Exterior Maintenance Services Downtown Gainesville

It is the intent of the City of Gainesville to obtain proposals for cleaning and maintaining City of Gainesville Downtown sidewalks and specified areas.

Background

Gainesville is the largest city and also the county seat of Alachua County. It serves as the cultural, educational and commercial center for the north central Florida region.

The city provides a full range of municipal services, including police and fire protection; comprehensive land use planning and zoning services; code enforcement and neighborhood improvement; streets and drainage construction and maintenance; traffic engineering services; refuse and recycling services through a franchised operator; recreation and parks; cultural and nature services; and necessary administrative services to support these activities.  Additionally, the city owns a regional transit system, a municipal airport, a 72-par championship golf course and a utility.

Gainesville is home to Florida's largest and oldest university, and is one of the State’s centers for education, medicine, cultural events and athletics. The University of Florida and UF Health Hospital at UF are the leading employers in Gainesville and provide jobs for many residents of surrounding counties. Known for its preservation of historic buildings and the beauty of its natural surroundings, Gainesville's numerous parks, museums and lakes provide entertainment to thousands of visitors. Because of its beautiful landscape and urban "forest," Gainesville is one of the most attractive cities in Florida.

Project Details

• Reference ID: PWDA-260042-SM
• Department: GG_Public Works: Public Works Administrative Services
• Department Head: Brian Singleton (Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-07-02T03:59:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-06-23T14:00:00.000Z — 200 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601 Roberta Lisle Conference Room 016

Evaluation Criteria

• MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS —
  2. 1. The Proposer must demonstrate at least three (3) years of documented experience providing maintenance services for commercial and/or governmental entities. The Proposer shall possess sufficient operational capacity to perform proposed services including staffing, supervision, vehicles, equipment, and administrative systems to perform uninterrupted weekly exterior cleaning throughout the entire program area. All required licenses, permits, certifications, and insurance coverages mandated under applicable local, state, and federal law must be maintained by the awarded proposer at all times.

   

  2. 2. Proposer must provide copy of current business license and relevant State of Florida licenses and certifications.

   

  2. 3. If a proposer does not meet the minimum requirements listed above, a proposer may provide documentation that it is financially capable of meeting the requirements of this solicitation. Documentation should include bonding capacity vs. availability, credit ratings, all debt (initial amount and payoff schedule), list of all property and equipment owned and leased, equity and pooled investments, and any other resource or financial data. The proposer shall clearly demonstrate how its personnel and experience can scale up an operation and shall clearly demonstrate how equipment, personnel, and resources will be acquired to meet the requirements of this solicitation.  Qualifying a proposal under this paragraph will be at the sole discretion of the City and only if the pricing of such proposal has a significant benefit to the City.
•  DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION —

  Respondents must submit all inquiries regarding this bid via the City Procurement Portal ("eProcurement Portal") at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/CityofGainesville. Please note the deadline for submitting questions. All answers to questions will be posted in the eProcurement Portal. To receive notifications when answers are posted, respondents should select "Follow" on the bid title. It is the respondent's responsibility to monitor the website for answers to inquiries.

   

• Summary —

  It is the intent of the City of Gainesville to obtain proposals for cleaning and maintaining City of Gainesville Downtown sidewalks and specified areas.

• DEFINITION OF TERMS —
  1. Addendum/Addenda: Written or graphic document(s) issued prior to the Response due date, which make additions, deletions, or revisions to the solicitation or contract documents.
  2. Agreement: A written Contract between two or more Parties. “Contract” and “Agreement” are synonymous.
  3. Bid: The written response to a Solicitation.
  4. CITY: City of Gainesville
  5. Cone of Silence:  The period between the issue date of the solicitation and the time CITY Officials and Employees award the contract.
  6. Due Date: The date the response is due.
  7. Lobbying:  When any natural person, for compensation, seeks to influence the governmental decision-making, to encourage the passage, defeat or modification of any proposal, recommendation or decision by CITY officials and employees, except as authorized by procurement documents.
  8. Non–Responsive: A response that does not meet the material requirements of the solicitation.
  9. Redacted: means that the confidential/proprietary information in the proposal has been obscured so that it cannot be read.
  10. Respondent: An individual or business entity that submits a response to a Solicitation.
  11. Response: A written document submitted by a Respondent in reply to Solicitation.
  12. Responsive: A response that conforms in all material respects to the requirements set forth in the Solicitation.
  13. Solicitation: A written document issued by an agency to obtain information or pricing for goods and/or services. May also be referred to as an Invitation to Bid (ITB), Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation Quote), Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) or Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ).
  14. Work: Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result requested in the scope.
  15. Unredacted: means that the entire document, including the confidential/proprietary information, has not be obscured and is visible for the evaluation team to use in their evaluation process.
• REIMBURSABLES —

  If travel is involved in the execution of an awarded contract, should any air travel be required the City’s travel policy allows for Coach air travel only.  All other travel will be billed in accordance with the Federal General Services Administration rates which can be found at: https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates. In addition, long distance phone calls, printing, and other administrative costs may be billed at cost only -no mark-up.  Evidence of these expenditures will be submitted when invoicing the City.  Travel and administrative costs should be identified in the Price Proposal.

