seminole RFP 53-2026.pdf

SEMINOLE TRIBE OF FLORIDA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Solicitation No.: RFP 53-2026

Title: Disaster Debris Removal Services (Tribal-wide)

Description: The Public Works Department of the Seminole Tribe of Florida is requesting proposals from qualified contractors to provide disaster debris removal services on an as-needed basis tribal-wide.

Solicitation Release Date: November 4, 2026

Contract Term: The term of the Agreement shall be for a period of three (3) years commencing on the date of the last executing signature, with the option for the TRIBE to renew the Agreement for an additional term of two (2) one (1) year renewals.

Compensation: CONTRACTOR shall be permitted to adjust the rates stated in

Exhibit A – Proposal Form for years four (4) and five (5), if applicable, at a rate increase not-to-exceed three percent (3%) above the prior year rates for a total allowance of two (2) rate adjustments under the Agreement. CONTRACTOR must provide written notification and an adjusted rate schedule no later than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the effective date of each subsequent year of the Agreement.

Pre-Proposal Conference: November 18, 2026 @ 10:00 AM (ET) (MANDATORY) BC Public Safety Building 30290 Josie Billie Highway Clewiston, Florida 33440

Deadline for Questions: December 4, 2026 @ 3:00 PM (ET)

Proposal Due Date: December 21, 2026 @ 3:00 PM (ET)

Submission Instructions: Detailed in Section III, Paragraph 4.

RFP 53-2026

SECTION I – GENERAL INFORMATION

1. BACKGROUND

The Seminole Tribe of Florida (hereinafter the “TRIBE” or “STOF”) is a federally recognized Indian Tribe organized pursuant to Section 16 of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, as amended, 25 U.S.C. §5123. There are six (6) Seminole Indian Reservations in the State of Florida in Big Cypress, Brighton, Hollywood, Immokalee, Tampa, and Fort Pierce. Tribal Headquarters are located on the Hollywood Reservation in an urban environment in the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Florida area. Satellite offices are located on each of the other reservations or trust land. The TRIBE also maintains off-reservation offices in Naples, Fort Pierce, Hollywood, and Miami.

The TRIBE provides various governmental services to its members and residents of its reservations similar to those services provided at the municipal or county level. Examples of such services include, but are not limited to, public works, recreation and elder services programs, police, fire, and EMS services. The TRIBE also maintains health and dental clinics, an education program, preschools and schools, a museum, two rodeo arenas, etc. In addition to governmental services, the TRIBE and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. (hereinafter “STOFI”) also are engaged in various business activities including real estate, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, gas station/convenience stores, and sales.

The terms “Vendor” and “Respondent” are used interchangeably in this document to refer to respondents of this RFP. The term “Contractor” is used in this document to refer to the awarded vendor(s).

2. ADDITIONAL ITEMS AND SERVICES

The TRIBE may require additional items or services of similar nature, but not specifically listed in this solicitation. The selected CONTRACTOR(s) agrees to provide such items or services, and shall provide the TRIBE prices on such additional items or services based upon a formula or method that is the same or similar to that used in establishing the fees as a result of this solicitation.

If the fees offered are not acceptable to the TRIBE, and the situation cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the TRIBE, the TRIBE reserves the right to procure those items or services from others.

CONTRACTOR shall work cooperatively, when required, with any additional parties from which these services are obtained.

3. FRAUD AND MISREPRESENTATION

Any individual, corporation, or other entity that attempts to fulfill the requirements of this solicitation through fraud, misrepresentation, or material misstatement may be deemed non-responsible and such individual, corporation, or other entity’s qualification may be null and void.

4. CONFIDENTIALITY / NON-DISCLOSURE

RESPONDENT shall treat any information contained in this solicitation (or accumulated through other written or oral communication with the TRIBE) as confidential information. Any information provided by the TRIBE to RESPONDENT in this solicitation is to be used solely to permit RESPONDENT to reply to the solicitation and RESPONDENT shall make no other use of the information, inclusive of sharing the information with corporate affiliates and subsidiaries without the prior written consent of the TRIBE. RESPONDENT shall hold the information contained in this solicitation in strict confidence and the information obtained will not be disclosed to any third-party, vendor affiliate, or subsidiary, without the TRIBE’s prior written consent.

