Request For Proposals (RFP) for Comprehensive Custodial Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
COMPREHENSIVE CUSTODIAL SERVICES
RFP information Solicitation details
Solicitation number ACBOE-CUST-2026-01
Issue date Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Mandatory preproposal Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time; begin at 249 Blackshear Highway,
meeting and walkthrough Baxley, Georgia 31513
Written questions due Thursday, September 24, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Anticipated final addendum Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Sealed written proposals due Friday, October 9, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Dr. Ryan Flowers, Chief Operations Officer | ryan.flowers@appling.k12.ga.us | (912) 367-
Issuing Officer
8600 ext. 152 | Cell: (912) 347-3994
COMMUNICATIONS NOTICE. From release through award, all communications concerning this RFP must be directed
to the Issuing Officer. Unauthorized contact with Board members, District employees, consultants, or evaluators may
result in disqualification, consistent with District policy and applicable law.
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Document control and contents
Document item Solicitation details
RFP title Comprehensive Custodial Services
Solicitation number ACBOE-CUST-2026-01
Version Initial public solicitation
Issue date September 15, 2026
Addenda None as of initial issue
Controlling deadline October 9, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Section Topic
1 Solicitation overview and procurement schedule
2 District background and desired outcomes
3 Scope of services and facilities
4 Contractor management, workforce safeguards, safety, supplies, and equipment
5 Performance standards, inspections, reporting, and remedies
6 Contract term, transition, pricing, and invoices
7 Instructions to Contractors and mandatory qualifications
8 Required proposal format
9 Evaluation, negotiations, and award
Appendix A Facility schedule and service conditions
Appendix B Cleaning frequencies and task specifications
Appendix C Contract management and service continuity plan
Appendix D Pricing forms
Appendix E Performance scorecard and corrective action
Appendix F Required certifications and proposal forms
Appendix G Proposed custodial services agreement
COMPANION DOCUMENT. Appendices A through G are published together in the separate companion file, Appling
County Custodial Services RFP Appendices. The companion file is incorporated into this RFP, and Contractors must
review it and complete all applicable response forms.

1. Solicitation overview and procurement schedule
1.1 Procurement summary
Item RFP statement
Procurement method Competitive Request for Proposals; best-value selection
Award structure One contractor for all listed facilities, supplies, consumables, and equipment
Contract type All-inclusive fixed annual price with authorized unit-rate work
Initial term December 1, 2026 through November 30, 2027
Up to three additional one-year options. Each renewal requires satisfactory performance, an
Renewal options annual financial-capacity review, available funding, and Board approval, and is subject to
O.C.G.A. section 20-2-506.
Approximately 672,039 published service-area square feet. For the five instructional
Service baseline campuses, the Interior sq. ft. recorded in the District's Five-Year Local Facilities Plan is the
controlling bidding area; Appendix A governs.
1.2 Procurement schedule
Milestone Date / time
RFP release and public posting Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Mandatory preproposal meeting and walkthrough Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 9:00 a.m. ET
Written questions due Thursday, September 24, 2026, 2:00 p.m. ET
District answers / anticipated final addendum Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Sealed proposals due Friday, October 9, 2026, 2:00 p.m. ET
Administrative review October 12, 2026
Evaluation and reference checks October 12-15, 2026
Interviews or clarifications, if used October 15, 2026; finalist or Board presentations may be requested
Anticipated notice of intended award October 16, 2026
Anticipated Board consideration October 19, 2026; if deferred, November 2, 2026
Anticipated contract execution Within five business days after Board approval
October 26-November 30, 2026; if Board action occurs November 2,
Transition and readiness
transition begins November 9
Service commencement Tuesday, December 1, 2026
Schedule control. The District may revise this schedule by written addendum. Contractors are responsible for monitoring
the Georgia Procurement Registry and the District's official procurement posting for changes.
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1.3 Questions, addenda, and common information
* Submit questions in writing to ryan.flowers@appling.k12.ga.us by the stated deadline. Identify the
RFP number, section, page, and specific question.
* Only written addenda issued by the District may change this RFP. Oral statements, site comments,
informal messages, or vendor interpretations do not modify the solicitation.
* The District will publish material answers and corrections through the official posting locations. Each
Contractor must acknowledge every addendum on the required form.
