GROUNDS MAINTENANCE HEADQUARTERS

The State Fiscal Accountability Authority's Division of Procurement Services issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB 5400022782) on behalf of the South Carolina Education Television Network (SCETV) for comprehensive grounds maintenance services at their headquarters located at 1041 George Rogers Blvd, Columbia, SC 29201. The procurement requires a contractor to provide routine landscape maintenance including lawn mowing, edging, blowing, trimming trees and shrubs, weed control, and mulch refreshment twice annually in February and August. Maintenance frequencies vary seasonally, with two visits per month from April through August, one visit per month from September through December, and additional visits during University of South Carolina football season. Contractors must maintain grass at a uniform height of 2 to 2.5 inches, remove debris and litter, treat ant mounds, and apply quarterly fungicide and insecticide. Mandatory qualifications include a minimum of three years of commercial landscaping experience, equipment listings, references from five serviced businesses, and appropriate pesticide applicator licenses. Key dates include a non-mandatory pre-bid conference on March 9, 2022, a site visit on March 8, 2022, a question submission deadline of March 11, 2022, and proposal submissions due by March 25, 2022.

The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with a five-year term consisting of an initial one-year contract and four optional one-year renewals. No specific set-aside designations were mentioned, but contractors may request the South Carolina Resident Contractor Preference if they maintain an in-state office staffed for at least fifty weeks annually with a minimum of two full-time employees. Subcontracting is expressly prohibited under this contract. Contractors must provide liability insurance with minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence for commercial general liability, $1,000,000 per accident for auto liability, and statutory worker's compensation with $1,000,000 employer's liability limits. Pricing will be submitted as a fixed monthly unit price for the 60-month contract period. The contractor will be responsible for all labor, materials, transportation, equipment, and storage needs, with SCETV reserving the right to request additional visits at the same per-visit rate and potentially obtain separate quotes for extraordinary cleanup work. While specific award values were not disclosed, the comprehensive nature of the grounds maintenance services suggests a substantial contract value over the five-year period.