Questions_Answers Janitorial Services RSOB.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 18 KB Posted
- Solicitation number
- 6100065839
- Issued by
- Berks County, Richland Borough, Pennsylvania
About this file
This is a Questions and Answers document for a janitorial services procurement issued by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, Bureau of Facilities Management, for the Reading State Office Building. The procurement encompasses comprehensive custodial cleaning services for 82,945 square feet across five floors (basement through fourth floor), including daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual cleaning tasks. Services must be performed Monday through Friday between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., with specialized tasks such as vacuuming, floor stripping, and carpet extraction restricted to 6:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. A minimum of two staff members must be on-site during business hours, with flexibility in shift structure at the contractor's discretion. The contractor must address 17 restrooms and provide all cleaning equipment, materials, and low-VOC products. The Department clarified that it will provide sanitary product dispensers and menstrual products under a Governor's initiative, while the contractor supplies all other restroom consumables, including toilet seat covers, soap, paper towels, and toilet tissue. The contract term is one year with options to renew for up to four additional one-year periods. Bids were due May 19, 2026, submitted electronically through the Commonwealth's Supplier Relationship Management system, with questions due by 5:00 p.m. on May 12, 2026.
The incumbent contractor, UniqueSource Products and Services, was not awarded renewal due to non-compliance with Section 520 of the Procurement Code pricing requirements; the previous contract value was $35,454.09 per month plus $49.55 per hour for additional hours. The Department will evaluate bids as an Established Price Contract based on the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with compensation based on firm prices quoted and payments made via Automated Clearing House within 30 days of invoice receipt. Subcontracting is permitted and encouraged to meet Small Disadvantaged Business and Veteran Business Enterprise participation goals, with a dedicated goal-setting information session held on May 11, 2026. All contractor employees must obtain security clearance from the Pennsylvania State Police at the supplier's expense and wear photo identification badges at all times. The contractor must maintain Worker's Compensation Insurance and Public Liability and Property Damage Insurance with minimum coverage of $250,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence. The enhanced minimum wage requirement is $15.00 per hour with annual cost-of-living adjustments; however, pricing is fixed throughout the entire contract term with no annual escalation permitted despite wage adjustment requirements. No historical supply usage data was provided to bidders to inform pricing assumptions.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| SOW RSOB Janitorial Services_02_18_26.doc | DOC document | |
| IFB 6100065839 RSOB Janitorial Services SDB VBE Goal Information Session.pdf | ||
| Solicitation Addendum_6100065839_04.docx | DOCX document | |
| Solicitation Addendum_6100065839_02.docx | DOCX document | |
| Solicitation Addendum_6100065839_03.docx | DOCX document | |
| SOW RSOB Janitorial Services_Revised_5.7.26.doc | DOC document | |
| 01 Terms and Conditions.pdf | ||
| Solicitation Addendum_6100065839 #01.docx | DOCX document | |
| RSOB FACILITY SQ_02_06_26.xls | XLS spreadsheet | |
| Solicitation Addendum_6100065839_05.docx | DOCX document |
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Text version
Sheet1
| Question | Answer |
| Q1 | A1 |
| Please confirm that the Contractor is responsible for providing all restroom consumables including paper towels, toilet tissue, soap, sanitary products, liners, and related supplies as outlined in the revised Statement of Work. | The contractor is responsible for providing all of these items with the exception of sanitary products. Department of General Services provides dispensers and products under the Governor’s initiative. Menstrual trash cans are already built into the stalls; the contractor will be responsible to supply the menstrual trash can liners. |
| Q2 | A2 | |
| Daytime vs. After-Hours Cleaning Requirements | ||
| The SOW indicates general cleaning may occur between 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM, with certain tasks restricted to specific hours. Please confirm if a day porter is required during business hours and identify any minimum staffing requirements. | Yes, a day porter is required. A minimum of 2 staff must always be present from 6am-6pm, ideally, we would like more staff during business hours. |
| Q3 | A3 |
