RFQ 15A260105-0149.docx

STATE OF MAINE

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT SERVICES

RFQ # 15A260105*0149

Lawncare for Lewiston Armory

Quotations/Responses Due: 5 February 2026 not later than 4:00 p.m. local time Questions Due Date: 20 January 2026 not later than 12:00 p.m. local time

Note: All questions and responses must be provided via the State of Maine’s e-Procurement system: AdvantageME / Vendor Self Service (VSS).

General Instructions on Bidder Questions It is the responsibility of each Bidder to examine the entire RFQ and to seek clarification by submitting questions through the Q & A List tab on the Solicitation page in the CGI Vendor Self Service (VSS). Any answers to questions will appear there as well. It is the vendor's responsibility to log in to view all questions and answers posted. Additional information obtained any other way will not be valid.

In the event that you must contact us for any other reasons than the Q & A previously mentioned, only the Buyer listed on the Solicitation page may be contacted from the time this RFQ is issued until award notification is made. No other person/State employee is empowered to make binding statements regarding this RFQ. Violation of this provision may lead to disqualification from the bidding process, at the State’s discretion.

Summary For this competitive Request for Quotations (RFQ) process, the State of Maine Office of State Procurement Services (“OSPS”) is acting on behalf of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management – Military Bureau (“Requesting Department”). OSPS and the Requesting Department seek quotations (also referred to as “bids” or “responses” herein) to provide the goods/services listed above. This document provides instructions and descriptions of requirements for this competitive process.

RFQ TERMS/ACRONYMS with DEFINITIONS

The following terms and acronyms, as referenced in the RFQ, shall have the meanings indicated below:

RFQ REQUIREMENTS

1. Description of Requirements

The following is a description of the goods and/or services sought by the State of Maine under this RFQ.

· Please see Appendix B on page 11

2. Bid Contents Requirements

In addition to the cost, delivery, and other information required in VSS, all bids MUST contain the following information as attachments, in the Appendices listed below:

· Quote on Company Letterhead: This document will be used to evaluate your bid. Please make sure it contains information demonstrating your bid meets the posted specifications.

· Cost Response Sheet, Excel Format Preferred or Detailed Itemized Quote

· Appendix A: Bid Cover Page and Responsible Bidder Certification

· Appendix D: Subcontractors / Disaster Recovery Plan

3. Contract Term

In addition to any mutually agreed upon delivery dates for purchases of goods, the contract resulting from this RFQ will have a term, or “Period of Performance”, during which the contract is considered to be in effect. The anticipated contract term is defined in the table below. Please note that the dates below are estimated and may be adjusted as necessary in order to comply with all procedural requirements associated with this RFQ and the contracting process. The actual contract start and end dates will be established by the completed and approved contract.

Contract Renewal: Following the initial term of the contract, OSPS, at their discretion, may opt to renew the contract for two (2) extension periods as defined below.

The term of the anticipated contract, resulting from this RFQ, is defined as follows:

4. Submitting a Quotation

a. Quotations Due: Quotations must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), on the date listed in VSS. Quotations received after the 4:00 p.m. deadline will not be accepted.

b. Submission Instructions: Bidders must submit their bids in the State of Maine’s electronic procurement system: Advantage “Vendor Self Service” (VSS). More information on this system can be found at the following internet link: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/vendor-self-service-system

c. Multiple Quotations: Unless specifically prohibited in Section 1 of this RFQ, Bidders are permitted to submit multiple quotations for this RFQ, offering alternative items or pricing for the State of Maine to consider in its best value determination.

d. Withdrawal of a Quotation: Bidders are permitted to withdraw their own quotations up until the due date and time for receipt of quotations. To do so, a Bidder must enter the VSS system (as referenced above), identify and open their submitted quotation located in the Solicitation Responses tab, and click the “Withdraw” button found at the bottom of the screen. Quotations cannot be withdrawn after the due date and time for receipt of quotations.

