Landscape Maintenance Services

George Mason University, a public institution of higher education and agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, is requesting proposals for comprehensive landscape maintenance services across six campuses—Fairfax, Arlington, Prince William (SciTech), Front Royal (Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation), Potomac Science Center, and Point of View—with proposals due September 25, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET via the Bonfire portal. The University intends to award one contract for all sites but retains absolute discretion to award multiple contracts to different firms; offerors may propose on one, some, or all campuses and will be evaluated using identical criteria, though proposals must cover the entirety of any selected campus or site without partial offerings permitted.

Services encompass lawn care and mowing at 3.5-inch height, fertilization adhering to campus-specific nutrient management plans with a maximum of 3.5 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, weed control, tree and shrub pruning, mulching, daily leaf removal during October through December, floral plantings at main campus entrances only, integrated pest management, and grounds policing. Performance must meet APPA Level 2 (High-Level Maintenance) standards. Contractors must hold a Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Pesticide Applicator Certificate in Categories 3a and 3b and Virginia Certified Fertilizer Applicator certification. All herbicides, fertilizers, and chemical applications require advance written approval.

The contract term runs from March 1, 2027, through February 29, 2028 (initial 12-month base), with six successive one-year renewal options. The incumbent contractor, Brightview Landscape Services, Inc., provided services under Contract GMU-1743-21, expiring February 28, 2027, with historical annual firm fixed-price (FFP) spending ranging from approximately $1.2 million to $1.6 million and additional time-and-materials (T&M) spending ranging from approximately $408,000 to $1.3 million annually. Pricing must be submitted on an FFP basis for base services and T&M rates for additional services, with all costs F.O.B. Destination including travel within 50 miles of Fairfax Campus.

An optional pre-proposal conference is scheduled for September 1, 2026, at 9:00 AM at Fairfax Campus, with optional site visits on September 1 and September 3, 2026. Questions are due September 8, 2026, at 4:00 PM ET, with responses provided by September 14, 2026. The tentative award date is December 15, 2026. Evaluation criteria include quality of services (20 points), qualifications and experience (20 points), specific methodology (20 points), transition plan (10 points), price offered (20 points), and Virginia SBSD SWaM certification status (10 points). All offerors must complete a Small Business Subcontracting Plan. Contractors must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance ($1 million minimum), Workers Compensation at statutory limits, Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance ($1 million minimum), and umbrella/excess coverage ($5 million minimum). Virginia Code 40.1-28.10 minimum wage requirements apply.