| Pursuant to publicly available procurement information and applicable Right-to-Know provisions, please provide the name of the current or most recent janitorial services contractor for the Reading State Office Building, along with any available information regarding the current or previous contract term and awarded contract value. | UniqueSource Products and Services, Current Value $35,454.09/month plus $49.55/ hour for additional hours |
| Q4 | A4 |
| To assist bidders in calibrating pricing to the actual operational scope of the building, please provide the awarded annual or monthly price of the most recent prior contract for janitorial services at the Reading State Office Building, along with the contract number for public reference. If this information is more readily provided through eMarketplace or another public portal, please direct us to the specific record. | Please refer to Q/A#3 |
| Q5 | A5 |
| 5. Has the current incumbent contractor expressed an intent to bid on this solicitation, or is the prior contract being terminated or expiring without renewal? Please confirm whether the prior contractor is in good standing under any current or recently expired agreement. | The incumbent contractor is not being awarded this contract due to not meeting the pricing requirements of Section 520 of the Procurement Code. |
| Q6 | A6 |
| The Statement of Work, Section V, identifies daily-cleaning square footage totaling 24,746 SF across all floors. The Facility Square Footage Sheet (RSOB_FACILITY_SQ_02_06_26) indicates 20,054 SF cleaned every day. Which of these figures is the contractually binding daily-cleaning baseline for bid pricing? | The SOW is the requirements, (FOF are best estimates). You are welcome to measure if you like. Total square footage on the SOW and FOF match at 82,945 sq feet. |
| Q7 | A7 |
| Please confirm the carpet square footage breakdown between high-traffic and low-traffic zones, given that quarterly carpet hot-water extraction applies only to high-traffic areas and semi-annual extraction applies only to low-traffic areas. The Facility Sheet indicates 67,273 SF of carpet total but does not segment by traffic zone. | Per Statement of Work: |
| Complete custodial cleaning services for the basement through the fourth floor, totaling 82,945 square feet. Square footage is outlined as follows: |
| TOTAL SQ FT | Daily | Weekly | |
| Basement - | 8719 * | 4381 | 2060 |
| 1st floor - | 16,286 | 11,453 | 4833 |
| 2nd floor - | 19,101 | 1961 | 17,140 |
| 3rd floor - | 19,461 | 3944 | 15,517 |
| 4th floor - | 19,378 | 3007 | 16,371 |
* Does not include 2278 sf of conference rooms, which are only cleaned when used.
| Per FOF: |
| HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS - Hallways, landings, lobbies, building entrances, restrooms, basement lunchroom, |
| Stairwell A&B, conference room 27 in basement, DPW Intake - 3rd floor (entire |
| Cherry Street side), Workers' Comp waiting room & hearing rooms, and elevators |
| LOW TRAFFIC AREAS - Parole waiting room, conference rooms on all floors (except 27 in basement), |
| individual employee offices within agency suites, Health clinic, all lounges. |
| Q8. | A8. |
| Please confirm the approximate number of building occupants across all tenant agencies. This figure drives consumable supply estimates (paper towels, toilet tissue, soap, sanitary products) and the Facility Sheet field for this value is blank. | Our tenant agencies follow an alternative work schedule, however on a given day there are approximately 200 employees. Tenant agencies’ alternative work schedule is always subject to change. Public visitors can range from 300-500 a day. |
| Q9. | A9. |
| The SOW indicates that vacuuming, floor stripping, and carpet extracting may only be performed between 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM or 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM. With approximately 67,273 SF of carpet in the building, will the Department pre-approve a standing arrangement for after-hours weeknight work until 9:00 PM and Saturday work for floor and carpet projects, or must each event be individually approved by the Contract Officer? | Yes, we would approve after hours weeknight or Saturday work for floor stripping and carpet cleaning if it’s communicated in advance to the building manager and on a case-by-case basis. Vacuuming can be done before 8am and after 5pm. |
| Q10. | A10. |
| Is dedicated Day Porter coverage (presence on-site during business hours for restroom restocking, lobby maintenance, and immediate response) explicitly required by the Department, or is shift coverage left to the Contractor's discretion provided that the daily, weekly, and other scheduled tasks are completed satisfactorily? | Yes, presence would be always required from 6am-6pm however it’s up to the contractor to decide if that’s done in shifts. A minimum of 2 staff should always be on site. |
| Q11. | A11. |
| The contract is governed by the Enhanced Minimum Wage Provisions in Section V.49 of the Terms and Conditions, which include an annual CPI-based adjustment published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Will the Department permit annual price escalation in the renewal years tied to these published adjustments, or is the bid price fixed for the entire renewal term? | Fixed price throughout the entire term. Pricing is asked for up front. |