e. Attachments: Any attachments provided with the Advantage VSS bid submission must be in MS Word, MS Excel, or Adobe (.pdf) format, unless otherwise specified in Section 1 of this RFQ. Vendors are encouraged to submit supporting documentation that aid the requesting department in understanding how the bid conforms to the requirements. The VSS attachment file size limit is 2Mb. Please contact the buyer for this RFQ if you must submit attachment files larger than this.

f. Vendor specifications: Unless otherwise stated in this RFQ document, limited specification information will be required upon submission of a bid in response to this RFQ. However, a Bidder’s response must include an affirmative statement that their bid complies with all requirements of this RFQ, unless the Bidder specifically addresses how its bid differs from the specifications, and why the differences should be deemed acceptable by the State.

5. General Instructions

a. The Bidder must submit a cost quotation response that covers the goods and term of the contract, including any optional renewal.

b. The cost quotation shall include the costs necessary for the Bidder to fully comply with the contract terms and conditions and RFQ requirements.

c. Failure to provide the requested information may result in the exclusion of the quotation from consideration, at the discretion of OSPS.

d. No costs related to the preparation of the quotation for this RFQ or to the negotiation of the contract with the Department may be included in the quotation.

e. The State is exempt from the payment of Federal, State and local Taxes on articles not for resale. Please provide quotations that do not include these taxes. Upon application, an exemption certificate can be furnished by the State at the point of contract finalization.

6. Quotation Evaluation and Selection

Evaluation of the submitted quotations shall be accomplished as detailed below:

a. State of Maine RFQ documents are evaluated on a Best Value basis. The term “Best Value” may take into consideration the qualities of the goods or services to be supplied, their conformity with the specifications listed in the RFQ, the purposes for which they are required, the date of delivery, and the best interest of the State. Once the goods or services have been determined to conform to the specifications then OSPS will make its award decision based on the lowest price among the Bidders. Delivery days can be a factor in awarding.

b. The State reserves the right to not make an award to the lowest price bidder when that bidder has had documented poor performance, and/or a contract terminated or not renewed within the last five years.

c. At the discretion of OSPS, if a Bidder’s submission is deemed to not conform to the specifications listed in the RFQ, or otherwise not conform to the requirements of the RFQ, then that Bidder’s submission may not be considered for contract award.

d. In the event that no Bidder submission conforms to the specifications of this RFQ, then OSPS may choose not to make any award. Alternatively, OSPS may make an award to the Best Value Bidder whose specifications most closely meet the specifications of this RFQ. For example, if there are five specification requirements, and two responses are received with one Bidder meeting four requirements, and one bidder meeting three requirements, then OSPS, at its discretion, may make a contract award to the Bidder meeting four requirements.

e. If the specifications provided with this RFQ are of a technical nature, then OSPS’s RFQ Coordinator, at his or her discretion, may seek to use an evaluation team comprised of subject matter experts, end-users from the Requesting Department, or other State Department representatives. In such a case, the evaluation team will judge the merits of the quotations received in accordance with the best value criteria defined in the RFQ.

7. Negotiations

a. No Best and Final Offers: The State of Maine will not seek a best and final offer (BAFO) from any Bidder in this procurement process. All Bidders are expected to provide their Best Value pricing with the submission of their quotation.

b. OSPS reserves the right to negotiate with the successful Bidder to finalize a contract at the same rate or cost of goods and services as presented in the selected quotation. Such negotiations may not significantly vary the content, nature or requirements of the quotation or the RFQ to an extent that may affect the price of goods or services requested. OSPS reserves the right to terminate contract negotiations with a selected Bidder who submits a proposed contract significantly different from the quotation submitted in response to the RFQ.

c. In the event that an acceptable contract cannot be negotiated with the highest ranked Bidder, OSPS may withdraw its award and negotiate with the next-highest ranked Bidder, and so on, until an acceptable contract has been finalized. Alternatively, OSPS may cancel the RFQ, at its sole discretion.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR RFQ AND CONTRACT

