Athletic field lawn care

Battle Creek Public Schools issued a Request for Proposal for district-wide landscaping and lawn care services covering nineteen facilities throughout the district. The procurement encompasses two separate scopes: Scope 2 for general landscaping maintenance at eighteen facilities and Scope 3 for athletic field maintenance at one facility. Landscaping maintenance services include seasonal cleanup, tree and shrub care, planting bed maintenance, pesticide and fertilizer application, edging, weed removal, and courtyard maintenance. Athletic field maintenance requires mowing at specified heights for baseball, softball, and soccer fields; spring and fall cleanup; natural turf repair; edging and weed removal; housekeeping; irrigation pre-inspection; and chemical treatments following the District's treatment schedule. The services are to be provided during the growing season from May 4, 2026, through November 2026, with the contract year commencing May 4, 2026. Contractors must be certified commercial pesticide applicators licensed with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, with chemical applications permitted only on weekends, school holidays, or when students are not in session. Evaluation criteria include adherence to the RFP, relevant experience with K-12 public school districts of comparable size, staff qualifications, timeliness, responsiveness, team compatibility, and fee proposals. A mandatory pre-bid meeting is scheduled for March 12, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the Miller Stone Building in downtown Battle Creek, with Intent to Respond due by March 11, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Requests for Information must be submitted by March 16, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., with District responses provided by March 18, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Three copies of complete proposals must be received by 10:00 a.m. on March 30, 2026, with bid opening occurring immediately thereafter. The Board of Education will vote on April 27, 2026, and contracts will commence May 4, 2026.

No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting respondent types were identified in the documentation. However, all contractor employees regularly working at District facilities must undergo criminal background checks through the Michigan State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation, and individuals with listed offenses, certain felonies, or sexual or physical abuse convictions are prohibited from employment. Contractors must provide comprehensive general liability insurance with limits of $2,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 general aggregate, as well as automobile liability coverage of $2,000,000. No incumbent vendor information or details regarding existing infrastructure requiring integration were specified in the available documents. Budget and award values were not disclosed in the RFP materials; however, bidders are required to submit annual detailed cost breakdowns for each location for three years (2026, 2027, and 2028), with monthly payments to be made in installments based on an annual fee to be negotiated. The District reserves the right to terminate the contract for convenience with sixty days' written notice and may add or delete services and locations during the contract term with compensation adjustments based on the contractor's normal and customary charges.