Playground and Fitness Equipment

Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), the nation's seventh-largest school system serving approximately 225,000 students across 235 schools in Florida, is soliciting proposals for a competitive procurement to furnish and install playground equipment, fitness equipment, and related parts, including replacement, maintenance, and repair services for use throughout HCPS sites. The scope of work encompasses all labor, materials, delivery, unloading, supervision, equipment, and incidental items necessary for project completion, with contractors responsible for providing four standardized playground unit types (Pre-K & Kindergarten, Grades 1-3, Grades 4-5, and Modular Fitness units), approximately 5,500 linear feet of 12-inch tall plastic mulch containment timbers, border timber end kits, and locating services. All equipment and installations must comply with US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), International Playground Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), American with Disabilities Act (ADA), and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications as outlined in the Handbook for Public Playground Safety. Required qualifications include holding a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) certification, possessing a Florida Building Contractor or General Contractor license (preferred), maintaining a physical office in Hillsborough County or adjacent counties, providing 24/7 emergency contact capability with 30-minute response requirements during business hours and two-hour emergency response times, and demonstrating three years of experience in providing the required goods and services. Pricing must be submitted as firm, fixed rates on an Excel spreadsheet with all costs on a FOB Destination basis inclusive of delivery and all incidentals, with a maximum materials markup of 15 percent permitted for cost-plus pricing on unspecified miscellaneous items. The mandatory pre-proposal meeting was held on February 25, 2026, at 9:00 AM, the deadline for submitting questions was March 4, 2026, at 12:00 PM, and proposals are due March 11, 2026, at 12:00 PM via electronic submission through www.myVendorLink.com, with an initial contract term commencing upon School Board approval and automatically renewing for up to four additional one-year periods contingent upon appropriations, contractor performance, continued need, and mutual agreement.

No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, small business enterprises, or minority-owned vendors are detailed in the solicitation; however, vendors are encouraged to register with the HCPS Office of Supplier Development and may provide optional demographic information regarding business certification status, veteran status, minority ownership, and gender composition. All contractors must complete the Vendor Registration Form, provide a Substitute W-9 form for IRS Form 1099 reporting, comply with Florida Statutes Section 112.313, obtain E-Verify employment verification, comply with the Jessica Lunsford Act background screening requirements, provide drug-free workplace certification, and maintain Workers' Compensation insurance and proof of insurance meeting specified limits. Projects exceeding $200,000 require payment and performance bonds as mandated by Florida Statute 255.05, and invoices are payable Net 45 days from delivery or satisfactory invoice receipt per the Florida Prompt Payment Act. The solicitation does not identify incumbent vendors or current contractors, nor does it reference existing infrastructure or technology requiring integration. Projects are primarily valued not to exceed $10,000, though HCPS reserves authority to use the agreement for higher-value requirements up to $300,000; the total contract value is not explicitly stated, but the scope encompasses potential deployment across 235 schools throughout the district.