Grounds Maintenance Contract for Cadillac TSC

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is seeking a qualified contractor to provide seasonal grounds maintenance services for the Cadillac Transportation Service Center (TSC) located at 7915 US-131 Highway in Cadillac, Michigan, serving Wexford County in the Grand Region. This Request for Proposal (RFP 25-3119) encompasses comprehensive landscaping maintenance including mowing of irrigated (0.5 acres) and non-irrigated (1.2 acres) areas, landscape bed maintenance with hardwood mulch application, shrub trimming, edging, trimming, debris removal, sprinkler system startup and shutdown, spring and fall cleanup, up to six annual fertilizer applications with broadleaf and crabgrass control, and grub control application. The contract requires the contractor to be licensed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as a "Pesticides Application Business" in Category 3A Turfgrass Pest Management with certified commercial pesticide applicators on staff, and the contractor must furnish all equipment including gas-powered mowers, edgers, string trimmers, and blowers subject to MDOT approval. Services must be performed Monday through Friday between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., coordinated with the Program Manager, with specific service frequencies including 24 mowing occasions annually for irrigated areas and 12 occasions for non-irrigated areas, along with mulch application of 12 yards annually. The base contract term runs from October 13, 2025, through October 12, 2026, with two optional one-year renewal periods at the State's discretion. Written questions must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, with answers posted by Thursday, September 25, 2025; proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, October 2, 2025, submitted electronically through the Michigan Procurement System (SIGMAVSS). Pre-proposal site visits are encouraged but not mandatory, allowing bidders to independently assess requirements and evaluate terrain, vegetation coverage, irrigation infrastructure, and equipment accessibility at the designated work areas.

The solicitation does not indicate any set-aside designations or restrictions limiting the types of organizations eligible to respond based on disadvantaged enterprise status or similar classifications. SIGMA VSS is listed as the current vendor, suggesting this may be a re-competition of an existing contract; however, no incumbent contractor restrictions are specified. The contractor must maintain commercial general liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, automobile liability insurance of $1,000,000 per accident, and workers' compensation coverage. Pricing must be firm for the entire contract term with no escalation, and contractors must submit pricing in a modifiable format (Excel or Word) detailing all costs associated with service delivery, including any one-time setup charges and ancillary fees; bidders are encouraged to offer expedited payment terms. The contractor will be compensated via monthly invoices detailing quantities, unit prices, and work completion, with payment made through Electronic Funds Transfer within 45 days of invoice receipt. Liquidated damages of $1,000 plus $50 per day apply for late or improper completion of contract activities, and the contractor assumes all costs associated with property damage, debris disposal, and turf seeding. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the procurement documents.