Plants_Statement of Work_amendedAug25.docx

Statement of Work Plant Management and Care Services

Introduction/Background The NIH Clinical Center – defined as Warren Grant Magnuson, Ambulatory Care Research Facility (ACRF) and the Clinical Research Center (CRC) – consists of 3.5 million square feet of mixed occupancy space in three congruent buildings on the NIH campus. The Clinical Center (CC) is a 200 bed clinical research hospital servicing the needs of the NIH Intramural Research Program by providing a safe and effective environment for the care and treatment of patients participating in structured biomedical research protocols. The CC employs approximately 2,000 employees, across 30 different departments. The Clinical Center Complex consists of 3.5 million square feet of mixed occupancy space in three congruent buildings on campus.

The Office of Communications and Media Relations (OCMR) promotes and supports the research and services of the CC through communication endeavors for many audiences, including staff, patients, researchers and trainees, students, allied and medical healthcare professionals, media the general public and members of Congress.

Currently within the CC, OCMR requires a contractor who will install and maintain, move and/or remove upon request, interior plants in the hospital and the Edmond J. Safra Lodge (Building 65). The contractor shall furnish all necessary services, labor, qualified personnel, material, equipment and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, to provide plants and maintenance procedures for live and silk interior and flowering plants as specified in this SOW. The Contractor will be responsible for beautifying the hospital and Safra Family Lodge during the holiday season with live poinsettia and other seasonal displays in the NIH Clinical Center.

Scope and Requirements The contractor must be headquartered or have service locations within the Washington Metropolitan area. The contractor shall be familiar with the project premises and how the existing conditions will be affected by the installation of plants or the performance of horticultural services.

The contractor shall provide all necessary trained, experienced and skilled personnel, materials, supplies and equipment necessary. This program shall provide for a neat, well-kept appearance and optimum health of the interior plants. The work shall consist of caring for and maintaining the existing plant material, both live and silk. It shall also consist of removing plants, cleaning existing planters and installing new live or silk plants as needed. The current inventory of plants is identified in Attachment 1.

As a research hospital, the Clinical Center must avoid plants that can have an impact on immuno-compromised patients and/or their care. The contractor must also be aware of changing guidelines from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Joint Commission to ensure that there isn’t an impact on the Clinical Center’s Joint Commission accreditation.

The contractor will be required to provide the following services:

1. Interior Plant Care Provide an interior plant maintenance program in the buildings specified above.

a) Care for and maintain the living plants and flowers, including:

i) watering,

ii) fertilizing,

iii) pruning,

iv) removing dead or damaged leaves,

v) replacing dead, dying or otherwise unattractive plants,

vi) adding mulch,

vii) removing trash from planters, and

viii) implementing appropriate insect and disease control as prescribed and/or approved by the NIH Pest Management office.

b) Care for and maintain the silk plants, including:

i) Dusting,

ii) Adding mulch,

iii) Removing trash from planters, and

iv) Ensuring a neat and clean appearance at all times.

2. Foliage Plants

a) Specifications for foliage plant standards:

The Contractor shall provide plants of the quality and size equal to or surpassing Foliage No. 1 grade as described in the Interior Plant Specifications section of A Guide to Specifications for Interior Landscaping, 2003. Plant material shall have the following general characteristics:

i) Shall be visibly free of pests and pathogens which could, by their presence, induce or contribute to the decline of the plant.

ii) Shall be reasonably free of conspicuous scarring evidence. Scars, conspicuous or not, must be substantially healed, providing no point of entry for deleterious pathogens or boring insects. There must be no splitting of canes or trunks at branching points.

iii) Dead wood and branches shall be removed.

iv) All canes or trunks shall be well formed, sturdy and well rooted, and therefore, stable and self-supporting in the growing container.

v) Plant height shall be measured from the base of the growing container to mean foliage tip.

vi) Cane heights shall always be measured from the base of the growing container to the mean foliage tip.

vii) Shall be reasonably free of any chlorosis, yellowing or poor chlorophyll formation; shall be turgid and substantially erect, as well as substantially free of blemishes resulting from mechanical, chemical, pathological or pest induced damage.

viii) Shall be cleaned of all dust, water-borne pesticide and fertilizer residue at time of acceptance by the Contracting Officers Representative (COR).

ix) The root system shall be well-developed and, upon inspection, shall be visibly free of pests and/or pathogens. Root and stem development shall be as follows:

· Be well distributed throughout the container, such that the roots visibly extend on all sides to the inside face of the growing container. Conversely, the root formation within the container shall not be developed to the point where it becomes excessive (i.e. ‘root-bound’) and prohibits water-absorbing root hairs.