The awarded CONTRACTOR(s) will be required to enter into a Mutual Confidentiality and Non- Disclosure Agreement (MNDA) with the TRIBE, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit R – Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement and incorporated into this solicitation package.

5. NON-EXCLUSIVITY

It is expressly understood that contractor selection does not grant CONTRACTOR an exclusive privilege to provide the TRIBE any or all of the goods and/or services that are the subject of this solicitation. The TRIBE reserves the right, as deemed in its best interest, to perform or cause to be performed the provision of the goods and/or services, or any portion thereof, herein described in any manner it sees fit, including but not limited to award to multiple contractors, and contract with other contractor(s) for the provision of goods and/or services similar or identical to those that are the subject of this solicitation.

6. DISCLOSURE

RESPONDENT responding to this solicitation must disclose in detail any current or past relationships with the TRIBE, Seminole Gaming, and/or STOFI and their employees.

7. ADDENDA / REVISIONS TO SOLICITATION

If it becomes necessary to revise or clarify any part of this solicitation, the TRIBE will modify this solicitation by issuance of written addenda. All addenda will clearly be marked as such and shall become part of the solicitation documents.

8. BUDGET

Should the highest scoring respondent have submitted a pricing proposal that is in excess of the allocated and approved budget, as defined by the TRIBE, the TRIBE reserves the right to enter into negotiations with the highest scoring respondent. If the TRIBE and the highest scoring respondent cannot agree upon an acceptable project budget, the TRIBE will move on to the next highest scoring respondent and, if necessary, enter into negotiations. The TRIBE reserves the right to continue this process until a respondent is awarded, which meets the requirement(s) of the TRIBE’s allocated and approved budget.

SECTION II – QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS

1. GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS

Proposals shall be considered only from respondents normally engaged in performing the type of work specified in this solicitation. RESPONDENT must have adequate organizational resources, facilities, equipment, and personnel to ensure prompt and efficient service to the TRIBE.

At a minimum, qualifying proposals shall demonstrate that RESPONDENT possesses the qualifications necessary to provide high-quality services. To ensure RESPONDENT is capable of providing an acceptable level of service to the TRIBE, RESPONDENT shall meet the following minimum qualifications:

• Be the prime contractor and will only subcontract out any work or partner with another firm if explicitly authorized in writing by the TRIBE.

o The TRIBE must approve in advance any subcontractors related to this work.

Respondents must clearly disclose in their proposals any known or expected use of subcontractors. Failure to make such disclosure at the time of proposal may result in rejection of the subcontractor and the resulting agreement. The TRIBE reserves the right to reject any subcontractors which, in the TRIBE’s sole opinion, are unfit to work on this project.

• Hold a current certified license relevant to these services, as described in Exhibit Q – Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation – License(s), Certification(s), and/or Registration(s).

o Certified General Contractor License

• Hold a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in providing similar services.

• Maintain a fully equipped organization capable, technically and financially, of performing the work required, and has performed similar work in a satisfactory manner.

• Carry and maintain adequate insurance consistent with the requirements listed in Exhibit J

– Insurance Requirements and Certificate of Insurance.

• Meet any other requirements outlined in this solicitation.

2. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE (MANDATORY)

A Pre-Proposal Conference has been scheduled for prospective respondents. Details regarding the Pre-Proposal Conference are found in the paragraphs below.

2.1. ATTENDANCE AND ATTENDEES:

• Attendance to the Pre-Proposal Conference is mandatory to be eligible for award.

• Prospective respondents shall assign one (1) employee or representative of the prime

RESPONDENT responding to this solicitation to attend the Pre-Proposal Conference to receive credit for attendance. Subcontractors or other individuals (consultants, vendors, etc.) may not attend for the prime RESPONDENT.

