Ground Maintenance Services - FEMA Region 5

The solicitation for Ground Maintenance Services under contract number 70FBR526Q00000003 is issued by the Department of Homeland Security, Region 5 Emergency Preparedness, based in Chicago, Illinois, and is set aside entirely for small business concerns. It seeks comprehensive year-round grounds maintenance at the FEMA Aurora Annex located at 635 W. Indian Trail Road, Aurora, Illinois, covering lawn and vegetation care, hedge and tree maintenance, general grounds repair, sanitation, and winter services including snow removal and deicing. The scope requires strict adherence to specific standards such as limiting herbicide application to a 12-inch zone around targeted vegetation and removing all grass clippings and trimmings from paved areas on the same day of cutting. The contract includes a one-year base period estimated from July 20, 2026, to June 30, 2027, with four additional one-year option periods extending through June 30, 2030, and a separate six-month extension option under FAR 52.217-8, whose pricing will be derived by halving the final option year's price rather than being proposed separately. Offerors must submit proposals via email by 4:00 pm ET on July 9, 2026, using the prescribed CLIN Pricing Sheet format in Excel, and must be active in SAM with a valid UEI. Technical proposals are limited to ten pages, with evaluation based on technical capabilities, management structure, past performance, and price, assessed through a best value tradeoff process where price is not the determining factor. Any offer receiving a low confidence rating on a single evaluation factor is automatically disqualified. The contractor must be available 24/7, provide daily itemized service reports to the COTR by email, and comply with numerous FAR clauses including labor standards, whistleblower protections, sustainable products, cybersecurity, and debarment restrictions, many of which include deviations effective August 2025. The offeror must confirm full agreement with all solicitation terms, including the SOW, and comply with statutory requirements such as the Prompt Payment Act, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards, Kickbacks Act, and procurement integrity rules. Invoices must follow 5 CFR part 1315.9(b), and payment is contingent upon government acceptance of delivered services at the designated location.