PART I GENERAL INFORMATION ON RFQs

A. Purpose and Background

The State of Maine (“State”) Department of Administrative and Financial Services (“Department”), Office of State Procurement Services (“OSPS”) acts as the purchasing agent on behalf of all Executive Departments and other agencies within State Government. For this competitive Request for Quotations (RFQ) process, OSPS is acting on behalf of the Requesting Department listed on the cover page. OSPS and the Requesting Department seek quotations (also referred to as “bids” or “responses” herein) to provide the goods/services as defined above in Section 1 of this document. This document provides instructions for submitting quotations, the procedure and criteria by which the Bidder(s) will be selected, and the contractual terms which will govern the relationship between the State and the awarded Bidder(s). Following Bidder selection and upon reaching a mutual agreement, the State and the selected Bidder will enter into a contract – taking the form of a State of Maine Master Agreement or Buyer Purchase Order (all generally referred to as “contract” herein), as applicable.

B. General Provisions

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/1/title1sec401.html

C. Eligibility to Submit Bids

Public agencies, private for-profit companies, and non-profit companies and institutions are invited to submit bids in response to State of Maine Requests for Quotations.

D. Delivery Terms

For the purchase of goods, OSPS and selected Bidder will decide upon a delivery date in accordance with the State’s requirements and the terms offered in the Bidder’s quotation. Unless stated otherwise in Section 1 of this RFQ, all deliveries are expected with shipping terms of “Free on Board (FOB) – Destination”. The State intends for this to mean that all goods shall be priced in the bid response to include shipping charges, if any, to the State’s desired location. The “FOB – Destination” shipping term is also intended to mean that the State shall not bear any responsibility for the goods in question until the State takes possession of them at the destination point of delivery.

E. Alternate Bids and Approved Equals

When, in bid forms and specifications, an article or material is identified by using a trade name and catalog number of a manufacturer or vendor, the term “or approved equal,” if not inserted with the identification, is implied. Any Bidder that seeks to propose an alternate item from what is specified in this RFQ must refer to State of Maine Statute 5 MRSA §1825-B, for “Bids, awards and contracts”, found here: http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/5/title5sec1825-B.html

F. Appeal of Contract Awards

Any person aggrieved by the award decision that results from this RFQ may appeal the decision to the Director of the Bureau of General Services in the manner prescribed in 5 MRSA § 1825-E and 18-554 Code of Maine Rules, Chapter 120 (found here: Chapter 120). The appeal must be in writing and filed with the Director of the Bureau of General Services, 9 State House Station, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0009 within 15 calendar days of receipt of notification of contract award.

If this RFQ results in the creation of a pre-qualified or pre-approved list of vendors, then the appeal procedures mentioned above are available upon the original determination of that vendor list, but not during subsequent competitive procedures involving only the pre-qualified or pre-approved list participants.

PART II CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND CONDITIONS

A. Contract Document

The successful Bidder will be required to execute a contract in the form of a State of Maine Buyer Purchase Order, Contract Agreement to Purchase Services or State of Maine Master Agreement.

The Terms and Conditions used with the aforementioned contract types may be found on the Office of State Procurement Services’ website at the following links:

Service Contract Terms and Conditions

In the event that the State of Maine’s Standard Terms and Conditions or RFQ provisions do not otherwise cover contractual scenarios that are specific to the goods or services being purchased under this RFQ, then the State is willing to consider a Bidder’s standard terms and conditions. Consideration or use of a Bidder’s standard terms and conditions shall only occur under the general agreement that in the event of a conflict, the State of Maine’s Standard Terms and Conditions and RFQ provisions shall take precedence.

Other forms and contract documents commonly used by the State can be found on the Office of State Procurement Services’ website at the following link: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/forms

B. Independent Capacity

In providing services and performing under the contract, the successful Bidder shall act independently and not as an agent of the State of Maine.

C. Payments and Other Provisions

The State anticipates paying the selected Bidder for goods and services received, on the basis of net 30 payment terms, upon the receipt of an accurate and acceptable invoice. An invoice will be considered accurate and acceptable if it contains a reference to the State of Maine contract number, contains correct pricing information relative to the contract, and provides any required supporting documents, as applicable, and any other specific and agreed-upon requirements listed within the contract that results from this RFQ.