• Prospective respondents who arrive with a guest(s) will be asked to select only one (1) individual from their party to continue and, if refuse, will be asked to leave without receiving credit for attendance.

• A grace period of ten (10) minutes will be allowed for attendees who are late.

Prospective respondents who arrive more than ten (10) minutes late shall be disqualified and shall not be permitted to sign in and attend the Pre-Proposal Conference.

o Prospective respondents who expect to be ten (10) minutes late or less must notify the TRIBE’s Contact Person via the contact instructions listed in Section III, Paragraph 1.

• Attendees must stay for the duration of the Pre-Proposal Conference and may not leave until they are dismissed by the TRIBE’s Project Manager.

2.2. MEETING DETAILS:

The date, time, and location of the Pre-Proposal Conference are shown in the table below.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

Date: November 18, 2026

Time: 10:00 AM (ET)

Location:

BC Public Safety Building 30290 Josie Billie Highway Clewiston, Florida 33440

2.3. NOTICE REGARDING LOCATION:

• Attendees shall respect common parking etiquette and shall not double-park, block another vehicle, block the road, or park on the grass, curb, or other unmarked spaces.

• A shuttle will NOT be available for prospective respondents to board.

2.4. QUESTIONS:

• Respondents may ask questions during the Pre-Proposal Conference These questions may or may not be answered during the Pre-Proposal Conference, as decided by the TRIBE. For questions which were not answered during the Pre-Proposal Conference, the answers may be shared with prospective respondents via an official addendum.

• Questions outside of the Pre-Proposal Conference must be submitted through BidNet Direct as listed in Section III, Paragraph 1 “Communication Instructions” by the Deadline for Questions to receive a formal written response.

• Questions submitted through BidNet Direct must follow the below requirements to receive a response:

o Each question must be submitted individually.

o Multiple questions submitted as a batch in one form/field shall not be considered.

2.5. GENERAL:

• At the TRIBE’s discretion, the TRIBE may videotape and/or audiotape the Pre- Proposal Conference, whether held in-person or online. This recording may only be shared internally with the TRIBE key personnel and may not be provided to prospective respondents who attended the Pre-Proposal Conference, as determined by the TRIBE.

3. BONDING

The following bonding requirements shall be required for all TRIBE or STOFI funded construction projects with a projected overall cost of $5,000,000.00 and above. The following bond types are required for all projects which meet this cost threshold. Said bonds shall match the overall awarded proposal cost.

Such bonds are not required if all work performed under this contract is solely performed by the TRIBE or public non-profit corporations serving as a government instrumentality of the TRIBE.

Proof of public non-profit corporate status must be furnished to and be satisfactory to the Awarding Official. All subcontractors performing work under this contract are subject to bonding requirements. Subcontractor bonds are to be made payable to the CONTRACTOR. Corporate sureties offered for bonds furnished with this contract must be original documents and must appear on the list contained in the Department of Treasury Circular 570, entitled “Companies Holding Certificates of Authority as Acceptable Sureties on Federal Bonds and Acceptable Reinsuring Companies.”

3.1. BID BOND:

A bid bond of 5% is required.

A bid bond guarantees compensation to the bond owner if CONTRACTOR fails to begin a project. Bid bonds are often used for construction jobs or other projects with similar bid-based selection processes. The function of the bid bond is to provide a guarantee to the project owner that RESPONDENT will complete the work if selected. The existence of a bid bond gives the owner assurance that RESPONDENT has the financial means to accept the job for the price quoted in the proposal.

3.2. PAYMENT AND PERFORMANCE BONDS:

Payment and performance bonds shall:

• Name as additional obligees: the Owner, any designee of Owner and affiliates or any construction lender(s) of the Owner

• Be in a form and be issued by as licensed surety satisfactory to Owner

• Be in an amount equal to 100% of their contract price as applicable

• Be automatically increased in the amount of any additive Change Orders and

Construction Change Directives issued by Owner to CONTRACTOR

A payment bond is issued to one party of a contract as a guarantee against the failure of the other party to meet payment obligations specified in the contract. A payment bond is usually provided by a bank or an insurance company to make sure a contractor pays for all materials, supplies, and all subcontracted work (if any).