* Information provided to one Contractor that is material to proposal preparation will be made
available to all Contractors through the common addendum process.
2. District profile, procurement purpose, and desired outcomes
2.1 District and community profile
The Appling County School System serves approximately 3,400 students through three elementary schools,
one middle school, one high school, and associated administrative, support, transportation, alternative-
school, and athletic facilities. The District's central office is in Baxley, and its sites range from compact
support buildings to multi-building instructional and athletic campuses.
Appling County covers approximately 508 square miles and had an estimated population of 19,100 as of July
1, 2025. Its dispersed rural service pattern is relevant to mobilization, supervision, emergency response,
supply delivery, and dependable coverage. This procurement covers approximately 672,039 published
service-area square feet. District enrollment and community figures are informational only; Appendix A
controls facility data.
Profile sources: Appling County School System public information and U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts. Facility sources are identified in
Appendix A.
2.2 Procurement purpose and contractor opportunity
Through this RFP, the District is seeking one qualified contractor to deliver a complete, performance-based
custodial program across the listed instructional, administrative, support, and athletic facilities. The
Contractor will furnish management, supervision, labor, relief coverage, training, equipment, chemicals,
cleaning supplies, restroom paper products, hand towels, soap, liners, dispensers, reporting, and related
services necessary to meet the RFP requirements.
The District is looking for a dependable service partner that understands the daily demands of an occupied K-
12 environment and can maintain consistent results across a dispersed, multi-building portfolio. The District
will define required outcomes, safety rules, cleaning frequencies, response times, and acceptance measures,
while the Contractor will remain responsible for its workforce, schedules, methods, supervision, supplies, and
business operations. The District intends to award the full scope to one responsible Contractor unless
another award structure is determined to be in its best interest and is permitted by this RFP and applicable
law.
2.3 Stated goals and desired outcomes
* Provide safe, healthy, welcoming, and instruction-ready schools for students, employees, families,
and visitors.
* Maintain APPA Level 2 - Ordinary Tidiness / Comprehensive Care, as operationalized by the District's
scorecard and task schedule.
* Deliver consistent daily, periodic, event, summer, and emergency service at every included facility.
* Provide sufficient management, relief capacity, equipment, and supplies without shifting workforce-
management duties to the District.

* Protect students, employees, facilities, access credentials, information, and District property.
* Maintain service continuity during absences, vacancies, school events, severe weather, infectious-
disease concerns, and other operational disruptions.
* Create comparable, all-inclusive pricing with no unapproved bonuses, retention charges, supply
surcharges, or other employee-related additions.
* Use measurable inspections, timely corrective action, reinspection, and repeated-failure remedies
while providing respectful, accessible, and nondiscriminatory service.
* Complete an orderly transition without interruption to school operations.
3. Facilities and Scope of Service
3.1 Facility baseline
Facility Address / location Controlling sq. ft.
Appling County Elementary Complex 680 Blackshear Hwy., Baxley, GA 31513 223,058
Fourth District Elementary School 13396 Blackshear Hwy., Surrency, GA 31563 33,444
Altamaha Elementary School 344 Altamaha School Rd., Baxley, GA 31513 57,296
Appling County Middle School 2997 Blackshear Hwy., Baxley, GA 31513 105,662
Appling County High School 482 Blackshear Hwy., Baxley, GA 31513 209,140
Board of Education / Main Shop 249 Blackshear Hwy., Baxley, GA 31513 14,659
Location and access details will be provided during the
Transportation Office 3,080
mandatory walkthrough and confirmed by addendum
Location and access details will be provided during the
Alternative School 2,400
mandatory walkthrough and confirmed by addendum
High-school campus; included areas will be identified
ACHS Field House / Athletic Facilities 15,300
during the walkthrough and confirmed by addendum
Middle-school campus; included areas will be identified
ACMS Athletic Facilities 8,000
during the walkthrough and confirmed by addendum
TOTAL 672,039
3.2 Complete service responsibility
The Contractor shall provide all resources necessary to clean and support the covered facilities in accordance
with this RFP, its accepted operating plan, Appendix B, manufacturer instructions, applicable safety
requirements, and District schedules. No task or cost reasonably necessary to achieve the stated service
outcome may be omitted merely because it is not repeated in every appendix.
* Daily custodial cleaning and sanitizing of instructional, administrative, athletic, common, and support
spaces.
