Lawn Care Services - National Guard Hickory Region

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety, on behalf of the NC National Guard, is requesting bids for year-round lawn care services across six facilities in the Hickory Region under an IFB with bids due July 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET, with mandatory pre-bid site visits on June 30 and July 1, 2026.

Scope covers mowing, edging, trimming, debris and leaf removal, weed and grass control, pruning, mulching, seeding, fertilizing, stormwater control measure and retention pond maintenance across Hickory RC, Lincolnton RC, Mooresville AASF, Newton RC, Statesville RC, and Taylorsville RC. Services are scheduled for 29 total visits between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027, with frequency varying by season: every 10 days March through September, every 15 days October and November, and monthly December through February. Work must be completed during specified duty hours (8:00 AM–4:30 PM for Readiness Centers, 7:00 AM–3:00 PM for FMS locations) on weekdays excluding federal and state holidays. The contractor provides all equipment, supplies, materials, transportation, and labor and must obtain all necessary permits and licenses. Work is not guaranteed without facility point-of-contact approval; the POC may determine periods when services are not required, and invoicing is prohibited for those periods.

Vendors must submit pricing using a per-occurrence structure for standard visits, pruning and trimming, mulch application, leaf removal, seeding and fertilizing, and SCM/retention pond maintenance at each facility, with bush-hogging quoted as needed. The contract carries an initial one-year term with state options to renew for up to two additional one-year terms upon 30 days' written notice. Award will be made to the lowest responsive bid meeting all specifications.

Mandatory prerequisites include registration with the NC Secretary of State prior to contract execution, financial stability certification (ATTACHMENT G), HUB participation documentation (ATTACHMENT D), customer references (ATTACHMENT E), and lobbying certifications (ATTACHMENT H). Background checks are required for the vendor and all personnel at vendor expense. The contractor must maintain a contract manager and customer service point of contact and complete post-lawn care checklists (ATTACHMENT L) for each visit before invoicing. Unsatisfactory performance triggers a 30-day cure period; failure to improve may result in termination.

Written questions are due July 2, 2026 by 2:00 PM ET, with state responses by July 6. Pre-bid site visits are scheduled for June 30 (three locations at 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, and 2:00 PM ET) and July 1 (three locations at 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, and 1:00 PM ET). Bids are submitted through the Ariba Sourcing Tool with public opening via Microsoft Teams.