HVAC Commercial Refrigeration Repair and Maintenance

Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), a Florida-based public school district serving approximately 225,000 students across 235 schools, is soliciting bids for commercial refrigeration repair and maintenance services through Invitation to Bid (ITB) 25662. The procurement encompasses preventive maintenance, repairs, and installations for commercial refrigeration equipment and ice machines located in concession stands, athletic rooms, nurses stations, and other school facilities, with all work required to comply with local and state regulations, ASHRAE standards, and OSHA requirements. Bidders must be certified refrigeration technicians with a minimum of five years' experience, current contractor licenses, and proof of insurance with general liability coverage of at least $500,000 per occurrence. The pricing structure requires vendors to submit hourly rates for standard maintenance and repair labor (6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, estimated at 300 annual hours), non-standard labor charges for evening, night, and weekend work (6:01 PM to 5:59 AM Monday through Friday and all weekend/holiday hours, estimated at 50 annual hours), a flat oil disposal fee (estimated at 50 units annually), and a cost-plus markup not to exceed 15 percent for new or replacement equipment purchases. HCPS reserves the right to award contracts to multiple vendors by maintenance area (West, Central, or East) with designated primary and backup contractors; service response times are tiered by priority level, with Priority 1 requiring on-site arrival within four hours, Priority 2 requiring restoration by the 10th business day, and Priority 3 requiring restoration by the 15th business day. Technical questions must be submitted by January 30, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST, with completed bids due February 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST via the VendorLink electronic portal. The initial contract term begins upon Board approval and automatically renews for up to four additional one-year periods, contingent on appropriations, contractor performance, and continued need for services.

HCPS encourages the use of OSD-registered small business subcontractors and requires bidders to identify any Small Business Enterprise Program (SBEP) utilization in their proposals; however, no specific set-aside percentages or mandatory disadvantaged enterprise participation requirements are detailed in the procurement documents. All bidders must complete and submit several mandatory compliance documents, including a Vendor Affidavit regarding the use of coercion for labor and services (required by Florida Statutes Section 787.06(13)), a Foreign Countries of Concern Prohibited Affidavit (required by Florida Statutes Section 287.138), a Statement of No Bid form if declining to participate, and a Vendor Registration Form or Substitute W-9. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is provided in the available procurement documents, nor is a specific budget range or contract value disclosed; however, vendors should anticipate that HCPS does not reimburse for rental equipment, premium weekend rates, or overtime without prior written authorization. All work must be documented with date-stamped photographs, sign-in/out sheets, and detailed invoices submitted within 24 hours of completion, and vendors must comply with the Jessica Lunsford Act fingerprinting and badging requirements upon contract award.