Landscape Management Services to DOS Historic Sites

The Department of State in Florida is seeking qualified vendors to provide comprehensive landscape management services across six historic sites in Tallahassee, including the Brokaw-McDougall House, Governor Martin House & Merritt Drive House, Knott House Museum, Mission San Luis, The Grove Museum & Burr Cottage, and Velda Mound. This request for proposal, identified as DOS-RFP-26/27-001, is a fixed-price unit cost contract requiring vendors to submit detailed pricing for each site and required services such as per-hour irrigation repair. Proposals must adhere to a strict three-part structure—Administrative Qualification Documents, Technical Response, and Price Proposal—with all documents submitted in sealed format, including ink-signed originals, bound copies, and a separate sealed envelope for the Price Proposal Sheet. Respondents must also provide a digital copy on CD or USB in PDF format and comply with mandatory forms including the Vendor Certification Form (PUR 7801), Drug Free Workplace Certification, Conflict of Interest Disclosure, and attestation regarding foreign country of concern and use of coercion. All contractors must be registered with the state, use E-Verify for employment eligibility, carry workers’ compensation insurance with minimum limits, and submit insurance certificates. Performance is contingent on annual legislative appropriations, and payment is conditional upon written acceptance of deliverables by the Department, with invoices due no later than the 16th of each month and final invoices submitted within 60 days of contract termination. Technical evaluation accounts for 50% of the scoring based on personnel qualifications and experience in landscape supervision, while pricing contributes 40%, calculated as a ratio against the lowest bid. The remaining evaluation criteria remain ambiguous but are capped at a total of 120 points per reviewer. Contractors are required to comply with Florida Statutes including Chapter 119 for public records, Section 287.0582 regarding non-appropriation termination, and Section 287.058(1)(c) regarding refusal of public records access, and must allow security screenings of personnel. All work must meet the highest industry standards, with sites left free of debris and equipment daily, and all plant material removed unless otherwise directed. The contract term is subject to renewal for up to three years or the original term, whichever is longer, using pricing from the original proposal. Subcontractors require prior written approval, and any unauthorized use constitutes material breach. The contractor assumes full liability for subcontractors and must repay any overpayments within