SFSC Landscaping_Grounds Maintenance.docx

The Acquisition and Grants Office, Eastern Acquisition Division, Norfolk, VA on behalf of the National Weather Service (NWS), Sterling Field Support Center (SFSC) in Sterling, Virginia has a requirement for landscaping/grounds maintenance. The contractor shall perform landscaping/ground maintenance of the fields, evaluation test beds and the areas adjacent to the buildings that are part of the SFSC. The SFSC is located on a 230-acre parcel of land in Eastern Loudoun County Virginia. This property contains the SFSC laboratory buildings, various outdoor meteorological testbeds, and The Baltimore-Washington Regional Forecast Office. The period of performance for this contract will be a one year base period plus four one year optional periods.

For purposes of landscaping /grounds maintenance, the SFSC’s property can be divided into five general areas:

Site has multiple fields that require cutting twice a year. Once in the spring and once in late fall. The perimeter of the facility shall be maintained to ensure that is free of bushes and other shrubberies. Contractor employees shall generally perform all work between the hours 0700 and till dark, Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays) If work is required during the weekends, this work will be coordinated with the Site Manager and the COR.

1) Mowing — In the “short grass areas” the grass will be maintained at a uniform height of between 3 and 4 inches and shall not exceed 6 inches. The contractor shall cut the grass evenly, taking care to prevent scalping, uneven mowing, rutting by equipment, and damage to trees and shrubs. All trash, litter, tree limbs and other debris shall be removed prior to cutting. All clippings shall be removed from hardened surface such as pavement and sidewalks the same day services are provided.

2) Trimming — Grass will be trimmed in conjunction with mowing. The grass shall be trimmed from around the instruments in the testbeds, entrance gates, coverts, ditch lines and around the buildings on site.

3) Edging — The contractor shall edge all sidewalks, driveways, and curbs within the premises in conjunction with grass cutting. Edging includes the removal of all grass or weeds sprouting from sidewalks, pavements, and curb joints. The contractor shall cut all edges clean and vertical at the junction to turf or soil and concrete edge so as not to cause erosion by ditching.

b) Mulching — The area in front of the Sterling Field Support Center shall be mulched as early as practicable each year. During the base year of the contract, all mulch beds shall be stripped and, repair or replacement of existing weed barrier before re-mulching. All mulch beds will be edged.

5) Field Mowing — The fields shall be mowed in late spring and in late fall, once between April 1 – June 30th and once August 1st- November 15th. The contractor is to identify any mowing hazards such not to damage federal property. Coordination with the COR and Site Manger may be necessary to identify existing hazards. The federal government shall not be liable for not identifying all hazards.

6) Unscheduled Mowing — Some areas may require unscheduled mowing when there is more rain than usual. Upon request, the contractor shall complete the required task within 72 hours. The subject areas are listed below:

SFSC Testbeds and Building Areas: Approximately 18.4 acres SFSC Roadways and Fence Lines: Approximately 9.1 acres

The applicable NAICS code for this acquisition is 561730, Landscaping Services, with a size standard of $8 million. This acquisition is being conducted using FAR Part 13 – Simplified Acquisition Procedures and is being competed as a 100% small business set-aside. The Government anticipates awarding a firm fixed-price contract with a one year base period and four one year option periods.

The contract award date is anticipated to be July 15, 2020. A Request for Quote (RFQ) solicitation will be available on or about June 16, 2020 through the Government’s website at https://beta.sam.gov/. The estimated due date for quotes is July 1, 2020. The basis for evaluation will be lowest price technically acceptable. Interested parties should use the betaSAM register to make use of the notification feature which provides notification when the RFQ becomes available for download and all postings associated with the solicitation. Each potential offeror is responsible for checking this website to gain all the updates or amendments to any and all documents. No paper copies of the solicitation will be issued. No telephone, facsimile, or written requests will be accepted. All contractors doing business with this office must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to receive an award from this office. All responsible, responsive sources may submit an offer which will be considered by the Agency. Questions regarding this solicitation should be address to damian.anglin@noaa.gov.