2026 BGS Lawn Care Services

Location:	Vermont
Posted:	Feb 18, 2026
Due:	Mar 12, 2026
Agency:	State of Vermont
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	S - Utilities and Training Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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BUILDINGS AND GENERAL SERVICES

133 State Street, 5th Floor | Montpelier VT 05633-8000

802-828-2211 phone |802-828-2222 fax

http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing

SEALED BID

Request For Proposal

2026 BGS LAWN CARE SERVICES

Derby Public Safety, Orleans County Courthouse and the

Lyndonville Information Center

ISSUE DATE

QUESTIONS DUE

RFP RESPONSES DUE BY

February 19, 2026

March 4, 2026 – 4:30 PM (EST)

March 12, 2026 – 4:30 PM (EST)

Please be advised that all notifications, releases, and addendums associated with this RFP will

be posted at:

http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php

The state will make no attempt to contact interested parties with updated information. It is the

responsibility of each bidder to periodically check the above webpage for any and all

notifications, releases and addendums associated with this RFP.

STATE CONTACT:

E-MAIL:

James Meyers, State Senior Purchasing Agent

BGS.OPCVendorDocs@vermont.gov

OVERVIEW:

1.1. SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Through this Request for Proposal (RFP) Buildings and

General Services (hereinafter the “State”) is seeking to establish contracts with one or more

companies that can provide Lawn Care Services at Derby Public Safety, Orleans County

Courthouse and the Lyndonville Information Center.

1.2. CONTRACT PERIOD: Contracts arising from this RFP will be for an initial period of 2 years (24

Months) with an option to renew for one (1) additional twenty-four-month period followed by one

(1) additional twelve-month period. The State anticipates the start date for such contract(s) will

be May 1st, 2026.

1.3. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: All communications concerning this RFP are to be addressed

in writing to the State Contact listed on the front page of this RFP. Actual or attempted contact

with any other individual from the State concerning this RFP is strictly prohibited and may result

in disqualification.

1.4. BIDDERS’ CONFERENCE: A bidders’ conference will not be held.

1.5. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD: Any bidder requiring clarification of any section of this

RFP or wishing to comment on any requirement of the RFP must submit specific questions in

writing no later than the deadline for question indicated on the first page of this RFP. Questions

may be e-mailed to the point of contact on the front page of this RFP. Questions or comments

not raised in writing on or before the last day of the question period are thereafter waived. At

the close of the question period a copy of all questions or comments and the State's responses

will be posted on the State’s web site http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php . Every effort

will be made to post this information as soon as possible after the question period ends,

contingent on the number and complexity of the questions. All information provided by vendors

during this process will be public and bidders shall not provide confidential information, except

as described in 4.1 below.

1.6. CHANGES TO THIS RFP: Any modifications to this RFP will be made in writing by the State

through the issuance of an Addendum to this RFP and posted online at

http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php . Modifications from any other source are not to be

considered.

2. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS/DESIRED OUTCOMES:

2.1. Without notification these services shall be performed on a routine basis, typically once per

week, during normal business hours Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Additional and routine work may be required by others or on weekends, holidays, or after-hours

and will be scheduled by the contractor with the Facility Supervisor or District Facility Manager.

2.2. The initial terms of this agreement will be for two years and up to five years based on mutual

agreement. During the initial term of a contract there will be no increase in rates due to the cost

of fuel or other unforeseen conditions.

2.3. The contractor will be required to provide all Supervision, Training, Equipment, Labor, and

Materials including but not limited to preventative maintenance, replacement parts, and supplies

according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

2.4. The contractor is responsible for all their employees’ performance, conduct and attire. All

necessary Personal Protective Equipment, Clothing, Footwear, and Training shall be provided

prior to the commencement of work.

2.5. Most Facilities will be open to the public. There will be pedestrians and moving vehicles while

these services are performed. The contractor may not be able to proceed with their routine

operations at times when there are vehicles, equipment, or pedestrians in the vicinity of the work

area. Increasingly more caution will be used when working at these locations and employees will

Revised: February 13, 2026

always wear high-visibility clothing and potentially deploy safety equipment, signs, and

demarcations on or around equipment.