The State of Maine reserves the right to pay for goods purchased through this solicitation by any of several available means, which include but may not be limited to check, EFT, and/or procurement card. Bidders are advised that state statute precludes sellers from imposing a surcharge on credit or debit card purchases (text follows):

“9-A MRSA §8-509 (1): A seller in a sales transaction may not impose a surcharge on a cardholder who elects to use a credit card or debit card in lieu of payment by cash, check or similar means.”

Appendix A

STATE OF MAINE

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT SERVICES

RFQ # 15A260105*0149

BID COVER PAGE and RESPONSIBLE BIDDER CERTIFICATION

Bidder’s Organization Name:

Chief Executive - Name/Title:

Headquarters Street Address:

Headquarters City/State/Zip:

(provide information requested below if different from above)

Lead Point of Contact for Bid - Name/Title:

Street Address:

City/State/Zip:

By signing below Bidder affirms:

· Their bid complies with all requirements of this RFQ;

· This bid and the pricing structure contained herein will remain firm for a period of 180 days from the date and time of the bid opening;

· That no personnel currently employed by the Department or any other State agency participated, either directly or indirectly, in any activities relating to the preparation of the Bidder’s proposal;

· That no attempt has been made or will be made by the Bidder to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal; and

· The undersigned is authorized to enter into contractual obligations on behalf of the above-named organization.

Name:

Title:

Authorized Signature:

Date:

State of Maine RFQ# 15A260105-0149 Rev. 9/12/2024 Responsible Bidder Certification

By signing this document, I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the aforementioned organization, its principals, and any subcontractors named in this proposal:

1. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, and declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from bidding or working on contracts issued by any governmental agency.

1. Have not within three years of submitting the proposal for this contract been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for:

0. fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a federal, state or local government transaction or contract.

0. violating Federal or State antitrust statutes or committing embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;

0. are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or Local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (b) of this certification; and

0. have not within a three (3) year period preceding this proposal had one or more federal, state or local government transactions terminated for cause or default.

1. Have not entered into a prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a response for the same materials, supplies, equipment, or services and this proposal is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. The above-mentioned entities understand and agree that collusive bidding is a violation of state and federal law and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damage awards.

· Failure to provide this certification may result in the disqualification of the Bidder’s proposal, at the discretion of the Department.

To the best of my knowledge all information provided in the enclosed proposal, both programmatic and financial, is complete and accurate at the time of submission.

Name:

Title:

Authorized Signature:

Date:

Appendix B

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT SERVICES

DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS

RFQ # 15A260105*0149

Work Site: Maine Army National Guard, Lewiston Armory, 55 Alfred Plourde Pkwy, Lewsiton, ME 04240.

Last Contract Information: Current vendor is Evergreen Yard Care Inc. with a yearly cost of approximately $9,000.00

Pre-Bid Tour of the Facility: No tours will be offered due to property being under snow. Please consult the provided diagrams.

Award: The State anticipates making one award as a result of this RFQ process. The State reserves the right to not make an award.

Hours of work:

· The facilities are open between the hours or 7:30 am and 4:00 pm Daily. Exact hours to be negotiated between the Program Administrator (or their designee) and the Contractor after the contract has been awarded.

· All work must be performed while staff is present. If the exact time cannot be negotiated the low bid will be rejected.

· Hours and days of the week once set may only change with the approval of the Program Administrator (or their designee). If employees are unable to be onsite during these agreed upon hours for any reason the Contractor must notify the Program Administrator (or their designee) prior to the start time, failure to do so can be considered poor performance and can be grounds to terminate the contract.

· If there is a holiday, state closure, the facility needs to restrict outside personnel or if the Contractor’s personnel cannot be at the job site as scheduled the day specific tasks are to be performed, the Contractor must coordinate a time with the Program Administrator (or their designee) to accomplish all contractually obligated tasks as soon as possible.

