North Parks, Playgrounds, and Other City Owned Properties Grounds Maintenance (Bid Discount)

The City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department is soliciting sealed bids for grounds maintenance services covering 30 North Parks, Playgrounds, and Other City Owned Properties located throughout the northern section of the city, encompassing approximately 322 acres across Hillsborough County, Florida. The scope of work includes turf mowing, turf maintenance, landscape bed maintenance, mulching, herbicide application, tree pruning, fertilizer application, sodding, plant replacement, and debris removal services. The contract is divided into two service tiers, with Tier 1 locations requiring 31 annual maintenance visits (service every 7 days during fast growth season weeks 20-39 and every 21 days during slow growth season weeks 40-19) and Tier 2 locations requiring 21 annual maintenance visits (service every 14 days during fast growth season and every 21 days during slow growth season). The awardee must furnish all labor, supervision, equipment, materials, fertilizers, pesticides, and other necessary means to complete work in strict accordance with Parks and Recreation Department specifications, with all work to be completed within 48 hours of service commencement and performed Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. until one hour before sunset. Bidders must submit cost per cut pricing for each park location via the OpenGov eProcurement Portal with sealed bids due by 3:00 p.m. on June 16, 2026, and must attend a mandatory pre-bid meeting on June 2, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., followed immediately by a mandatory site inspection; failure to attend either event results in bid disqualification. Required qualifications include maintenance of a permanent business location in Hillsborough County or immediately adjacent counties, a minimum estimated crew of 20 full-time and part-time employees with four experienced workers per landscape crew cab truck, proof of at least three professional references demonstrating grounds maintenance experience within the past two years (including at least one reference for properties of 15 or more acres and one for formal landscape bed maintenance of 0.5 to 1.0 acre), current equipment inventory meeting specific requirements (six ride-on rotary mowers, four walk-behind mowers, six stick or walk-behind edgers, six non-blade line trimmers, two motorized spray tanks, six handheld spray tanks, six backpack blowers, and five landscape crew cab trucks), commercial general liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence/$2 million aggregate, automobile liability insurance of $1 million combined single limit, worker's compensation insurance as required by Florida law, and maintenance of required certifications including DAC (Florida Department of Agriculture Certification), PCO (Pest Control Operator), ISA Arborist Certification, and Professional Mangrove Trimming Certification where necessary. Award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder on an aggregate basis, with the City reserving the right to award by division, reject all bids, or cancel awards with 10 days' notice for cause or 30 days' notice without cause.

This procurement is designated as a Sheltered Market for Small Local Business Enterprises (SLBEs) in accordance with Tampa Code Chapter 26.5, making certified SLBEs eligible for a five percent bid discount not to exceed $10,000 applied for evaluation purposes only; the EBO determination indicates that no specific subcontracting goals have been established for this contract. Letters of Intent (DMI-40 Forms) must be executed by both the prime contractor and each SLBE subcontractor and submitted to the soliciting department within 10 workdays after notice of intent to award is posted, with failure to provide all required letters of intent potentially resulting in bid non-responsiveness. Bidders must submit DMI Forms 10, 20, and 30 for subcontractor information and payment documentation, along with a detailed Schedule of Subcontractors to be Utilized identifying SLBE participation and associated costs. The City has provided a Minimum Certified Contact List identifying 59 SLBE firms certified as available contractors for this project, primarily consisting of landscaping, construction, pressure washing, and tree service companies located in the Tampa Bay area. The contract is estimated at a value of $475,000.00, with an effective date of April 9, 2026, though specific start and end dates are listed as "TBD." The initial award period shall be one year from the effective date, with options for three additional one-year renewal periods by mutual written agreement, plus the City's unilateral right to extend for up to three additional 30-day periods. All work must comply with Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMP), OSHA regulations, and local, state, and federal environmental laws, with monetary penalties of $100 per task per calendar day assessed for work not completed within specified timeframes after a second reinspection.