2.6. The contractor will help maintain the grounds and allocate time to walk and prepare the site.

Removal of debris, tree limbs, branches, leaves, grass clippings, etc. is a requirement.

2.7. The lawns are to be kept looking neat and professional. Mowing limits are from the exterior of

the building to the property boundary or lawn area. The lawn will be maintained to a finished

height between two and four inches. Wind rows, excess grass clippings and debris shall be

removed prior to or after each week.

2.8. The contractor will string-trim each week where applicable. The curb edge between a parking lot,

walkway, storm water inlet, and lawn area also need to be maintained. Additional care to remove

overgrown grass, soil, and debris along the top and bottom edges of the curb are to be removed

as necessary and may require additional time, materials, and equipment to complete.

2.9. Areas designated under contract to be maintained with other equipment, or power takeoff

implement will need to be maintained multiple times per season or as requested by Facility

Supervisor or District Facility Manager. This operation will be completed when conditions are

suitable and will not leave excessive damage, indentations or disrupt pedestrians, scheduled

tours and events. Debris from this operation shall not be left on the lawn area, parking lot,

walkways, flower beds, patios, benches, or other equipment.

2.10. All gardens, shrubs, trees, and plants are maintained separately, unless requested by facilities

Supervisor of District Facility Manager. This includes all areas with flowers, plants, shrubs, trees

or wetlands. Application of Fertilizer, Herbicides, Pesticides or Insecticides are not allowed.

2.11. The contractor will maintain all walkways, parking lots and paved areas, removing all trimmings

and debris by raking, sweeping, or means of mechanical equipment.

2.12. The contractor is responsible for performing all work in a manner that does not put pedestrians,

vehicles, personal or state property at risk of injury or damage.

2.13. The following schedule is based on the estimated number of events that will occur each month.

2.13.1. Estimated Lawn Care Season Schedule

Month

May

June

July

August

September

October

Estimated Number of Events Per

Month

Total Number of Events: 25

2.14. All equipment will be in acceptable operating condition, capable of producing professional-

looking results. Problems with equipment reliability and job quality will be justification for

requiring an equipment upgrade as a continuation of contract conditions.

2.15. All vehicles on state property must be properly maintained, registered, and inspected. The

operator of the vehicle must have a valid, state issued driver’s license, a commercial driver’s

license and or specific equipment operators’ certification and training.

Revised: February 13, 2026

2.16. Additional services performed outside the original scope of work or on state property must be

approved in writing by the authorizing agent. All changes, alterations, modifications, or

amendments to the terms and conditions of this contract shall not be effective unless reduced to

writing, numbered, signed, and otherwise executed by the duty authorized representative of the

State and Contractor.

2.17. Subcontractors will need to be approved and complete the attached reporting form before they

can perform duties as part of the contract.

2.18. The contractor at no additional cost shall repair damaged furnishings, facilities, or other

property of the State. Determination of the need for and extent of any repair work is at the sole

discretion of the State of Vermont, Contract Coordinator.

3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

3.1. PRICING: Bidders must price the terms of this solicitation at their best pricing. Any and all costs

that Bidder wishes the State to consider must be submitted for consideration. If applicable, all

equipment pricing is to include F.O.B. delivery to the ordering facility. No request for extra

delivery cost will be honored. All equipment shall be delivered assembled, serviced, and ready

for immediate use, unless otherwise requested by the State.

3.1.1. Prices and/or rates shall remain firm for the initial term of the contract. The pricing policy

submitted by Bidder must (i) be clearly structured, accountable, and auditable and (ii) cover

the full spectrum of materials and/or services required.

3.1.2. Cooperative Agreements. Bidders that have been awarded similar contracts through a

competitive bidding process with another state and/or cooperative are welcome to submit

the pricing in response to this solicitation.

3.2. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS: The State shall have the authority to evaluate Responses and select

the Bidder(s) as may be determined to be in the best interest of the State and consistent with the

goals and performance requirements outlined in this RFP. The State of Vermont reserves the

right to obtain clarification or additional information necessary to properly evaluate a proposal.

Failure of bidder to respond to a request for additional information or clarification could result in

rejection of that bidder's proposal. To secure a project that is deemed to be in the best interest of

the State, the State reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, in whole or in part, with

or without cause, and to waive technicalities in submissions. The State also reserves the right to

make purchases outside of the awarded contracts where it is deemed in the best interest of the

State.

