Park Tree Planting

The City of Detroit Office of Contracting and Procurement, on behalf of the General Services Department Forestry Division, is issuing a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for tree planting and maintenance services across three municipal parks: Peterson Park (136 trees), Chandler Park (128 trees), and Patton Park (136 trees), totaling up to 400 trees. All trees must be 2-inch caliper, nursery-grown specimens selected from a specified list including crabapples, London plane trees, tulip trees, hackberries, American elms, eastern redbuds, Kentucky coffeetrees, serviceberries, sweetgums, bald cypress, littleleaf lindens, and swamp white oak. The scope of work encompasses pre-planting site reviews, tree delivery with quality inspections, proper planting installation in accordance with American Association of Nurserymen standards, and a three-year maintenance period requiring a minimum of ten waterings per season, monthly documentation in the City's Cartegraph asset management system, replacement of any trees that die within the first growing season at no cost to the City, and detailed deliverables including planting confirmations, watering logs, and before-and-after photography. Respondents must demonstrate a minimum of three years of experience in landscape tree planting, three years of right-of-way or Michigan Department of Transportation trunkline tree planting experience, and must employ a Certified Arborist or staff member with a degree in forestry, horticulture, or landscape architecture. All pricing must be all-inclusive on a per-tree unit basis, embedding mobilization costs, bonds, insurance, and miscellaneous closeout work. Questions regarding the solicitation are due by February 13, 2026, with answers distributed on February 16, 2026; quotations must be submitted through the Bonfire procurement portal by February 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST, with late and emailed submissions not accepted. One award will be made resulting in a one-year contract term with no renewal options.

The project is funded through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which triggers mandatory compliance with federal cross-cutting regulations including Section 3 economic opportunity requirements, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage obligations, Americans with Disabilities Act standards, Environmental Justice provisions, National Environmental Policy Act requirements, fair housing protections, and Copeland Anti-Kickback Act compliance. No specific set-asides for minority or women-owned business enterprises are identified in the solicitation documents; however, federal regulations require good-faith efforts toward M/WBE participation and Section 3 labor hour tracking and compliance. Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance including Workers' Compensation at Michigan statutory limits, Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence with $2,000,000 aggregate, and Automobile Liability of $1,000,000 minimum, with the City named as an additional insured. Additionally, successful respondents must obtain City of Detroit income and revenue tax clearance, maintain active System of Awards Management (SAM) registration, submit notarized affidavits addressing hiring practices and political contributions, and provide certificates of insurance prior to City Council approval. No incumbent vendor or specific budget range is identified in the solicitation documents, and all purchase orders and payments will be issued exclusively under the contractor's legal business name, with assignment of the contract prohibited without prior written approval from the Chief Procurement Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and potentially Detroit City Council.