those products or packaging they offer which have recycled content and that are recyclable.

11. CLARIFICATIONS/INTERPRETATIONS: Any and all questions regarding this document must be addressed to the purchaser named on the cover sheet of this document. Do not contact the user directly. Any and all revisions to this document shall be made only by written addendum from the Division of Purchase and Contract. The bidder is cautioned that the requirements of this bid can be altered only by written addendum and that verbal communications from whatever source are of no effect.

12. ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION: GCS reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive any informality in bids and, unless otherwise specified by the bidder, to accept any item in the bid. If either a unit price or extended price is obviously in error and the other is obviously correct, the incorrect price will be disregarded.

13. REFERENCES: GCS reserves the right to require a list of users of the exact item offered. GCS may contact these users to determine acceptability of the Bid. Such information may be considered in the evaluation of the Bid.

14. TAXES:

• FEDERAL: All agencies participating in this contract are exempt from Federal Taxes, such as excise and transportation. Exemption forms submitted by the contractor will be executed and returned by the using agency.

• OTHER: Prices offered are not to include any personal property taxes, nor any sales or use tax (or fees) unless required by the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

• Any applicable taxes shall be invoiced as a separate item.

15. AWARD OF CONTRACT: As directed by statute, qualified bids will be evaluated and acceptance may be made of the lowest and best Bid most advantageous to GCS as determined upon consideration of such factors as: prices offered; the quality of the articles offered; the general reputation and performance capabilities of the bidders; the substantial conformity with the specifications and other conditions set forth in the Bid; the suitability of the articles for the intended use; the related services needed; the date or dates of delivery and performance; and such other factors deemed by GCS to be pertinent or peculiar to the purchase in question. Unless otherwise specified by GCS or the bidder, GCS reserves the right to accept any item or group of items on a multi-item Bid. In addition, on TERM CONTRACTS, GCS reserves the right to make partial, progressive or multiple awards:

where it is advantageous to award separately by items; or where more than one supplier is needed to provide the contemplated requirements as to quantity, quality, delivery, service, geographical areas; other factors deemed by GCS to be pertinent or peculiar to the purchase in question.

All contracts are awarded contingent upon the availability of funds.

16. HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES: Pursuant to General Statute 143-48 and Executive Order

#150, GCS invites and encourages participation in this procurement process by businesses owned by minorities, women, disabled, disabled business enterprises and non-profit work centers for the blind and severely disabled.

17. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: As provided by statute and rule, the GCS will consider keeping trade secrets which the bidder does not wish disclosed confidential. Each page shall be identified in boldface at the top and bottom as “CONFIDENTIAL” by the bidder. Cost information shall not be deemed confidential. In spite of what is labeled as a trade secret, the determination whether it is or not will be determined by North Carolina law.

18. SAMPLES: Sample of items, when required, must be furnished as stipulated herein, free of expense, and if not destroyed will, upon request be returned at the bidder’s expense. Request for the return of samples must be made within 10 days following date of Bid opening. Otherwise the samples will become GCS property. Each individual sample must be labeled with the bidder’s name, Bid number, and item number. A sample on which an award is made, will be retained until the contract is completed, and then returned, if requested, as specified above.

19. PROTEST PROCEDURES: When an offeror wants to protest a contract awarded pursuant to this solicitation, that is over $10,000, they must submit a written request to the GCS Purchasing Officer at the address given in the solicitation document entitled “Mailing Instructions”. This request must be received in the Purchasing Department r within (5) consecutive business days of the e-mail notification to the offeror of GCS’ intent to maintain the original award. The offeror must submit a written protest letter to the GCS Purchasing Officer. This letter must contain specific reasons and any supporting documentation for the protest.

20. MISCELLANEOUS: Masculine pronouns shall be read to include feminine pronouns, and the singular of any word or phrase shall be read to include the plural and vice versa.

21. DEFAULT AND PERFORMANCE BOND: In case of default by the contractor, Guilford County Schools (GCS) may procure the articles or services from other sources and hold the contractor responsible for any excess cost occasioned thereby. GCS reserves the right to require performance bond or other acceptable alternative guarantees from successful bidder without expense to GCS.

22. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS REGARDING CRIMINAL BACKGROUND

A. Criminal Background Investigations of individuals working on school property (sites occupied with students and sites not occupied with students).

B. At a minimum, the contractor shall obtain a complete North Carolina statewide criminal background investigation for all employees and subcontractors who will work on this project, covering a period for the last seven (7) years. If the contractor or subcontractor is from out of state, the criminal background investigation shall be broadened to include their home state, as well as the state of North Carolina as outlined above. The company providing such information must be recognized by local law enforcement agency as qualified to do

so. All costs associated with these criminal background checks is the responsibility of the contractor.

Each prime contractor will be responsible for all their employees and all of their subcontractors working under them.

On sites that are occupied with students and staff, a daily sign-in sheet will be presented by each prime contractor to the principal and SRO – Student Resource Officer by 9:00 a.m. each morning. If there is no SRO

– provide to the Principal. This list will contain the name of each person on site and the…