General Requirements

a. The Contractor shall not be relieved from assuming all responsibility for properly estimating the difficulties and the cost of performing the services required with this specification, because of failure to inspect the conditions or become acquainted with all the information concerning the services to be performed.

b. The mowable area consists of 1.47 acres.

c. The area includes flat as well as uneven mowing surfaces. Some areas may not be able to be mowed with a riding lawn mower.

Mowing/Trimming

a. Lawn areas shall be mowed and trimmed weekly (with exception of any “Special items” defined below) and/or as needed throughout the growing season (May – October) to a uniform height not shorter than 3.5 inches and a max of 5 inches. (this level has good roots and no scalping, and no thicket masses when cutting). Use various mowing patterns to prevent ruts in the turf caused by mowers.

b. All visible grass clippings and leaves after mowing shall be raked and bagged as needed and hauled away by the contractor; this will prevent thatch build up.

c. All doorway entrances, walkways, parking lots and planting beds shall be vacuumed and/or blown free of debris and grass clippings accumulated as a result of mowing and/or trimming.

d. All trash shall be picked up throughout the grass and planting areas. The Contractor will trim the inside and outside of the fence line perimeter and will keep clean of trash, vines and weeds. Also, a 3-foot swath shall be maintained along the outside of the fence as needed.

e. Mower blades shall be kept sharp to prevent tearing of grass blades. Mulching and/or bagging type mowing equipment is mandatory on all mowers.

Edging

a. Edging shall be completed the same day and at the same frequency that the area is mowed.

b. Use of an edger for hard surface edging to outline and/or remove turf from along all sidewalks and curbs to maintain straight and sharp edges.

c. Use of a string trimmer to provide soft edging to outline and/or removing turf from all trees and planting beds, etc. to maintain the shape and configuration of all planting areas.

Environmental Requirements

a. All requirements of the Site Location of Development Act (SLODA) Permit as it pertains to lawn maintenance must be maintained.

b. All slopes to under drain soil filters and pond will be kept at a minimum height of six inches.

c. All Under Drain Soil Filters will not be mowed unless by request of the Department and not more than one time per year. No riding equipment is authorized for use on slopes around the Under Drain Soil Filters.

d. All woody growth in the rip rap areas will be removed.

e. Lawn repair should follow this plan.

Winter Clean up

a. Removal of fallen trees and branches.

b. Removal of all trash and foreign debris.

Contractor Performance:

a. The contractor is expected to meet with the Program Administrator (Ken Merrifield) 207-430-6335, or his designee at least TWO weeks prior to the start date, or renewal date of the contract to go over the performance expectations. Failure to do so can result in the pending contract being terminated and the service being put back out to bid.

i. At this time there will be an agreed upon schedule for periodic performance evaluation tours, at a minimum of monthly.

ii. If additional evaluations are deemed necessary this will be scheduled by the Program Administrator, or their designee via written email notification a minimum of three (3) business days prior to requested meeting.

b. If the Contractor receives a combination of four or more negative responses to yes or no questions and Needs Improvement or Unacceptable ratings for services rated during the Evaluation of Service Tour, it will be documented as poor performance.

i. The Contractor will be given two (2) weeks from the date of the Evaluation Tour to correct all issues discovered during the Evaluations of Service Tour.

ii. If the issues are not resolved during that timeframe the contract could be terminated due to documented poor performance with a thirty (30) day notice.

c. If the Contractor receives three (3) evaluations that receive the poor performance rating for the facility, the contract could be terminated due to documented poor performance.

d. Poor performance may be considered in the evaluation of a subsequent bids submitted by the Contractor.

e. The Contractor will have fifteen (15) calendar days from the date notified to appeal any termination of contract decision based on the Evaluation of Services Tours.

f. The appeal must be addressed to the Director of the Division of Procurement Services.

g. Below is a copy of the checklist that will be used for the evaluations.

Contractor Communications: The Contractor must respond to all emails and phone calls within one (1) business day.

Contractor Payment:

· The contractor will only be paid for the services which have been successfully provided during each billing cycle.

· The billing cycle is one calendar month.

· Invoices cannot be submitted until the billing cycle has closed.