· Afford firm support and ensure physical stability of the plant parts above the soil.

x) The growing medium shall be comprised of such constituents as may be necessary to provide:

· Thorough drainage and satisfactory aeration of the root zone. The soil mass shall be as uniform as possible.

· Adequate moisture and nutrient retention as may be necessary to promote vigorous but controlled plant growth.

· Sufficient density in the growing container to ensure stability of the entire unit (i.e. plant and container).

xi) The growing medium shall be visibly free of pests, pathogens and weeds. In addition, the growing medium shall be free of chemical residuals which could be irritating or harmful to employees, patients or visitors.

xii) All plants provided by the Contractor shall have been established in their present growing containers for a minimum of six months prior to installation. Plants shall not be root-bound. No plants will be accepted by the Government which require permanent staking in order to maintain in an upright position.

xiii) The Contractor shall prepare all plants furnished under this contract by acclimatizing them to lower light, moisture, humidity and fertilization levels in compliance with accepted industry standards.

b) Specifications for maintenance of foliage plant standards (horticultural services):

The Contractor shall provide horticultural services with a weekly program for maintaining the health and appearance of the plants. The program shall be carried out by trained, skilled service technician(s). Maintenance services shall commence with the effective date of the contract and shall include all new plant installations, as well as maintenance of existing plants.

The Contractor shall respond within 48 hours to requests by the COR to perform particular tasks determined to need immediate attention.

At the start of the contract period, the contractor shall evaluate all plants (and containers) throughout the CCC at designated locations to ensure that all plant material is in good health and appearance. Plants listed in Appendix 1 for removal that are in good health and appearance, should be used to replace plants that are diseased, infested or otherwise unattractive. If no suitable location is available, plants listed for removal will be disposed of by the contractor.

Prior to the expiration of each contract period (i.e., base contract year and each option year), the contractor shall ensure that all plant material is in good health and appearance. Plants shall not be infested with insects or diseases, shall be clean, mulched, and shall not have overgrown their container. The Contractor shall be responsible for replacing plants which are not in good health or appearance prior to the expiration of the contract period and final payment by the Government.

c) Services Required for Live Plants Weekly service procedures and functions for live plants shall be as follows:

i) Inspect soil moisture levels and replenish or remove as necessary.

ii) Trim and clean all foliage, remove debris from soil surface and add soil and/or mulch to soil surface.

iii) When necessary, rotate plants relative to any predominant light source in order to maintain an attractive shape to the plant.

iv) Maintain proper growing medium nutrient levels.

v) Clean planters each maintenance visit.

At each visit, the Contractor’s service technician(s) shall report to the COR and/or Contracting Officers Representative (COR) prior to departure from the NIH and shall provide him/her with a visit report describing the services performed such as watering, fertilizing, insect control, pruning, cleaning and adjusting exposure.

Services for live plants will also include removing and disposing or relocating plants and containers as specified by the COR.

The implementation of control measures for pest and disease infestations shall be in strict compliance with all State and Montgomery County, Maryland local regulations. Applicators shall possess a current Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certificate for Category III-I Ornamental (Interior).

SPECIAL NOTE FOR PESTICIDES: Due to hospital, research laboratory and public spaces, the application of any pesticide on premises is strictly prohibited. Plant material found to have insect adults or their eggs shall be immediately removed and replaced with like kind and size material.

