Grounds Maintenance Mowing - Northeast

The City of Ocala, Florida (Marion County) is seeking bids through Invitation to Bid (ITB) PWD/260377 for grounds maintenance mowing services in the Northeast service area, with a due date of February 24, 2026. The procurement encompasses comprehensive landscaping and grounds maintenance services across 66 distinct mowing locations throughout the Northeast region of Ocala, including street rights-of-way, medians, bridge embankments, sidewalk edges, weed control, and debris removal. Contractors must provide all labor, equipment, tools, and materials necessary for professional service delivery and must submit pricing on a unit price basis with 22 annual cuts per location. The resulting contract will have an initial two-year term from March 1, 2026, through March 1, 2028, with two optional one-year renewal periods, and pricing will remain firm and fixed during the initial term. Eligible contractors must demonstrate a minimum of five years of proven grounds maintenance experience with verifiable references, maintain a valid Florida Department of Transportation Temporary Traffic Control (TCC) Certification throughout the contract term, hold a valid Florida Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator License, and perform 100 percent of work with their own workforce with no subcontracting permitted. Insurance requirements include Commercial General Liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate, Commercial Automotive Liability of $1,000,000 combined, and Workers' Compensation per Florida statutory requirements. Award will be given to the lowest responsive bidder based on the grand total of the price proposal, and a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting was held on February 5, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST at the Public Works Administration building located at 1805 NE 30th Ave, Building 300, Ocala, FL 34470.

The solicitation documents do not indicate any specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting organizational types from responding, meaning this appears to be open to any qualified contractor meeting the stated experience and licensing requirements. No incumbent contractor or current service provider is identified in the available documentation. The contract specifically prohibits the same contractor from being awarded both the Northeast and Northwest area mowing contracts, effectively creating geographic service area restrictions. Renewal pricing after the initial two-year term will be subject to negotiation and City approval, limited to the lesser of the Consumer Price Index increase or three percent annually unless mitigating market conditions exist, with contractors required to submit price adjustment requests no less than 90 days prior to contract term expiration. The City will compensate contractors only for actual units of work provided based on the actual number of cuts performed at each location during the contract year. While specific dollar values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the solicitation documents, pricing will be evaluated on a unit price per cut basis across all 66 line items, with the City Project Manager responsible for work coordination and oversight throughout the contract period.