Football Field and Grounds Maintenance – Hickory Tree Park

The City of St. Cloud, Florida, Parks and Recreation Department is requesting proposals for football field and grounds maintenance services at Hickory Tree Park under RFP #2026-098, with proposals due September 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Minimum qualifications require five consecutive years of professional football field and grounds maintenance experience, Florida business licensure, and a valid Commercial Pesticide Applicator License from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The contractor must provide all labor, equipment, and materials to maintain the field and surrounding grounds in safe, healthy, and athletic-ready condition.

Scope includes turf mowing three times per week during growing season at 1.25" height, fertilization 4–6 times annually, trimming and edging around goalposts, fences, bleachers, light poles, and structures, weed control using pre- and post-emergent herbicides, aeration and overseeding 1–2 times per year, irrigation monitoring with leak reporting, debris removal, grounds maintenance of surrounding practice fields and open spaces, and regular reporting on work completed and turf conditions. Pricing must be firm and include all labor, equipment, materials, packing, handling, shipping, delivery, lodging, mileage, meals, permits, licenses, insurance, and fees delivered F.O.B. destination.

Evaluation criteria are qualifications and experience (30 points), project understanding and proposed approach (30 points), demonstration of similar projects with minimum five references (30 points), and price proposal using a ratio method (10 points). The contractor must obtain and maintain General Liability insurance with $1 million each occurrence limits, Auto Liability with $1 million combined single limit if vehicles are on City property, and Workers' Compensation with statutory limits, all with the City listed as Additional Insured. All insurance carriers must hold A.M. Best ratings of A− or better and Financial Strength Category VII or better.

A non-mandatory pre-response conference is scheduled for August 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at 2361 Old Hickory Tree Road, St. Cloud, Florida 34772. Written questions are due August 28, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. The contract is subject to fund availability.