3. Holidays Displays

a) Poinsettias The contractor shall provide, install and maintain poinsettias in designated locations throughout the NIH Clinical Center (See Appendix 1 below). Delivery must occur on the first Saturday of December, unless there is mutual agreement by both parties to deliver the seasonal plants on the last Saturday in November. The poinsettias will remain in place through January 1. The contractor will provide all necessary speed covers, deep dish liners and fiberglass containers for the 10” and 12” poinsettia trees which are free standing. The contractor shall deliver, assemble, install (and remove at the end of the display period), and make sure that the work areas are left clean. The existing plants will be removed and cared for off-site at the contractor’s location while the poinsettias are displayed. The contractor will guarantee, maintain and water the poinsettias as necessary during the performance period.

b) Decorated Holiday Tree The contractor will deliver, set up and decorate one 15 foot artificial tree for the main lobby of the NIH Clinical Center. The tree must be secured in a weighted base designed to minimize the risk of tipping and appropriate for the height of the tree. The tree will be decorated with non-religious, festive ornaments and small white lights. The lights may be integrated into the tree. The contractor will provide all decorations and will ensure that ornaments are securely fastened to the tree. Delivery must occur on the first Saturday of December, unless there is mutual agreement by both parties to deliver the seasonal plants on the last Saturday in November. The tree will remain in place through the first Friday in January.

c) Easter Lilies The contractor shall provide, install and maintain ten “Nellie White” Lilies, in 8 inch pots. Delivery will occur four weeks prior to Easter and remain in place through the week following Easter. The plants will be placed in the Chapel on the 7th floor. All lilies shall be top quality bulbs with flowers entering full bloom, three (3) bulbs per pot. Growing pots shall be wrapped in gold or silver foil. The contractor will guarantee, maintain and water the lilies as necessary during the performance period

4. Live Flowers The Contractor shall install, maintain for the specified time period, and remove or replace flowers as specified in Attachment 1 in accordance with the Statement of Work.

Care and maintenance of live flowers shall be the same as that for other live plants and shall include watering, pruning, removing dead or damaged leaves, replacing dead, dying or otherwise unattractive plants, adding mulch, removing trash from planters, and implementing the appropriate insect and disease control.

Flowers furnished under this contract shall meet the same foliage plant standards listed above in FOLIAGE PLANTS: 2. (a) Specifications for foliage plant standards. Flowers shall be in bloom at time of installation and shall have a minimum of four stems growing out of the root system.

5. Silk Plants

a) Installation of New Silk Plants The planters shall be thoroughly cleaned and prepared for the installation of new silk plants. Silk plants to be installed shall include the plants listed in Attachment 1. Silk plants shall be mulched with pine bark nuggets, ½ to 1” in size and spread to a minimum of 2” deep over the entire surface of the planters. Moss topdressing will not be acceptable.

b) Services for Silk Plants Weekly service procedures and functions for the silk plants shall be as follows:

i) Dusting and cleaning of all foliage, removal of debris from soil surface, and addition of soil and/or mulch to soil surface.

ii) Cleaning of planters as necessary.

6. Plant Replacement Guarantee During the contract period, the Contractor shall replace, at no additional cost to the Government, any plant(s) that is being maintained under the contract which deteriorates in health and appearance so as to become of a lesser quality and/or grade from that which existed at the beginning of the contract period. This shall include plants that are dead, dying or otherwise unattractive due to excessive pruning, die-back or severe or chronic pest infestation. Plants which have declined as a direct result of utility failures, unauthorized relocation, vandalism or causes beyond the contractor’s control shall not be subject to the replacement guarantee provisions of this contract.

All plant replacements shall be made with the same species, size and grade of plant(s) as was in place at the beginning of the contract period, or with another plant of comparable value which is acceptable to the COR.

On the effective date of the contract, the COR and the Contractor shall survey the various buildings for the purpose of establishing a plant inventory. Existing locations and conditions of all plants will be documented. All noted and identified dying or unhealthy plant(s) shall not be subjects to the replacement requirements stated above.

Any plant(s) determined unhealthy shall be subject to the same care and maintenance by the Contractor as specified in this SOW.

a) Replacement Planting Methods and Materials Plants shall be placed plumb and secure within their planters. Sytrofoam nuggets may be used as filler material between the planter and the grow pot, however, nuggets may not be exposed. Mulch shall be pine bark nuggets, ½ to 1 inch in size, spread to a minimum of 2 inches deep over the entire planter surface. Moss top-dressing will not be accepted.