* Restroom, locker-room, shower, cafeteria, gymnasium, field-house, stadium, and event-area service.
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* Routine, periodic, annual, summer, and school-break floor care, carpet extraction, window cleaning,
high dusting, and deep cleaning.
* Trash collection, interior waste removal, dumpster placement as directed, litter policing, recycling
support, and odor control.
* Restocking and management of paper products, hand towels, toilet tissue, hand soap, liners, and
other listed consumables.
* Response to spills, bodily fluids, weather events, emergency conditions, contagious-disease
concerns, and other District-authorized urgent needs using District-approved products labeled for
the intended purpose.
* Setup, cleanup, and restoration for included school activities and authorized extra events as
identified in the event schedule and price forms.
* Prompt reporting of maintenance, plumbing, pest, safety, security, vandalism, damage, and access
issues discovered during performance.
3.3 District operating conditions
* Schools remain occupied by students, employees, families, and visitors during significant portions of
the workday and during evening and weekend activities.
* The Contractor shall coordinate cleaning so it does not disrupt instruction, testing, student meals,
extracurricular activities, Board meetings, or emergency operations.
* The District may change room use, schedules, student enrollment, or activity patterns without
changing the gross facility inventory. Material scope changes will be handled through the
Agreement's written-change process.
* The Contractor shall comply with site-specific access, alarm, key, energy-conservation, recycling, fire-
safety, and emergency procedures.
* Known floor-surface types are listed by facility in Appendix B.8. The District has not provided square
footage by floor-surface type. Each Contractor shall verify the location, approximate quantity,
condition, finish, and required care of each surface during the mandatory walkthrough and shall
identify any material discrepancy through the written-question process.
* The District will provide reasonable access, utilities, and coordination; the Contractor shall control its
workforce, methods, supplies, and equipment.
3.4 Exclusions and separately authorized work
The base scope excludes building repairs, roof work, mechanical servicing, pest control, hazardous-material
abatement, construction cleanup, snow/ice removal, pressure washing, light-bulb or lamp replacement,
HVAC-filter replacement, and work above safe equipment limits. These excluded services are not part of the
base scope or unit pricing. No extra work is billable unless added by written amendment or specifically
authorized through a District-approved work authorization.
4. Contractor management, workforce safeguards, safety, supplies, and
equipment
4.1 Performance-based service responsibility
* The Contractor shall continuously provide sufficient qualified personnel, supervision, relief coverage,
equipment, supplies, and management resources to perform the complete scope and meet all
required outcomes at every facility.

* The Contractor may organize and revise staffing levels, job classifications, facility assignments, shifts,
labor hours, and work methods, but no change may reduce required service, violate safety or access
requirements, change an accepted subcontractor or key manager without approval, or alter another
material obligation.
* The proposal shall identify the Contract Manager and backup and present the Contractor's proposed
staffing and coverage plan by facility and shift, including supervision, relief coverage, and plans for
daily, periodic, event, emergency, vacancy, and absence coverage. The District's review of this plan
does not authorize the District to manage the Contractor's workforce.
* Staffing shortages, turnover, call-outs, vacancies, overtime costs, recruiting difficulty, or internal
scheduling decisions do not excuse missed work or deficient performance. The Contractor shall
provide qualified relief coverage and other resources promptly whenever necessary to maintain
service.
* School closures or shortened weeks do not eliminate periodic, project, floor-care, or deep-cleaning
obligations; the parties will coordinate access and timing.
4.2 Contract management and site supervision
* Designate a qualified Contract Manager and backup with authority to receive District direction
concerning results, coordinate access, commit resources, resolve deficiencies, and attend
performance meetings.
* The Contract Manager shall conduct internal inspections, manage supplies and equipment, verify
records, and ensure timely correction. Replacement requires prompt written notice and equal or
better qualifications.
* Local service requests shall follow a simple school-based process. At a school, an employee reports a
routine custodial concern to the assistant principal or designee. The assistant principal or designee
reports the concern to the Contractor's designated site contact, who coordinates correction and
reports completion. At a support facility, the designated site administrator follows the same process.
Urgent health or safety concerns may be reported immediately. This process identifies the needed
result and does not authorize District staff to direct individual employees or approve extra cost.