· Invoices must contain Vendor Contract #, Vendor VC#, location of services, services performed (daily, quarterly or yearly etc) to be considered acceptable.

· Invoices must be decreased for any scheduled tasks not provided. The State of Maine will not pay for service that has not been performed.

· Deductions will be made for days when service is not provided for any reason. It will be the burden of the Contractor to prove that all billed services have been provided at levels that meet or exceed all contractually obligated standards.

· At the Execution of the contract the Provider will be provided with the email address to send all invoices to for the contract.

Disaster Recovery Plan

a. Each bidding Contractor is required to submit a plan of action with their bid describing how their company will handle the contracted services if an emergency situation occurs where your company has a reduction in work force.

b. These plans will not be evaluated but will become part of the awarded contract.

c. Bids received without them may be rejected. Bidders can enter their plan in Appendix D, after the cost schedule or they can submit a separate document.

Infectious Disease Spread Prevention: The Contractor must report to the Program Administrator all Contractor employees who are contagious or has come in contact with a person with an infectious disease who may have entered the facility. Reporting must occur within twenty-four (24) hours of Contractor gaining knowledge of the situation.

Vetting:

a. The Department retains the right to screen and restrict from the facility personnel employed by or representing the provider who do not receive a satisfactory/passing background check.

b. All persons must pass a federal background check conducted by the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management (DVEM) before being allowed into/onto the facility grounds. This applies for all Maine National Guard facilities and grounds.

c. The Contractor must supply a list of people who may be either involved in the work effort, accompanying the Contractor, subcontracted, or present at the facility to the Vetting Coordinator. This must happen within two weeks after the award of the contract or two weeks prior to the beginning of the contract whichever comes first. This also applies to any “new” employees that become part of the project for the contract’s length.

d. The list will include first name, middle initial, last name, date of birth, maiden name, social security number or another federal issued identification number and driver’s license number & state issued for each person.

e. The Department will provide to the Provider the names of those personnel that are acceptable for access, and those that are not acceptable for unescorted access into/onto our facilities. The Department will not be legally allowed to share any specifics regarding why certain personnel are considered unacceptable for any access.

Lost, Found or Missing Articles: All unclaimed articles found in or about the work areas by the Contractor will be turned in immediately to the Program Administrator, giving location where article was found.

Compliance with State and Federal Regulations: The Provider and employees will be subject to all applicable State and Federal regulations for the conduct of personnel.

State Facilities:

a. Damage or Loss of State-Owned Property: The Provider will be held liable for any damage or loss of use of State of Maine owned property caused by the Provider’s employees’ or personnel allowed into the facility by the Provider’s employees. The Provider will be required to pay for all repairs, replace the property with the exact same piece of property or pay for a replacement at current market prices.

b. Storage and Supply Area/Closet: At the discretion of the Program Administrator, storage, and supply areas, if available, will be provided to the Contractor. Such storage and supply areas shall be used at the Contractor’s own risk. If State storage and supply areas are utilized, the State shall in no way be responsible for lost, damaged or stolen equipment or materials.

c. Securing the Facility: Upon completing work in each area within the building, the Provider’s personnel shall ensure that all windows are closed, lights are off, and all entrance doors are locked prior to leaving the area. The preceding would not apply if the Provider has completed work substantially prior to the end of the normal work day for State employees. Any office that was locked prior to servicing must be relocked when finished. Work areas with secured entrances and exits must not be unlocked or trigged to stay open at any time.

d. Loss of Facility Security: If a facility becomes unsecure due to actions of a Provider’s employee, representative or subcontractor, the cost of securing the facility will be the responsibility of the Provider. The Agreement Administrator will determine what needs to be done to secure the facility.

e. Parking: Provider employees shall park only in areas designated by the Program Administrator (or their designee) and will park at their own risk.

Trash: Contractor will collect trash and put it into a designated dumpster area for regular scheduled trash pick-up provided by the Department.

Recycling: Contractor will collect recycling and put it into a designated dumpster area for regular scheduled recycling pick-up provided by the Department.

