Luzerne Secondary Herbicide Services

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Engineering District 4 is seeking a contractor to provide secondary herbicide services for Luzerne County roadways. The contract involves comprehensive roadside pesticide and herbicide spraying, which includes bare ground spraying (estimated at 450 acres), broadleaf and brush control (24 hours/80 acres), tree growth control with side trimming (15 hours/9 acres), and stockpile spraying (15 hours/9 acres). Contractors must possess a valid Pennsylvania Commercial Pesticide Application Business License with Categories E and F certifications, and at least one certified commercial pesticide applicator must hold current Category 10 and Category 23 certifications. The initial contract term is one year with potential for four additional one-year renewals at a maximum 5% annual escalation. Key submission deadlines include January 6, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST for questions and January 13, 2026, at 11:00 AM EST for the virtual public bid opening via Microsoft Teams, with the contract anticipated to begin no earlier than April 1, 2026. Pricing will be structured as lump sum for bare ground spraying and hourly rates for other services, with payment contingent on daily electronic reporting and weekly service confirmation.

This procurement is exclusively designated as a Small Business Procurement under Pennsylvania's Small Business Procurement Initiative (SBPI), meaning only vendors with current Department of General Services (DGS) Small Business certification are eligible to bid and receive awards. Contractors must provide their own herbicides, equipment, labor, and incidental materials, and are prohibited from subcontracting any portion of the work. Insurance requirements include Worker's Compensation Insurance and Public Liability and Property Damage Insurance with minimum coverage of $250,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence. The contract includes provisions for liquidated damages of $500 per day for non-compliance, with specific penalties for delivery delays and reporting failures. Contractors must also complete an equipment demonstration and calibration within 10 days of bid opening and participate in a pre-season meeting. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, the comprehensive scope of services suggests a substantial contract value for roadside herbicide management across Luzerne County's secondary roads and rest areas.