LANDSCAPING SERVICES FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

The State of Florida Department of Health is seeking competitive bids for landscaping services across multiple facilities in Hillsborough County under Solicitation Number DOH25-028, with a submission deadline of June 10, 2026. The contract, awarded on a lowest grand total basis including FOB destination, will cover a three-year initial term beginning July 1, 2026, with options to renew for up to three additional years contingent upon funding and satisfactory performance. Services are required at eight specific Department of Health locations throughout Tampa and Ruskin, including Downtown, Kelton Community Health, Joyce Ely WIC, College Hill WIC, University WIC, Sulphur Springs WIC, Sulphur Springs TB Clinic, and North Hillsborough WIC. The scope of work includes routine lawn care with mowing at a three- to four-inch height, monthly mowing of open fields, fertilization at least twice annually, mulch maintenance at a minimum three-inch depth with new applications in March and September, soil pH maintenance between 6.0 and 7.0, annual soil sampling, and comprehensive inspection of all vegetation for disease, infestation, or environmental stress during every service visit. All work must comply with industry standards and require the contractor to hold a valid herbicide applicator license. The contract imposes strict compliance requirements tied to Florida statutes, including mandatory use of the E-Verify system for all new hires, maintenance of a drug-free workplace environment, adherence to public records laws under Chapter 119, and indemnification of the Department against all claims or liabilities. Contractors must submit monthly invoices with detailed service accounting using a mandated form and will be paid on a fixed-price and unit-rate basis with no advance payments. Performance is monitored through a rating system (Good, Fair, Poor), with financial penalties applied for non-compliance—for instance, a 10% invoice deduction for failure in flower maintenance. The contractor must retain all records for six years post-termination and is prohibited from storing any materials at Department facilities. All bids must include signed certifications regarding boycott compliance, forced labor, scrutinized companies, foreign state preference, and non-collusion, along with attachments for prior experience, pricing, and performance guarantees. Bids must be submitted in sealed physical copies and on a single USB or CD in PDF format, with email or fax submissions rejected outright. The Department retains the right to reject all bids if deemed in the state’s best interest, and legal jurisdiction for any disputes lies exclusively