Football Field and Grounds Maintenance – Hickory Tree Park

The City of St. Cloud, Florida, is soliciting qualified contractors to provide comprehensive football field and grounds maintenance services at Hickory Tree Park through RFP No. 2026-098, with responses due by September 10, 2026. The contract requires the selected vendor to deliver all labor, equipment, and materials necessary to maintain the football field and surrounding areas, including weekly mowing three times per week during the growing season, soil testing and fertilization recommendations, spot-treatment of weeds, annual aeration, irrigation system checks, and maintenance of adjacent practice fields and open spaces. Contractors must ensure field safety for athletes after each service, apply proper signage when using chemicals, and provide detailed weekly, monthly, and seasonal maintenance schedules, along with regular updates and prompt notification of turf damage or pests. The work is strictly limited to the park location, with performance governed by Florida law and subject to the City’s inspection and acceptance authority, which does not waive any contractual rights. The City reserves the right to adjust work orders and negotiate pricing. To be considered, proposers must meet mandatory pass/fail criteria including at least five consecutive years of professional football field maintenance experience, active Florida business licensing, and a valid Commercial Pesticide Applicator License from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Evaluation will be based on a 100-point scoring system: 30 points each for qualifications and experience, proposed approach, and similar project history, and 10 points for price, which is assessed using a ratio method where the lowest bid receives maximum points. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the City’s procurement portal by the deadline and include a complete firm profile, organizational chart, project team details, five comparable contract examples, and a signed price proposal. Additional mandatory certifications include compliance with the ADA, Drug-Free Workplace Act, E-Verify employment eligibility system, Florida’s anti-boycott statutes, and federal and state ethical standards prohibiting debarment, fraud, or prior contract terminations for cause. Payment will be made via EFT or P-Card within 30 days of invoice approval, subject to available funding, with the total contract value capped at $450,000 over its term, not to exceed $150,000 annually. All proposals must adhere to strict formatting guidelines, include required documentation such as insurance certificates and licensing proof, and be signed by an authorized representative.