4.3 Service records and accountability
* Maintain reliable facility-level records for required daily, periodic, project, floor-care, event,
emergency, and corrective work, and submit the Section 5.4 support with each invoice.
* The District may verify completed work and inspect records reasonably related to performance,
safety, access, training, supplies, subcontractors, invoices, and contract compliance.
* Falsification of service, inspection, incident, safety, or invoice records is a material breach and may
result in withholding, default, termination, and referral as appropriate.
4.4 Contractor personnel and workforce continuity
* The Contractor has exclusive responsibility for recruiting, hiring, compensation, classification,
scheduling, supervision, evaluation, discipline, leave coverage, and termination of its employees and
subcontractor personnel, subject to the benefit, continuity, screening, safety, and performance
requirements in this RFP and the obligation to provide uninterrupted service.
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* The Contractor shall maintain a written employee benefit plan that includes access to healthcare
coverage for employees assigned to this contract who meet the plan's stated eligibility requirements.
The proposal shall include a summary of the plan and describe eligibility, healthcare coverage
offered, waiting periods, and the employee and employer shares of cost. The Contractor shall take
the full cost of this benefit plan into consideration when developing its bid and include that cost in
the annual and monthly base price. The Contractor remains solely responsible for plan
administration and legal compliance, and the accepted benefit commitment becomes a material
contract requirement.
* The District will communicate required results, access rules, safety concerns, and service deficiencies
through the Contract Manager. Except for immediate safety or security direction, District personnel
shall not assign daily tasks to, schedule, evaluate, or discipline individual Contractor employees.
* The contract price includes all workforce costs, including the required employee benefit plan and
healthcare coverage. No separate employee-related or benefit-related payment is due unless
approved by Board-authorized written amendment.
* The Contractor shall provide current custodial employees serving the District a fair opportunity to
apply and be considered for available positions. The Contractor shall give timely notice of
opportunities and conduct good-faith interviews for applicants who meet stated minimum
qualifications. This requirement does not guarantee employment or limit the Contractor's
responsibility for lawful hiring, screening, and personnel decisions. A continuity plan shall prevent
absences, vacancies, turnover, or simultaneous needs from interrupting service.
4.5 Screening, identification, conduct, and campus safety
* Complete fingerprint-based criminal-history screening and any additional District-required eligibility
review before an employee receives campus access. No unscreened person may work or train on
District property.
* Provide current rosters and proof of clearance status without unnecessary sensitive information. The
District may require removal of a person from its property without creating an employment
relationship.
* Require uniforms, visible photo identification, sign-in/out, and compliance with key/card, alarm,
restricted-area, photography, recording, confidentiality, and visitor rules.
* Prohibit weapons, alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco/vaping, harassment, abusive or profane language,
solicitation, unauthorized visitors, and unauthorized use of District equipment or information.
* Limit student interaction to what is incidental and necessary. Employees shall not discipline,
transport, photograph, communicate privately with, or be alone with students except as unavoidable
in an emergency and immediately reported.
* Immediately report suspected abuse, threats, weapons, drugs, bodily fluids, injury, property damage,
theft, security breaches, lost keys/cards, or other safety incidents to the designated District official.
4.6 Training and safety program
* Provide documented new-hire and annual refresher training in cleaning methods, equipment,
SDS/hazard communication, bloodborne-pathogen precautions, PPE, dilution, ergonomics, slips/falls,
fire and emergency response, student safety, and District procedures.
* Maintain current Safety Data Sheets at each site and electronically; properly label and store
chemicals; use District-approved commercial products only for labeled purposes and dilution; and
maintain exposure-control, spill-response, injury-reporting, and workers' compensation procedures.

4.7 Equipment, supplies, and consumables
* Provide, maintain, repair, and replace all cleaning equipment, carts, vacuums, extractors, scrubbers,
burnishers, tools, PPE, chemicals, paper products, hand towels, toilet tissue, soap, liners, and
dispensers required for the scope.
* Each Contractor shall submit a proposed product list and current Safety Data Sheets with its
proposal. At no cost to the District, each Contractor shall provide representative samples of
proposed cleaning materials and paper products at the time and place announced by the District for
inspection. Chemical samples shall remain in unopened manufacturer-labeled packaging and shall
not be placed inside the sealed proposal package. No product may be brought to or used at a District
facility until the Director of Operations provides written acceptance.