A performance bond is issued to one party of the contract as a guarantee against the failure of the other party to meet obligations specified in the contract. A performance bond is usually provided by a bank or an insurance company to make sure a contractor completes designated projects.

4. PRESENTATION

Respondent(s) who submit a response to this solicitation may be required to give a presentation or be interviewed to provide more information relevant to their submission. All costs associated with RESPONDENT’s presentation will be solely the responsibility of the respective RESPONDENT.

Presentations will be considered a part of RESPONDENT’s response to this solicitation.

Presentation requirements will be sent directly to respondents once the available presentation dates have been decided and an invite to schedule presentations has been distributed. A detailed script or requirements list will be subsequently developed by the TRIBE and distributed to each of the respondents invited to give a presentation.

SECTION III – SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS & INSTRUCTIONS

1. COMMUNICATION INSTRUCTIONS

All project-related questions, inquiries, concerns, and communication (including qualifications) must be routed through BidNet Direct:

BIDNET DIRECT

http://www.bidnetdirect.com/florida/seminoletribeofflorida

All submission and Pre-Proposal Conference-related questions, inquiries, concerns, and communication must be routed through the following Contact Person(s):

CONTACT PERSON(S)

Name: Martha Gongora Diaz Email: To: MarthaGongoraDiaz@semtribe.com

Cc: SolicitationsUnit@semtribe.com Phone: O: (954) 966-6300 x 10988

C: (954) 248-0012

2. CONE OF SILENCE

The TRIBE and STOFI have established a solicitation silence policy, or “Cone of Silence”, prohibiting oral and written communication regarding all TRIBE and STOFI quote requests and formal solicitations for goods and services between the RESPONDENT (and its agents or representatives) and any TRIBE or STOFI employee.

The Cone of Silence begins at the time of advertisement until award.

During the Cone of Silence, respondents shall only contact the listed Contact Person in Section III, Paragraph 1.

Respondents shall NOT contact any other employee of TRIBE or STOFI for information with respect to this solicitation, including but not limited to selection/scoring committee members, STOF Executive Directors, Board representatives, etc.

2.1. VIOLATIONS:

Any violation of the Cone of Silence may result in disciplinary actions, including disqualification from consideration, rescinding of award, or being barred from future business with STOF and/or STOFI, depending on the severity.

3. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

RESPONDENT must include the items listed below as part of their submission to be considered for award:

• All exhibits according to Exhibit(s) Required for Submission (attached separately).

Failure to acknowledge and/or submit all information may result in disqualification or lower ranking due to not meeting these requirements.

Required Attachments and Exhibits provided to RESPONDENT by the TRIBE shall not be altered by RESPONDENT and shall be completed as instructed by the TRIBE, unless otherwise instructed by the TRIBE. Proposals which include altered files may be disqualified, as determined by the

TRIBE.

4. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Electronic submissions in response to this solicitation must be submitted through BidNet Direct by the Proposal Due Date and time detailed in this solicitation.

• Physical correspondence, flash drives, hyperlinks, or any other physical media shall not be accepted.

BIDNET DIRECT

http://www.bidnetdirect.com/florida/seminoletribeofflorida

Submissions must be clear, concise, organized, legible, and easy to read and navigate. Submissions may be returned to RESPONDENT and required to be reorganized and resubmitted. Submissions which are deemed by the TRIBE to be illegible or unintelligible may be disqualified.

All parts, pages, figures, and tables should be numbered and labeled clearly. If submitting separate files, the File Name of each submitted attachment and exhibit must include the assigned letter; for example, Exhibit A’s File Name must state, at a minimum, “Exhibit A.” RESPONDENT may include additional information in the File Name, if needed.

In order to fairly evaluate all responses, respondents should not include additional information other than what is asked to be provided. This includes any information related to RESPONDENT’s organization that was not specifically asked to be provided.

5. ATTACHMENTS

Please note, Attachments are reference documents which require RESPONDENT’s review, according to the instructions specified by the TRIBE in the “Instructions” column in the table below.

