Tree Removal and Pruning Services

This solicitation, numbered 1232SA26Q0700, is a combined synopsis and request for quotation for Tree Removal and Pruning Services issued under FAR Part 12 as a commercial items acquisition, with no separate written solicitation to be issued. The requirement is a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 561730, with a small business size standard of $9.5 million, and is intended to result in a base plus four option year contract running from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. The work is to be performed at the United States National Arboretum in Washington, D.C., and includes tree removal, pruning, stump grinding, and related operations using certified arborists and qualified personnel, with strict safety protocols requiring a minimum of two experienced climbers and one groundman per crew, access to rescue equipment, and a prohibition on the use of climbing spurs during pruning. All work must comply with approved arboricultural methods and all applicable federal and District of Columbia regulations, with immediate cleanup of debris mandated to ensure public safety. The contract will be awarded on a best value basis based on the highest technically rated offeror, with price and past performance serving as pass/fail gates; technical approach is the primary evaluation factor, and award will not necessarily go to the lowest-priced offeror. Pricing must be submitted for the base year and four option years, with line items covering crew hours, crane services, bucket trucks, log trucks, skid loaders, and stump grinding by stump diameter size ranges. Offers must include compliance with FAR clauses on subcontracting limitations, whistleblower rights, trafficking in persons, equal opportunity, paid sick leave, and other federal requirements, and must adhere to the prohibition on certain contractor confidentiality agreements and inverted domestic corporations. Offerors must be registered in SAM, submit prices that remain firm for 90 days, and complete specified blocks on SF 1449. Questions must be submitted by June 5, 2026, to james.porter@usda.gov, and quotations are due by June 26, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Central Time. The contract includes material compliance clauses tied to payment, including adherence to Executive Order 14173, and prohibits subcontractor terms that improperly assert rights to government data or require government acceptance of terms by silence. All subcontractors must also comply with