Delivery and Installation of Palms Citywide (Bid Discount)

The City of Tampa's Parks and Recreation Department is seeking a vendor for the Delivery and Installation of Palms Citywide (Bid No. 25-P-00365), a comprehensive project involving the procurement, transportation, and installation of various palm species across city street rights-of-way and public lands. The solicitation covers multiple palm varieties including Paurotis, Bismarck, Pindo, Mule, Canary Island Date, Cabbage, and Washington palms, ranging in size from 8' to 30'. Bidders must demonstrate at least five years of experience in handling and planting large specimen palms in urban environments, with a field supervisor possessing minimum five-year experience and English communication skills. The contract scope requires furnishing all materials, equipment, and labor for planting preparation, soil treatment, palm installation, plant removal, protection, maintenance, and potential replacement. The bid is structured across three divisions: palm materials, watering services for newly planted palms, and stump removal, with a maximum of 10 palms per assigned project planting list. The bid opening is scheduled for September 19, 2025, with a mandatory pre-bid meeting on September 4, 2025, at the Columbus Municipal Office Building, and the contract term is one year with potential renewal options for two additional one-year periods.

The procurement includes significant set-aside and preference provisions for Small Local Business Enterprises (SLBEs) and Underutilized Women and Minority Business Enterprises (U-WMBE), offering a five percent bid discount (up to $10,000) for City of Tampa certified SLBE vendors. The bid prioritizes participation from Black-owned, Asian-owned, and Native American-owned firms, with a comprehensive Good Faith Effort Compliance Plan (GFECP) that outlines ten key action steps for bidders to solicit and include WMBE/SLBE subcontractors. Vendors must complete specific Diversity Management (DMI) forms to report subcontractor solicitations and utilization, with an emphasis on breaking down work into economically feasible portions and avoiding precluding WMBE/SLBE firms from bidding. The estimated contract amount is $50,000, with the project effective date set for August 21, 2025. Comprehensive insurance coverage is required, including commercial general liability, automobile liability, and worker's compensation, with specific coverage limits based on the contract value. The city will provide a list of addresses or locations for palm installation, and the successful awardee must have a truck for watering materials upon initial installation.