While some Attachments indicated below may be attached separately, most Attachments may be found at the end of this file.

5.1. ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment Description Instructions

Attachment A Scope of Services Review information. No further action needed.

Attachment B Property List Review information. No further action needed.

Attachment C Reservation Locations Review information. No further action needed.

Attachment D Sample Service Agreement Review information and fill in Exhibit O - Proposed Sample Contract Exceptions.

6. PRICE

Prices stated in proposal responses to this solicitation shall remain fixed and firm for all services to be performed for a minimum period of one-hundred and eighty (180) calendar days from the Proposal Due Date.

7. POST SUBMISSION

Any price adjustments after proposal submission must be requested in writing and approved by the TRIBE.

RESPONDENT may be required to clarify items related to their submission, which may include but not be limited to verifying submitted information and confirming comprehension of the full requirements of the Scope of Work, and is expected to be responsive. Respondents deemed by the TRIBE to be unresponsive may be disqualified.

RESPONDENT may be required to submit and/or sign additional documentation, forms, exhibits, etc. after the Proposal Due Date and before the resultant agreement is drafted as a continuation of the solicitation requirements and/or as part of the vendor registration process. Should RESPONDENT be unable or unwilling to satisfy this requirement, RESPONDENT may be disqualified.

The TRIBE reserves the right to negotiate any and all submitted pricing, payment terms, warranties, etc. with the RESPONDENT or selected CONTRACTOR during the evaluation process, drafting phase of the resultant agreement, and/or at a time otherwise determined by the

TRIBE.

SECTION IV – EVALUATION & SELECTION

1. EVALUATION CRITERIA

The TRIBE will conduct a comprehensive, fair, and impartial evaluation of all proposals received in response to this solicitation.

• On-time and complete submission (with all required documentation)

• License requirements

• Projected completion date and lead time

• Previous performance at a satisfactory level o The TRIBE reserves the right to eliminate any submission should RESPONDENT have evidence of previous poor or unsatisfactory performance for similar or dissimilar services performed for the TRIBE or other companies.

• Statement of Qualifications or Qualification Questionnaire

• Current and pending workload with the TRIBE performing similar and dissimilar services, and capability to take on additional responsibilities without negatively impacting existing opportunities

• Any other relevant factors, as listed in the solicitation

• Pricing versus the market o Pricing will be listed from lowest price to highest price for all respondents whose submission meets the minimum requirements listed above

The applicable proposal(s) will be eliminated if any of the following apply:

• Any criteria or requirements are incomplete

• Any criteria or requirements are not met

• The required schedule cannot be met

• Any other relevant factor(s) are not met, as determined by the TRIBE

The remaining proposal(s) will be evaluated based upon the evaluation criteria identified in the table below and an awardee(s) will be determined:

Evaluation Criteria Points Qualifications:

Contractor qualifications and experience of firm (past performance record on work of a similar nature, references, financial, bonding, and insurance capabilities, and corporate history) as stated via Exhibit C – Statement of Qualifications and DOC002 – Professional Qualifications.

Experience:

Key Team Members’ qualifications (relevant experience, knowledge of federal disaster assistance programs, training, technical and professional ability, availability for the project) as stated via DOC004 – List of Proposed Personnel.

Project Delivery:

Project understanding, methodology, and approach (operations plan for Tribe) as stated in DOC003 – Proposed Methodology.

Capacity:

Resources and availability as described in Exhibit C – Statement of Qualifications and DOC001 – Cover Letter & Executive Summary.

Cost:

Proposed Cost as listed via Exhibit A – Proposal Form. 15

Total Possible Score: 100

The respondent(s) with the best overall score will be the apparent awardee(s), pending final review and satisfaction of all requirements regarding the qualifications and documentation. The TRIBE may select one (1) respondent or multiple respondents to provide the solicited services by opting to award based on the highest scored proposal per category, location, service type, etc. The TRIBE reserves the right to split award in its sole discretion.