Damage

a. The contractor is responsible for damage to any of the facility or its grounds that occur in the execution of this lawncare contract.

b. The contractor is responsible for the repair being completed within 10 working days from the date of damage.

Appendix C

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT SERVICES

COST RESPONSE

R RFQ# 15A260105*0149

All responses to this RFQ will require a cost quotation response, in a format selected by the State of Maine. That format is described below.

Enter the Bids in the Vendor VSS as shown below but also attach a filled out copy of the RFQ Lawncare Bid Sheet.

All bids must be entered in the Vendor Self Service (VSS).

All bids must have a bid price (Contract Amount which is the total of all 5 years being bid. Initial year and the two-2year extensions). Note this is cell E21 on the attached spreadsheet (rfq lawncare bid sheet.xlsx that is attached) The price must be filled in using numbers and a decimal point only.

Example: If your bid is for one dollar you would enter 1.00

If you have any details you want us to know about your bid or the item you are bidding write them in the Comments section.

Appendix D

RFQ# 15A260105*0149

Lawncare for Lewiston Armory

Subcontractors: Subcontractors hired for this contract are subject to all the terms and conditions of the prime contract and must supply Certificates of Insurance to the State in the same amount as the prime contractor. No more than 15% of the work under this contract may be performed by subcontractors and the State reserves the right to remove any unsuitable subcontractor.

Will your company use subcontractors for contractually obligated tasks covered by this bid?

NO _______________ YES _______________

The following tasks will be performed by Subcontractors:

Task Subcontractor

Disaster Recovery Plan: Each bidding Contractor is required to submit a detailed plan of action with their bid describing how their company will handle the contracted services if an emergency situation occurs where your company has a reduction in work force. Response must be more than “We will bring in workers from other areas” or “We have always been able to provide the service.” These plans will not be evaluated but will become part of the awarded contract. Bids received without them may be rejected.

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Lewiston_lawncare.pdf

Lewiston Armory Lawncare 2024 Legend

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Fence

Gate

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Sidewalk

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Site boundary 0 60 120 18030 Feet

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Goddard Rd.

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Goddard Rd

1 inch equals 45 feet image2.emf

Lawncare Checklist rev 10.30.24.docx Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management – Military Bureau

Evaluation of Service Tour - Lawncare Checklist

Date of Tour:

Time:

Location:

Program Administrator/Designee:

Contractor:

Rating: E=Excellent G=Good (Meets Expectations) NI=Needs Improvement N/A = Not Applicable

NOTES:

1. Some tasks may not pertain to some facilities. Place N/A in the notes if not at your facility.

2. Pictures should be taken where they can be and submitted with the form. (If issue is with length/height use a ruler as reference)

Instructions for Evaluations

· There should be an agreed upon schedule for periodic performance evaluation tours, at a minimum of monthly.

· If additional evaluations are deemed necessary, this will be scheduled by the Program Administrator or their designee via written email notification a minimum of three (3) business days prior to requested meeting.

Contractor Performance:

· If the Contractor receives a combination of four or more negative responses to yes or no questions and Needs Improvement or Unacceptable ratings for services rated during the Evaluation of Service Tour, it will be documented as poor performance.

· The Contractor will be given two (2) weeks from the date of the Evaluation Tour to correct all issues discovered during the Evaluations of Service Tour.

· If the issues are not resolved during that timeframe the contract could be terminated due to documented poor performance with a thirty (30) day notice.

· If the Contractor receives three (3) evaluations that receive the poor performance rating for the facility, the contract could be terminated due to documented poor performance.

· Poor performance may be considered in the evaluation of a subsequent bids submitted by the Contractor.

· The Contractor will have fifteen (15) calendar days from the date notified to appeal any termination of contract decision based on the Evaluation of Services Tours.

· The appeal must be addressed to the Director of the Division of Procurement Services.

