Ground Maintenance Service - Rock Island Nat Cem -- S208

The Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration is soliciting proposals for comprehensive grounds maintenance services at Rock Island National Cemetery, encompassing 60.87 acres of turf, headstone and marker trimming, herbicide and fertilizer applications, irrigation maintenance, tree pruning and removal, stump removal, sunken grave repair, turf renovation, marker raise and realignment, headstone cleaning, and snow and ice removal. Evaluation will be based on three factors in descending order of importance: Technical Capability and Key Personnel (50-page maximum including Grounds Maintenance Plan, staffing approach, key personnel qualifications, and required Illinois commercial pesticide/herbicide applicator license), Past Performance (minimum three comparable contracts within the last five years), and Price (reasonableness and compliance with available funding), with the government conducting a best-value tradeoff analysis and potentially awarding to other than the lowest-priced offeror. Critical dates include a voluntary vendor site visit on April 2, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM CST at Building 118, Rodman Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois, with RSVP due by March 31, 2026; a questions deadline of April 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST with responses due via amendment by April 8, 2026; and a proposal deadline of April 13, 2026 at 12:00 PM CST via email to olalekan.ismail@va.gov. Prices must remain firm for 60 calendar days from solicitation closing, and a post-award pre-performance conference will be scheduled prior to work commencement.

This solicitation is set aside 100 percent for verified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs), with no incumbent contractor identified. The contract is structured as an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement with a base year from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, plus four optional one-year renewal periods extending through April 30, 2031, featuring a guaranteed minimum of $10,000 and maximum aggregate value of $8,200,000 across the entire contract period. The performance work statement specifies 31 line items including 36 annual mowing cycles across 60.87 acres, 27,260 linear feet of headstone trimming, 54,520 to 57,720 individual headstone cleanings, tree services for approximately 35 trees, and marker raise and realignment work covering approximately 4,000 markers across two flat marker sections (Section O with 1,884 markers and Section P with 945 markers), all of which have existing MonuGrid systems installed. All work must be performed during normal cemetery operating hours of 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday, with the contractor bearing responsibility for equipment, materials, utilities, insurance, damage repairs, and waste disposal, while compliance with Service Contract Act prevailing wage requirements and cemetery operational standards reflecting the national shrine status is mandatory.