SH-13-PR28806

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is seeking a professional lawn and grounds maintenance contractor for rest areas located on I-40 at Mile Marker 82 in McDowell County. The contract requires comprehensive maintenance services for both eastbound and westbound rest area facilities, including mowing, landscaping, plant bed maintenance, fertilization, aeration, overseeding, pesticide application, mulching, debris removal, and stormwater control measure maintenance. Contractors must provide a minimum of 40 man hours per week from March through November and 12 man hours per week from December through February. Proposal submissions are due by December 10, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., with bid questions accepted until November 26, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. The initial contract term is from March 1, 2026, to February 28, 2027, with potential extensions for up to four additional one-year periods. Bidders must possess a current North Carolina Ground Applicator Pesticide License with Ornamental and Turf Pest Control sub-classification and will be evaluated based on their ability to meet detailed performance standards and maintenance specifications.

This procurement is specifically designated as a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) set-aside, restricting participation to contractors with annual gross income of $1,500,000 or less, excluding materials. The bid structure includes six line items: monthly professional maintenance charges, mulch, turfgrass fertilization, limestone, turfgrass overseeding, and repair seeding. Contractors must provide commercial general liability insurance with $5,000,000 per occurrence and aggregate limits, naming the State of North Carolina as an additional insured. A 5% performance guarantee is required for the first contract year, which will be refunded upon satisfactory project completion. No Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goal is established for this contract. While no specific budget range is provided, the contract includes a compensation reduction schedule for non-compliance with maintenance specifications, suggesting potential financial penalties. The contract may include annual price increases of 1% for professional maintenance services, and a post-work site inspection will be conducted to assess the contractor's performance and maintenance quality.