3.2.1. Best and Final Offer (BAFO). At any time after submission of Responses and prior to the

final selection of Bidder(s) for Contract negotiation or execution, the State may invite

Bidder(s) to provide a BAFO. The state reserves the right to request BAFOs from only

those Bidders that meet the minimum qualification requirements and/or have not been

eliminated from consideration during the evaluation process.

3.2.2. Presentation. An in-person or webinar presentation by the Bidder may be required by the

State if it will help the State’s evaluation process. The State will factor information

presented during presentations into the evaluation. Bidders will be responsible for all costs

associated with providing the presentation.

3.3. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:

3.3.1. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCOI): An OCOI arises when a bidder as a

business entity has interests (for example, customers, partners, contracts) that could

undermine, or reasonably be perceived to undermine, its faithful and unbiased

performance of a contract with the State that may result from this solicitation.

Revised: February 13, 2026

3.3.2. Personal Conflict of Interest (PCOI): A PCOI arises when an interest held by an

individual, agent or employee of a bidder could undermine, or reasonably be perceived to

undermine, its faithful and unbiased performance of a contract with the State that may

result from this solicitation.

3.3.3. Requirements: The State does not seek to contract with any individual or business entity

having a conflict of interest which cannot be mitigated to the State’s satisfaction. To

ensure the State’s awareness of actual, potential, or reasonably perceived PCOIs and

OCOIs, bidders shall:

a) Prior to submitting a proposal, conduct an internal review of its current affiliations and

activities and identify actual, potential, or reasonably perceived PCOIs or OCOIs relative

to a contract with the State that may result from this solicitation.

b) Disclose in your proposal any actual or potential PCOI or OCOI or the existence of any

facts that may cause a reasonably prudent person to perceive a PCOI or OCOI with

respect to a contract with the State that may result from this solicitation. Disclose, also,

any actions proposed to mitigate the PCOI or OCOI.

3.3.4. The State shall have sole discretion to determine whether a PCOI or OCOI can be

mitigated to the State’s satisfaction and may discuss the conflict with the bidder if and to the

extent the State deems discussion necessary to its determination. The State reserves the

right to (a) reject from further consideration any proposal having a PCOI or OCIO that cannot

be mitigated to the State’s full satisfaction and (b) terminate a contract upon discovery that a

contractor failed to disclose facts pertaining to a PCOI or OCOI in its proposal, or otherwise

misrepresented relevant information to the State.

3.4. WORKER CLASSIFICATION COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS: In accordance with Section 32

of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54), Bidders must comply with

the following provisions and requirements.

3.4.1. Self Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidder shall complete the

appropriate section in the attached Certificate of Compliance for purposes of self-reporting

information relating to past violations, convictions, suspensions, and any other information

related to past performance relative to coding and classification of workers. The State is

requiring information on any violations that occurred in the previous 12 months.

3.4.2. Subcontractor Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidders are hereby

notified that upon award of contract, and prior to contract execution, the State shall be

provided with a list of all proposed subcontractors and subcontractors’ subcontractors,

together with the identity of those subcontractors’ workers compensation insurance

providers, and additional required or requested information, as applicable, in accordance

with Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54).

This requirement does not apply to subcontractors providing supplies only and no labor to

the overall contract or project. This list MUST be updated and provided to the State as

additional subcontractors are hired. A sample form is available online at

http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing-contracting/forms. The subcontractor reporting form

is not required to be submitted with the bid response.

3.5. EXECUTIVE ORDER 05-16: CLIMATE CHANGE CONSIDERATIONS IN STATE

PROCUREMENTS:

For bid amounts exceeding $25,000.00 Bidders are requested to complete the Climate Change

Considerations in State Procurements Certification, which is included in the Certificate of

Compliance for this RFP.

After consideration of all relevant factors, a bidder that demonstrates business practices that

promote clean energy and address climate change as identified in the Certification, shall be

Revised: February 13, 2026

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

TITLE	QUESTIONS DUE	ANSWERS POSTED	DUE DATE	NO POSTING AFTER
2026 BGS Lawn Care Services	03/04/2026 04:30PM		03/12/2026 04:30PM