Augusta Nursery Weed Control 2026 Season

The Virginia Department of Forestry's Augusta Nursery is seeking a qualified contractor to provide weed removal services across approximately 28 acres of tree seedling beds located in Crimora, Virginia, from June through August 2026. The contractor must provide a crew of 10 to 20+ workers daily, performing manual hand-weeding operations Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 4:30 PM under supervision, with removed weeds transported to awaiting wagons for disposal. The primary objectives include complete weed removal from the seedling beds while maintaining seedling integrity, with the contractor bearing full financial responsibility for any seedling losses resulting from improper weeding techniques. Required qualifications include the ability to mobilize and supervise the specified crew size, obtain and maintain a current Certificate of Insurance naming the Department of Forestry as an additional insured with coverage meeting or exceeding specified minimums, and demonstrate capacity to correct any performance deficiencies within one week or face contract termination. Pricing must be submitted as a per-worker hourly rate through the electronic eVA portal, with bids due no later than April 29, 2026; bidders are required to certify that they have inspected the job site and understand the work conditions, and site visits are available upon request by contacting Joshua McLaughlin at joshua.mclaughlin@dof.virginia.gov. The Commonwealth will evaluate bids based on compliance with specifications and pricing, with the right to reject any and all bids in whole or in part.

This procurement does not specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting eligibility to particular organization types, though all contractors must register in the eVA electronic procurement portal and comply with standard Commonwealth requirements including certification of debarment status, drug-free workplace compliance, nondiscrimination policies, and child labor prohibitions for contracts exceeding $10,000. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. All subcontracting is prohibited without prior written consent of the purchasing agency, and the contractor remains fully liable for any subcontractor performance and responsible for repairing any damage to existing utilities or equipment resulting from contract performance. The solicitation documents do not specify an estimated award value or budget range; pricing will be determined through the competitive bidding process based on hourly rates submitted by responsive bidders. The resulting award will be issued as a single purchase order with applicable eVA transaction fees assessed, and bid validity extends for 30 days from submission, after which bids may be withdrawn at the bidder's written request.