Downtown Enhanced Services Zone (DESZ)

The City of St. Petersburg, Florida is issuing a Request for Proposal to procure comprehensive on-site ambassador services for the newly established Downtown Enhanced Services Zone (DESZ), a 226-acre area encompassing approximately 203 blocks including the Downtown Core, Central Avenue Corridor, and Waterfront Arts District. The selected vendor will provide hospitality and safety outreach, wayfinding assistance, public information services, and cleaning and maintenance operations seven days a week, fifty-two weeks per year, with specific deployment schedules, work hours, and staffing levels to be finalized prior to service commencement. Key deliverables include trash removal and disposal, pressure washing of sidewalks and hardscapes, landscaped area maintenance, special event cleanup within one calendar day of completion, and compassionate engagement with unhoused individuals. The vendor must provide all necessary equipment and uniforms subject to City approval and comply with living wage requirements per St. Petersburg City Code due to the contract value exceeding $200,000 annually. Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria: executive summary and qualifications (10%), technical approach and integration (25%), innovation and technology use (20%), community engagement and ordinance compliance (20%), budget and cost (10%), and business enterprise program outreach and utilization (15%). Critical dates include a pre-proposal meeting on February 18, 2026, with questions due by March 10, 2026 and responses provided by March 17, 2026; proposals must be submitted electronically by March 26, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., followed by an evaluation and shortlisting meeting on April 8, 2026.

The contract carries no set-aside restrictions limiting organizational eligibility; however, the City strongly encourages proposers to demonstrate outreach and engagement with small businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and minority-owned businesses within the Tampa Bay Region through a Subcontractor Utilization Plan, though participation is voluntary with no minimum requirements mandated for contract award. Vendors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including $1,000,000 commercial general liability, $1,000,000 commercial automobile liability, workers' compensation per Florida law, and $1,000,000 pollution liability insurance. Proposals must demonstrate relevant experience managing similar programs such as downtown ambassador services, business improvement districts, and enhanced services districts, and must include coordination plans with City departments including Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Sanitation, St. Petersburg Police Department, and Code Enforcement. Integration with the City's SeeClickFix platform for resident and visitor communications is required. The estimated annual budget for DESZ services is $630,000, with an initial contract term of three years from the date of execution and two optional one-year renewal periods available by mutual agreement. Proposers must provide a minimum of three client references from similar projects completed within the past five years to demonstrate relevant experience and capability.