Period of Performance Base Period: 02/01/2026 through 01/31/2027 Option Period One: 02/01/2027 through 01/31/2028 Option Period Two: 02/01/2028 through 01/31/2029 Option Period Three: 02/01/2029 through 01/31/2030 Option Period Four: 02/01/2030 through 01/31/2031

Contractor Qualifications The requirements of this contract shall be accomplished by a Specialty Contractor. A Specialty Contractor shall mean a contractor of established reputation in the field of interior plant maintenance, who is regularly engaged in and specializes in providing the type of work required under the contract. The contractor shall possess during the life of the contract a valid state pesticide applicators license appropriate for interior plant maintenance.

The Contractor must provide evidence of experience and qualifications of the company in providing comparable services in a comparable sized health care institution with the same or similar complexity and needs, meeting all interior plant maintenance requirements to the satisfaction of its customers.

All key personnel must be in place and fully qualified prior to award of this contract. The Clinical Center reserves the right to thoroughly inspect and investigate the establishment, facilities, equipment, business reputation and other qualifications of any bidder, and to reject any and all offers irrespective of price, that shall be administratively determined by the Contracting Officer to be lacking in any essentials judged necessary to assure acceptable standards of performance on this contract.

Government Responsibilities The government is responsible for:

1. Providing reasonable access to the environment on the date that work has been scheduled.

2. Providing information as to all known hazards or hazardous materials which contractor personnel may encounter when working in the environments where painting or carpeting is being performed.

3. Providing mandatory training as required by The Joint Commission and for security clearance and access to work areas.

4. Providing training regarding patient confidentiality, safety and infection control.

Contractor Responsibilities

1. Deliveries and Installation

a) The Contractor shall notify the COR at least 48 hours prior to commencement of work at the project premises and coordinate all delivery and installation activities.

b) Unless otherwise specified, deliveries shall be made Monday through Friday (excluding Federal Holidays as listed below) between 7:30 am and 4:00 pm. Trucks arriving after 4:00 pm will not be allowed to remain overnight at NIH and must return the following day for unloading. Supplies and services scheduled for delivery on a Federal holiday should be made the following workday. Inside delivery within the consignee’s premises is required. The Contractor shall notify the COR, located in Building 10, Room 1-4553 (phone 301.827.4085) upon arrival at the facility and prior to beginning work and upon completion of work. The holidays observed by the Federal Government are as follows:

New Year’s Day Martin Luther King Day President's Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day Inauguration Day Also, any other day declared by the President of the United States to be a national holiday or when the government is closed as determined by the Office of Personnel Management.

c) Plants shall be transported to the project premises via enclosed and environmentally controlled vehicles by contractor personnel experienced in handling live plants. It shall be the contractor’s responsibilities to protect plants from adverse environmental conditions during all phases of delivery and installation.

d) The Contractor shall be responsible for the protection of all plants during installation. Any damage, theft, or deterioration of the health or appearance of any plant being installed shall be the responsibility of the Contractor.

e) The Contractor shall coordinate his/her activities so as not to interfere with the work of any party in the vicinity. The work area shall be left clean and free of litter at the end of the day. Debris accumulated during work procedures shall be removed and the equipment or furniture moved during work procedures shall be repositioned to original locations. Disposal of all residue/debris will be done off-site in strict accordance with all applicable Federal, State and local regulations.

f) Planting procedures and methods shall be in compliance with accepted industry practices and as specified in this SOW. Following completion of plant installation, the Contractor shall notify the COR for the purpose of inspecting the services provided. Any deficiencies noted by the COR shall be corrected by the Contractor at no additional cost to the Government.

g) All installation work performed under the contract shall be completed within 45 calendar days from the date of notice to proceed.

h) Any work or materials not within the scope of this agreement, which will result in additional cost, shall not be accomplished until approved by the contracting officer.

i) Adheres to Joint Commission requirements.

2. Periodic Meetings The Contractor may be asked to meet periodically with the COR to discuss schedules, progress or updates.