This solicitation and selection process shall in no way be deemed to create a binding contract, agreement, or offer of any kind between the TRIBE and any entity. If the TRIBE selects a CONTRACTOR(s) to provide the services described in this solicitation, any legal rights and obligations between the successful CONTRACTOR(s), if any, and the TRIBE will come into existence only when an agreement is fully executed by the parties, and the legal rights and obligations of each party shall at that time be only those rights and obligations which are set forth in the agreement and any other documents specifically referred to in that agreement and executed by the parties.

2. RIGHT TO RESCIND AWARD

The awarded CONTRACTOR(s) will be required to enter into a formal agreement for these services after award. The TRIBE prepared a sample of its Service Agreement, attached as Attachment D – Sample Service Agreement which is incorporated into this solicitation package.

The TRIBE expects the awardee to suggest minimal revisions to this agreement.

The TRIBE reserves the right to rescind an award should the awardee be considered, in the TRIBE’s sole opinion, to be inflexible in its agreement negotiations.

3. SEMINOLE TRIBAL AND STOFI OWNED BUSINESS PREFERENCE

The TRIBE encourages its Seminole Tribal Member vendors and STOFI owned businesses to proposal on goods and services through the competitive bidding process and will give preference to qualified Seminole Tribal Member and STOFI owned businesses/entities certified by the

TRIBE.

In all cases, the Seminole Tribal Member owned business/entity or STOFI owned business/entity must be qualified for the applicable Scope of Work and must be able to demonstrate that the individual or business/entity has the skills and abilities to perform requested tasks in an acceptable manner.

Should respondents or prospective respondents have any questions related to Seminole Tribal Preference, please reach out to the Contact Person(s) listed in this solicitation.

4. HOW SEMINOLE TRIBAL PREFERENCE IS APPLIED

The following preference rules do not apply to projects over Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) in value.

For solicitations where the criteria for award or qualification is based on a quantitative scoring analysis, the following Seminole Tribal Preference rules shall apply whether the business/entity is 51% Seminole Tribal Member owned or higher:

• An additional five percentage (5%) points will be allocated to the final combined scoring average/total for each Seminole Tribal Member and STOFI owned business/entity.

5. VENDOR APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION PROGRAM

Because the TRIBE is engaged in Indian tribal gaming in accordance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and the regulations promulgated by the National Indian Gaming Commission, the TRIBE cannot engage in significant transactions with individuals or business entities whom, because of past or continuing activities, associations, or reputation, might bring discredit to the TRIBE and its gaming operations. Thus, the TRIBE has adopted a program whereby it reviews significant transactions and the persons or entities involved with those transactions to assure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to gaming.

If not already an approved and registered vendor with the TRIBE, the highest scoring or lowest-priced vendor(s) will be required to submit a completed and fully executed Vendor Application and Registration Form to the TRIBE’s Purchasing Department. The highest scoring or lowest-priced vendor(s) shall not initiate this process until requested by the TRIBE’s Purchasing Department.

Upon successful completion of an investigation into the past and current activities, associations, and reputation of the applicant, the TRIBE will assign a vendor number and the vendor will be added to its Master Vendor File. The TRIBE may not enter into any business transactions with any vendor whose name does not appear on its Master Vendor File.

Should the highest scoring or lowest-priced vendor(s) be unresponsive or unable to successfully complete the vendor registration process, the TRIBE reserves the right to halt the vendor registration process with the highest scoring or lowest-priced vendor(s) and move onto the next highest scoring or lowest-priced vendor(s). Should the next highest scoring or lowest-priced vendor(s) be unresponsive or unable to complete the vendor registration process, the TRIBE will continue to halt the vendor registration process and move onto the next highest scoring or lowest-priced vendor(s) until a vendor(s) is successfully registered.

ATTACHMENT A

SCOPE OF SERVICES

(Attached separately as a .pdf)

ATTACHMENT B

PROPERTY LIST

ATTACHMENT C

RESERVATION LOCATIONS

ATTACHMENT D

SAMPLE SERVICE AGREEMENT