I-4 Interstate and Downtown Interchanges Grounds Maintenance (Bid Discount)

The City of Tampa Parks & Recreation Department is soliciting bids for I-4 Interstate and Downtown Interchanges Grounds Maintenance services in Hillsborough County, Florida. The contract involves comprehensive grounds maintenance for 15 designated sites along I-4 and downtown interchanges, including turf mowing, landscape bed maintenance, and amenity upkeep. Bidders must perform 22 annual cuts, with service frequencies varying between 14 and 21 calendar days depending on the growth season. A mandatory pre-bid meeting and site inspection is scheduled for January 8, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the Parks & Recreation Department, with sealed bids due by 3:00 p.m. on January 22, 2026. Bidders must demonstrate financial capability, provide three professional references, submit current employee staffing information, and possess DAC or PCO licensing or ISA Arborist Certification. Qualifications include maintaining a permanent business in Hillsborough County or an adjacent county, having at least 20 experienced crew members, and providing specific equipment including ride-on rotary mowers, walk-behind mowers, edgers, and landscape trucks.

The procurement includes a Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) set-aside with a 5% bid discount, not to exceed $10,000, exclusively for certified local businesses. The contract duration is one year with options for three additional one-year renewals by mutual written agreement. A pre-qualified vendor pool of 55 SLBE-certified vendors is available, primarily from Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, and surrounding Florida counties. The estimated contract value is $400,000, with pricing structured to include base maintenance services and optional additional tasks such as mulch application, herbicide treatment, tree pruning, and debris removal. Required insurance includes Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence), Automobile Liability ($500,000 to $1 million), and Workers' Compensation. Price escalation is permitted annually after the first year, limited to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), with the City retaining the right to award by division, aggregate total, or line item as deemed most advantageous.