| Q12. | A12. |
| The General Areas attachment, Item 18, requires the Contractor to ensure that "porticos, driveway, and other areas in the immediate perimeter of the building are policed and kept neat and clean." Does this responsibility include snow and ice removal at the building entrances during winter conditions, or is snow/ice removal a separate scope handled by another contractor? | Snow and ice removal is done by our building maintenance team. The contractor will not be responsible for it. |
| Q13. | A13 |
| The SOW Section VIII.B requires the Contractor to provide "Protecto toilet seat covers" and to "repair and replace soap dispensers, toilet tissue dispensers, paper towel dispensers, Protecto toilet seat cover dispensers, and sanitary napkin disposal units." Are the existing dispensers in the building of a specific manufacturer or model that must be matched, or may the Contractor select replacement dispensers consistent with industry standards subject to Contract Officer approval? | Department of General Services will be responsible for sanitary dispensers and sanitary products. The contractor will be responsible for everything else. Existing dispensers in the building are listed below. We would prefer it if existing equipment remains. Note: building maintenance would need to remove and install new equipment which could be timely. |
· Hand sanitizer stations, Purell- Soap dispensers
· SCJ Professional Legacy # WHB1LDS
· Toilet seat cover dispensers, Boardwalk BWK KD 100
· Toilet paper dispensers we have 2 kinds, public restrooms Bobrick B-2890 and employees restrooms San Jamar 9” twin roll dispenser
· Paper towel dispenser VonDrehle 8864
| Q14 | A14 |
| Can you confirm the current incumbent contractor and the approximate annual contract value for these services? | Please refer to Q/A #3 |
| Q15 | A15 |
| Are there any updated square footage totals beyond the 82,945 SF noted in the SOW, or any anticipated changes to scope during the base term? | Square footage totals are estimated, please refer to SOW and FOF |
| Q16 | A16 |
| Can you provide clarification on the expected staffing model or current staffing levels supporting the facility today? | Current staffing levels vary day-to-day, however., a minimum of 2 staff should always be on site during the 6am-6pm requirement. It’s up to the vendor if they choose shift work. |
| Q17 | A17 |
| Are day porter services expected continuously throughout the 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM window, or can staffing be structured in shifts? | A minimum of 2 staff should always be on site during the 6am-6pm requirement. It’s up to the vendor if they choose shift work. |
| Q18 | A18 |
| Can you confirm the frequency and typical usage of the conference rooms that are cleaned “as needed”? | It varies by agency, cannot give “typical” usage frequency, but does not occur often |
| Q19 | A19 |
| Are there any performance deductions, service level penalties, or KPIs tied to payment that are not outlined in the SOW? | No |
| Q20 | A20 |
| Is there any historical information available regarding supply usage (paper products, liners, soap) to help inform pricing assumptions? | No |
| Q21 | A21 |
| Can you clarify expectations around floor care scope, specifically stripping, waxing, and carpet extraction frequencies? | Please refer to the SOW for frequency. |
| Q22 | A22 |
| Are there any security or access restrictions that would limit the ability to perform work during off hours? | You would be able to obtain access after hours, however, it would need advance approval from the building manager. |
| Q23 | A23 |
| Can you confirm whether subcontracting is permitted to support SDB or VBE participation goals? | Subcontracting is permitted and is encouraged to meet the SDB/VBE goals. |
| Q24 | A24 |
| Will there be a designation for biohazard protocol in the Health Center area | Confirming agreement with Health Department |
| Q24 | A25 |
| Will emergency clean-up be handled, and will cleaning staff be notified by a work order? What is the protocol? | For emergency clean up, staff would be notified by the building manager or a member of their DGS team. We do not use a work order system for custodial vendor. |
| Q26 | A26 |
| Where can we find the lists of dispenser types and varying consumable supplies, sizes and preferences | Please refer to Q/A #13 |
| Q27 | A27 |
| What protocols are in place for pest control and will we be provided a chain of command when responding to those issues in the case of bed bugs and lice ? DGS has a pest control service on contract | The building manager should be notified immediately of any concerns. |
| Q28 | A28 |
| Who is the incumbent ? | Please refer to Q/A #3 |
| Q29 | A29 |
| I wasn’t sure what the question pertained to, so I asked her to clarify-- "is this a new public advertised solicitation previously held under a private company" ? | Yes, the incumbent has held the contract for the previous 5 years. |
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