* Maintain a labeled, current, site-specific SDS station or binder at every serviced location, accessible
on every work shift and containing an index, every applicable SDS, and spill and emergency
information. Provide matching electronic copies; electronic access does not replace the on-site
station.
* Update the station, site inventory, and District file before introducing a new or replacement product
or upon receipt of a revised SDS. Train employees on labels, hazards, dilution, contact time, PPE,
spills, and SDS access. The District may inspect these records and locations at any time.
* Maintain serviceable commercial-grade equipment, backup capacity, and at least a 30-day normal-
use supply of cleaning materials, chemicals, liners, soap, toilet tissue, paper towels, and other
required paper products at all times. Stock shall be held in District-approved on-site storage or
another readily accessible location approved by the District. Submit an initial and annual equipment
inventory showing description, ownership, assigned site, condition, and planned replacement.
* Contractor property remains its responsibility and shall be removed at contract end. District property
shall be inventoried, protected, and returned in equivalent condition, normal wear excepted.
* Any proposed product substitution must be equal or better, compatible with building finishes and
dispensers, supported by a current SDS when applicable, and accompanied by a sample when
requested. Written District approval is required before use.
4.8 Infectious disease preparedness and response plan
Each Contractor shall submit with its proposal a written Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Plan.
The accepted plan becomes a material contract obligation and shall address COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2,
influenza, norovirus and other gastrointestinal illness, and other communicable-disease or outbreak
conditions that may affect District facilities.
* Identify the responsible manager, 24-hour contacts, decision authority, and coordination procedures
with District operations, school administrators, school health personnel, and public-health officials.
* Define activation levels for routine prevention, targeted response, enhanced disinfection, partial
closure, and District-wide response using then-current District direction and applicable public-health
guidance.
* Address high-touch cleaning, isolation and reopening of affected areas, employee training, exposure
control, bloodborne-pathogen precautions, PPE, waste and laundry handling, equipment
decontamination, documentation, and protection of confidential health information.
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* Identify District-accepted products and methods appropriate to the suspected pathogen, including
SARS-CoV-2 when directed, and require compliance with label instructions for dilution, compatibility,
wet-contact time, ventilation, PPE, and reentry.
* Provide workforce and supply continuity through trained relief, cross-training, call-out and escalation
procedures, emergency stock, approved alternates, and alternate sourcing for disinfectants, PPE,
liners, soap, and paper products.
* Include plan maintenance, training, readiness, required stock, and ordinary response in the fixed
price. Extraordinary out-of-scope work requires advance written authorization except when
immediate action is necessary and prior authorization is impracticable.
5. Performance standards, inspections, reporting, and remedies
5.1 Required appearance level
The Contractor shall maintain APPA Level 2 - Ordinary Tidiness / Comprehensive Care. Spaces must look
clean, orderly, properly supplied, safe, and ready for use during ordinary observation. Minor recent dust or a
light mark visible only on close inspection may be consistent with Level 2; visible buildup, odors, depleted
supplies, overflow, unsafe conditions, repeated missed work, or Level 3-or-lower conditions are
unacceptable. Appendix E provides the complete plain-language guide and inspection scorecard.
5.2 Inspection method
* The District may inspect any area at any time and will conduct at least one documented joint
inspection per facility group each month.
* The monthly score uses the 100-point Appendix E scorecard. The minimum passing score is 90%
overall and 95% for restroom/locker-room/shower items.
* The District may use representative sampling and expand the review when deficiencies indicate a
broader condition. The Contractor may attend, correct, and submit evidence, but the District
controls the final score.
* A passing score does not waive hidden, later-discovered, safety, access, recordkeeping, or task-
frequency deficiencies.
5.3 Response and correction times
Priority Required response
Immediate acknowledgment; on-site response within 30 minutes when staff are present or 60
Emergency / critical
minutes after-hours; contain and correct as soon as safely possible, generally within 2 hours.
Acknowledge within 30 minutes and correct during the same shift or within 4 hours,
Urgent
whichever is earlier.
Routine Correct by the end of the next business day unless the District approves a written schedule.
Periodic / project work Correct or reschedule within two business days without affecting the next required cycle.
5.4 Monthly reporting and invoice support
* Facility-level service summary covering required routine, periodic, floor-care, event, emergency, and
corrective work.