General

Task

Rating

Notes

Lawn areas mowed and trimmed to specified length (3.5-5in)

Y or N

Visible grass clippings and leaves after mowing have been raked and bagged as needed and hauled away by Contactor

Y or N

Doorway entrances, walkways, parking lots and planting beds vacuumed and/or blown free of debris and grass clippings

Y or N

Trash and debris picked up throughout the grass and planting areas

Y or N

Mower blades have been kept sharp to prevent tearing of grass blades

Y or N

Mulching and/or bagging type mowing equipment is mandatory on all mowers

Y or N

Edging completed same day and same frequency of mowing

Y or N

Hard surfaced edging used to outline and/or remove turf from along sidewalks and curbs to maintain straight and sharp edges

Y or N

Soft edging used to outline and/or remove turf from all trees and planting beds, etc. to maintain the shape and configuration of all planting areas.

Y or N

All areas mowed and trimmed as agreed upon in contract

Y or N

Inside and outside of fence line trimmed and kept clean of trash and vines and weeds removed within the fence.

Y or N

Three-foot swath maintained along the outside of the fences as needed.

(Limestone 2-foot swath)

Y or N

Water, fertilizing and keeping free of weeds within the flower beds and planting areas

Y or N

Winter/Spring Clean Up

Task

Rating

Notes

Removal of fallen trees and branches

Repairs to damaged lawn

Removal of all trash and foreign debris

Environmental Requirements

Note if your site does not have the specific category then put N/A in the notes – refer to contract if unsure.

Task

Rating

Notes

General Lawn - Cut no shorter than 3.5 inches max of 5in.

(has good roots and no scalping at this level, and no thicket masses when cutting)

Filter Beds (JFHQ, RTI, Bangor East)- Allowed to grow to 6in and maintain at that height during season. Last cut of the year cut to 4inches for winter dormancy

Underdrain Filter beds (Auburn, Bangor RTI) - just must watch the caps to not hit them - otherwise mowed the same as lawn

Bio Retention Cell (Brunswick) - Cut annually to 6in at the end of the year. One cut only.

Pollination Bed (NMRC) - Cut annually to 6in at the end of the year. One cut only.

Retention Pond - If it is a grassed retention pond (Auburn & Bangor East) maintain a height of 6in through the season.

Retention Pond - Last cut of the year cut to 4in for winter dormancy

WW Filter Beds (RTI) - Weed whacked as needed to keep tall grass down

Gravel Wetlands (Bangor East) - Trim any woody growth, weed whack any brush.

Misc. Items

Task

Rating

Notes

Work Performed during Department’s normal working hours 7:30 am to 4:00 pm

Work not performed on state or federal holidays.

Facility has received a schedule of when the work will be performed (weather permitting)

All personnel on site vetted?

Y or N

Has Contractor responded to all emails/phone calls within one business day?

Y or N

Evaluation Tour Attendees (must Sign & Date)

Facility Contact_______________________________________________________

DFE Contact__________________________________________________________

Vendor/Provider Contact_______________________________________________

Return completed sheet (pages 1-4 at least) to Ken Merrifield – DFE kenneth.r.merrifield.nfg@army.mil image3.png image4.emf rfq lawncare bid sheet.xlsx Sheet1

Maine Department of Defense, Veterans & Emergency Management

MEARNG Lawncare Services- Lewiston Armory

One Year CT - 5/1/26-4/30/27 with two (2) one year renewals

Bids are due Friday - 5 February 2026, at noon local time.

Bidding Info

Bidder’s Organization Name:

Contact Name:

Mailing Address:

City: State: Zip Code:

Email:

Phone Number:

State of Maine VC#

Initial Season Renewal 1 Renewal 2

5/1/2026-4/30/2027 5/1/2027 - 4/30/2028 5/1/2028 - 10/31/2029

Lawncare Season

Winter Clean Up Once

Catagory Total $0.00 $0.00 $0.00

Bid Total $0.00

Additional Cost Requested:

Additionally, the following extras were asked to be priced. These will be handled on a separate invoice. But the $ would be the below:

Proposed Hourly Rates 5/1/2026-4/30/2027 5/1/2027 - 4/30/2028 5/1/2028 - 10/31/2029

Hourly Rate for additional work if needed - tasks outside of scope Hour

Lawncare Season is considered to be May, June July, August, September and October