FY27-19, FY28-19 & FY29-19 Tree Services

The Berkshire Regional Group Purchasing Program (BRGPP), acting on behalf of 32 participating municipalities and public sector entities across Berkshire County, Massachusetts, invites competitive bids for multiple highway supplies and services for the fiscal period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with optional renewal for two additional fiscal years (FY28 and FY29). The primary procurement opportunity identified is FY27-19 Tree Services, encompassing tree removal, tree trimming, debris removal, and stump grinding services across Northern, Central, and Southern Berkshire County, with estimated quantities of 916 hours of tree removal, 418 hours of tree trimming, 226 hours of debris removal, and 158 hours of stump grinding in FY27. Successful bidders must be pre-qualified by MassDOT, possess a minimum of three years of tree trimming and removal experience, and maintain at least one Massachusetts or ISA Certified Arborist on-site at all times during operations. Bid packages became available March 12, 2026 through the BRGPP's OpenGov online procurement portal, with questions due by March 27, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. and responses provided by March 30, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Bids must be submitted electronically through the OpenGov portal no later than April 2, 2026 at 1:00 p.m., with public opening and oral reading of bids to follow immediately; contract award is anticipated by April 20, 2026. All work must comply with Massachusetts Highway Department Standard Specifications, OSHA requirements, ANSI Z.133.1-2006 and ANSI A300 standards, and prevailing wage requirements established by the Massachusetts Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, with weekly certified payroll submissions required. A 5% bid deposit in the form of a certified check, cashier's check, or bid bond is required at submission, and the winning bidder must provide a labor and materials payment bond equal to 50% of the contract value.

The tree services procurement does not specify any set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to disadvantaged enterprises or minority-owned businesses, meaning all qualified bidders are eligible to compete on an equal basis. Upon contract award, the successful bidder must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including worker's compensation (statutory limits), employer's liability ($1,000,000), automobile liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), general liability ($1,000,000 each occurrence; $3,000,000 aggregate), and excess/umbrella liability ($4,000,000), with the BRGPP and participating municipalities named as additional insureds. The awarded contractor must pay a quarterly administrative fee equal to 1.75% of reported sales and submit quarterly reports within 21 days of each fiscal quarter end. The estimated contract value for FY27-19 Tree Services is $1,230,240.00 for the initial fiscal year, with similar quantities and costs anticipated for the optional renewal years (FY28-19 and FY28-20). No incumbent vendor information is provided in the solicitation materials. Program participants, which include Berkshire County municipalities and school districts, are exempt from federal excise taxes and Massachusetts sales tax, providing potential cost advantages for the awarded contractor through reduced tax compliance obligations on materials and services provided to public entities.