International Institute of Tropical Forestry, Grounds Maintenance Services

This solicitation, numbered 12445026Q0028, is a combined synopsis and request for quotation for grounds maintenance services at the International Institute of Tropical Forestry located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, issued under FAR Part 12 as a commercial item acquisition. The work encompasses a broad range of services including routine grounds maintenance such as grass cutting, edging, fertilization, litter collection, vegetation removal, erosion control, tree and shrub pruning, irrigation, ditch cleaning, and hazardous bamboo removal, as well as specialized tasks like monthly green roof inspections to prevent tree seedling establishment and quarterly trimming to maintain vegetation between two and four inches. Additional requirements include quarterly pressure washing of sidewalks, parking areas, culverts, walls, stairs, ramps, benches, and the polycarbonate roof at the main building entrance, along with emergency response services for hazardous conditions caused by natural disasters or unforeseen events such as fallen trees or blocked access routes. The contract is structured as a firm fixed price agreement with a base year running from August 13, 2026, to August 12, 2027, and four option years through 2030, with an optional six-month extension available under FAR 52.217-8. Total contract duration may not exceed five years. The acquisition is exclusively set aside for certified Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSB), with a small business size standard of $9.5 million and NAICS code 561730. All offerors must hold an active registration in the System for Award Management and submit a complete proposal via email by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 16, 2026, including pricing for all listed line items and required attachments such as the Statement of Work, Schedule of Items, Wage Determination, and Experience Questionnaire. Proposals must be submitted only electronically, with no hard copies or faxes accepted. Evaluation will focus on past performance, assessed by recency, relevance, and quality of performance over the past three years, and total evaluated price based on the last option period rates plus six months of added cost. Price reasonableness and responsiveness are pass/fail gates; failure to price all items or submit an unreasonable or unrealistic price will disqualify an offer. The award will go to the offeror providing the best value to the government, not necessarily the lowest price. Contractors must designate