3. Deliverables

a) Provide all labor, materials, supervision, plants (live and silk), flowers and transportation required to provide services described in this SOW.

b) Provide detailed documentation of the work that was performed on the monthly invoice.

c) All paper/hardcopy documents/reports submitted under this contract shall be printed or copied, double-sided, on at least 30 percent post-consumer fiber paper, whenever practicable, in accordance with FAR 4.302(b).

d) Satisfactory performance of the final contract shall be deemed to occur upon performance of the work described in the Statement of Work and upon delivery and acceptance by the Contracting Officer, or the duly authorized representative, of the following items in accordance with the stated delivery schedule:

e) The items specified below as described in the REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Article in SECTION C of this contract will be required to be delivered F.o.b. Destination as set forth in FAR 52.247-35, F.o.b. DESTINATION, WITHIN CONSIGNEES PREMISES (APRIL 1984), and in accordance with and by the date(s) specified below [and any specifications stated in SECTION D, PACKAGING, MARKING AND SHIPPING, of this contract]:

Appendix 1 amended February 4, 2025, by Donovan Kuehn after a hospital walkthrough with the vendor.

Statement of Work amended August 15, 2025

Appendix 1

NIH Clinical Center Plant Locations 503 live and silk plants 149 seasonal plants 651 total plants Inventory prepared February 4, 2025

336 6” plants 2 8” plants 42 10” plants 4 12” plants 80 14” plants 3 17” plants 3 24" plants 32 Silk plants Holiday Plants/Tree 1 Planter Box

Clinical Research Center

P1: Admissions Information Desk 2-10” Dracaena Tarzan 2-6” Janet Craig 2-8” Zizi Total: 6 plants

1st Floor: Atrium 6-10” Aglaonema 1-14” Arboricola tree braided 2-14” Chicken Gizzards 2-14” Dracaena dorado 2-14” Dracaena Janet Craig dorado 7-14” Dracaena Limelight 2-14” Dracaena Lisa 2-14” Dracaena Warneckii 5-14” Fiddely Figs 3-14” Ming Aurelia 2-14” No Names 3-14” Philodendron Selloum 235-6” Pothos five plants per container included with the larger plants.

2-17” Rhapis Palm 2-14” Schefflera Amate 3-6” Zizi 2-14” Zizi Total: 281 plants

1st Floor: Admissions 8 Aglaonema silk planters (cleaning only) Total: 8 plants

1st Floor: Travel Office Waiting Area 24-6” Spathiphyllum silk planters (cleaning only) 1-6” Janet Craig Total: 25 plants

3rd Floor: Atrium 2-14” Dracaena reflexa 1-14” Dracaena Warneckii 1-10” Dracaena Warneckii 1-14” Janet Craig 1-14” Kentia Palm 1-14” Schefflera Amate 1-10” Spathiphyllum Total: 8 plants

3rd Floor: Breezeway 4-10” Janet Craig Total: 4 plants

4th Floor: Atrium 1-14” Chicken Gizzard 1-14” Ming Aurelia 1-14” Janet Craig 1-14” Kentia Palm 1-14” Philodendron Selloum 1-12” Zizi Total: 6 plants

4th Floor Medical Boardroom 2-12” Dracaena Rikki in the waiting area Total: 2 plants

5th Floor: Atrium 2-14” Dracaena Tarzan 1-10” Dracaena Warneckii 1-14” Ming Aurelia 1-14” Rhapis palms 1-10” Schefflera Amate 1-14” Schefflera Amate Total: 7 plants

6th Floor: Director’s Suite 1-10” Aglaonema 1-14” Dracena Dorado 1-10” Janet Craig 3-6” Pothos topsiders (CEO reception, COO suite, CMO suite) 2-14” Zizi Total: 8 plants

6th Floor: Atrium 2-14” Dracaena Rikki 2-14” Fiddely Figs 1-14” Schefflera Amate 1-10” White Bird of Paradise Total: 6 plants

7th Floor: Atrium 4-14” Crotons 2-14” Dracaena Tarzan 1-14” Dracaena Warneckii Total: 7 plants

7th Floor: Chapel 2-10” Aglaonema 2-14” Dracaena Carmen 2-10” Dracaena Carmen Total: 6 plants

