Landscape Maintenance Services Countywide

Sarasota County, Florida has issued Invitation for Bids (IFB #262798MN) to procure comprehensive landscape maintenance services countywide, with the solicitation posted on February 10, 2026, and bids due by March 9, 2026. The procurement encompasses recurring turf, tree, shrub, and bed maintenance services across approximately 201 county-owned and operated properties including parks, office buildings, libraries, fire stations, water and wastewater facilities, and 276 lift stations organized into four geographic service zones. The services include mowing, trimming, edging, pruning, weed control, herbicide application, and bed maintenance performed either Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or on weekends, with maintenance frequencies of either year-round (every 7 days) or seasonal (every 7 days April 1 through October 31; every 14 days November 1 through March 31). Minimum qualifications require verifiable experience within the past seven years in herbicide and pesticide application, turf care, and tree, shrub, and palm care, with a minimum of two references demonstrating at least three property locations under a single contract with minimum annual value of $50,000, with at least one reference from a governmental institution. Successful bidders must maintain valid Florida Commercial Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) Applicator Licenses in Categories 3, 6, and 21 throughout the contract term and comply with all federal, state, and local safety regulations including OSHA standards; bidders must also comply with Sarasota County's Integrated Pest Management standards and complete required IPM reporting forms with monthly invoicing. The County anticipates awarding up to four separate three-year contracts, with a maximum of two zones per bidder, based on the lowest total price per zone, and selected contractors must post a performance bond of $50,000 per awarded zone.

The County does not apply local or American business preferences due to grant funding requirements, meaning there are no designated set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or other restricted categories of vendors. Required insurance includes Workers' Compensation with $500,000 minimum Employers Liability limits, Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, Business Automobile Liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, and Pollution Liability coverage of $1,000,000 per claim for pesticide and herbicide application. Bidders must submit detailed proposals through the County's electronic procurement portal, OpenGov, and may request pricing for new County assets or modifications to existing assets using the provided New Asset Landscape Maintenance Services Quote Form, with contractor responses required within ten calendar days of the County's request and quotes effective for up to 120 calendar days pending final contract amendment execution. No incumbent vendor information or current contractor details are provided in the solicitation documents. While specific contract values are not disclosed in the solicitation materials, the three-year initial term across four zones with 201 service locations and varying maintenance frequencies suggests a substantial multimillion-dollar opportunity for qualified landscape maintenance contractors capable of managing countywide operations across multiple facility types and geographic service areas.