Call 401 42812S1429SB

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration issued solicitation 42812S1429SB for a Small Business Reserve contract focused on hand mowing, trimming, and litter pickup services at various locations south of Bel Air in Harford County, Maryland. The solicitation, posted on March 26, 2026, requires certified small businesses to electronically submit bids by noon on the same day through the Bid Express platform. The contract scope emphasizes routine highway maintenance activities performed with zero-turn mowers and includes optional extra work quantities such as additional mowing, trimming, and litter pickup. The procurement strongly encourages participation from minority-owned firms and mandates compliance with detailed Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) subcontracting goals, supported by extensive documentation requirements including affidavits, outreach efforts, and monthly payment reporting. No pre-bid conference is scheduled, and bidding entities must adhere to living wage stipulations and environmental and safety standards prescribed by state and federal guidelines. This contract does not specify unit or extended prices, contract value estimations, or formal FAR clauses but incorporates specialized provisions relating to bonding waivers, equipment and personnel qualifications, and contract administration. Key personnel must be designated and maintained throughout contract performance, with all work subject to on-site inspection by MDOT SHA officials and final acceptance administered through the agency. Traffic control responsibilities and costs rest entirely with the contractor, who must comply with applicable safety standards including Maryland’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and ANSI high-visibility apparel regulations. Payment processing requires Electronic Funds Transfer registration via the State Comptroller’s Office, and invoicing mandates paper submissions with detailed references. Extensions of the completion date are at MDOT SHA’s discretion under change order procedures, but no formal renewals or options exist. While the contract facilitates MBE participation with established subgoals across several demographic categories, evaluation appears to balance price competitiveness against compliance with these participation requirements, rather than follow an explicit lowest-price or trade-off model. Overall, the solicitation outlines a structured approach to awarding a maintenance services contract emphasizing small, disadvantaged business involvement, regulatory compliance, and adherence to stringent operational and reporting procedures.