7th Floor: Breezeway 1-14” Arboricola 1-14” Dracaena dorado 1-14” Ficus Robusta 1-24” Norfolk pine 2-14” Rhapis palms 1-17” Schefflera Amate 1-12” Yucca (donated by Dr. Fauci) Total: 8 plants

Ambulatory Care Research Facility

B3: Molecular Imaging 1-10” Dracaena Limelight 1-10” Dracaena Rikki in waiting area 2-24” topsiders with 2-6” Pothos, 2-6” Zizi and 4-6” Janet Craig in reception (6 total plants) Total: 8 plants

1st Floor: ACRF Phlebotomy Waiting Room 66-6” Dracaena Warneckii on four foot partition walls Total: 66 plants

1st Floor: ACRF Pediatric Clinic 2-14” Janet Craig Total: 2 plants

1st Floor: Radiology Waiting Room 1-6” Pothos in CT reception 2-10” Zizi Total: 3 plants

1st Floor: CT Waiting Room 2-6” Pothos in waiting area 1-10” Snake Plant 1-10” Zizi Total: 4 plants

1st Floor: DTM 1-10” Dracaena Limelight in the waiting area 1-14” Ming Aurelia Total: 2 plants

2nd Floor: ACRF 2-14” Dracaena Warneckii (one lemon lime and one standard) in the waiting area by the outpatient elevators Total: 2 plants

2nd Floor: Breezeway 2-10” Dracaena Tarzan 2-14” Janet Craig 2-14” Janet Craig limelight Total: 6 plants

2nd Floor: ACRF Surgery Waiting Room (2C516) 3-6” Janet Craig 2-6” Snake plant Total: 5 plants

3rd Floor: ACRF 1-10” Dracaena Tarzan near the clinic entrance 2-6” Janet Craig next to the clinic in the windowsill 4-10” Janet Craig next to the clinic in the 3rd floor breezeway 1-10” Philodendron Selloum next to outpatient elevators Total: 8 plants

4th Floor: ACRF 1-6” Janet Craig in the clinic 1-6” Janet Craig next to the clinic in the windowsill Total: 2 plants

5th Floor: ACRF 1-10” Philodendron Selloum in clinic Total: 1 plant

6th Floor: ACRF 1-10” Philodendron Selloum next to outpatient elevators Total: 1 plant

7th Floor: ACRF No plants

8th Floor: ACRF No plants

9th Floor: ACRF 1-10” Dracaena Warneckii next to outpatient elevators 1-6” Snowball Aglaonema next to the clinic in the windowsill Total: 2 plants

10th Floor: ACRF No plants

11th Floor: ACRF 1-10” Ming Aurelia next to outpatient elevators Total: 1 plant

12th Floor: ACRF No plants

13th Floor: ACRF 1-14” Dracaena Limelight in the clinic Total: 1 plant

Safra Lodge (Building 65) 1-14” Dracaena Reflexa 1-10” Croton 2-10” Dracaena Compata 2-10” Janet Craig 1-14” Zizi Total: 7 plants

Holiday Plants Seasonal substitution brought in the first weekend in December, removed the first weekend in January 1-15’ Decorated artificial Christmas tree in the Clinical Center Atrium 2-10” poinsettias at the B1 Hospitality Desk 2-10” large white pointsettias at the North Hospitality Desk (main entrance) 42-6” poinsettias on four foot partition walls in phlebotomy, replacing 42-6” Janet Craig 50-6” poinsettias in the Clinical Center Atrium inside the Kentia Palms 5-6” poinsettias in the Surgery waiting room 1-6” poinsettias in the phlebotomy waiting room 1-12” poinsettia tree in the 3rd floor atrium 1-12” poinsettia tree in the 5th floor atrium 2-6” poinsettias in the CEO suite reception area 1-12” poinsettia tree in the 7th floor atrium 12-6” poinsettias in the 7th floor Chapel 21-6” poinsettias on the hospital reception desks (Rehab Medicine, Pharmacy, Admissions, Cashier, Voucher, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Phlebotomy, Outpatient clinics) 6-6” poinsettias in the Safra Lodge 2-12” poinsettia tree in the Safra Lodge Total: 149 plants