   

• CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS —

  The CITY may award the initial contract on the basis of initial offers received from respondent, without discussions.  A draft contract is attached.  Therefore, each initial offer should contain the Respondent’s best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint and any changes to the draft contract. 

   

  The CITY reserves the right to enter into contract negotiations with the selected Respondent regarding the terms and conditions of the draft contract and technical terms.  Price is non-negotiable.  If the CITY and the selected Respondent cannot negotiate a successful contract, the CITY may terminate said negotiations and begin negotiations with the next selected Respondent.  This process will continue until a contract has been executed or all Respondents have been exhausted.  No Respondent shall have any rights against the CITY arising from such negotiations.

   

• TIE BIDS —

  Whenever two or more bids which are equal with respect to price, quality and service are received, preference shall be given in the following order:  (1) Bidders submitting the attached Drug-Free Workplace form with their bid/proposal certifying they have a drug free workplace in accordance with Section 287.087, Florida Statutes; (2) Bidders located within the CITY of Gainesville, if not subject to the Local Preference Ordinance; (3) Bidders located within Alachua County; (4) Bidders located within the State of Florida; and (5) coin toss.

• PRE-SOLICITATION MEETING —

  Attendance at the pre-solicitation meeting is strongly recommended as it provides an opportunity to discuss the project's scope of work, procedures, and specifications directly with the Project Manager. This meeting is the only time during the bid process when bidders can ask questions directly.

   

  If special accommodations are required to attend a pre-solicitation meeting or bid opening, please contact the Procurement Representative at least 72 hours in advance.

   

  NOTE:  Failure of bidder to attend a mandatory pre-solicitation meeting will result in disqualification of a submitted response.  

   

• LOCAL PREFERENCE —

  In bidding of, or letting contracts for procurement of, supplies, materials, equipment and services, as described in the purchasing policies, the City Commission, or other purchasing authority, may give a preference to local businesses in making such purchase or awarding such contract in an amount not to exceed five percent of the local business' total bid price, and in any event the cost differential should not exceed $25,000.00.  Total bid price shall include not only the base bid price but also all alterations to that base bid price resulting from alternates which were both part of the bid and actually purchased and awarded by the City Commission or other authority.  In the case of requests for proposals, letter of interest, best evaluated bids, qualifications or other solicitations and competitive negotiation and selection in which objective factors are used to evaluate the responses. Local Businesses are assigned five (5) percent of the total points of the total evaluation points.

  Local business means the vendor has a valid business tax receipt, issued by the City of Gainesville at least six months prior to bid or proposal opening date, to do business in said locality that authorizes the business to provide the goods, services, or construction to be purchased, and a physical business address located within the limits of said locality, in an area zoned for the conduct of such business, from which the vendor operates or performs business on a day-to-day basis. Post office boxes are not verifiable and shall not be used for the purpose of establishing said physical address. In order to be eligible for local preference, in the Bid or RFQ evaluation, the vendor must provide a copy of the business tax receipt and Zoning Compliance Permit. For more information on City’s Local Preference Policy: Municipal Code Article X Local Preference Policy.

• TIE BIDS-SPECIAL FUNDS —

  Whenever two or more bids which are equal with respect to price, quality and service are received, preference shall be given in the following order:  (1) Bidders submitting the attached Drug-Free Workplace form with their bid/proposal certifying they have a drug free workplace in accordance with Section 287.087, Florida Statutes; and (2) coin toss.

• SCOPE OF WORK —

  Contractor shall provide the following maintenance services:

  1. Litter and debris pick-up and disposal
  2. Low pressure spraying down of sidewalks to remove undesirable or unsanitary materials
  3. As needed spot sidewalk power washing; oil, gum, graffiti and miscellaneous stain removal
  4. Other services as needed and upon mutual written agreement of the Contractor

         It will be the Contractor’s responsibility to meet all contract requirement in these specifications.

   

  Special Conditions

   

  1. Examination of Sites to be Maintained

  The Contractor shall perform all necessary due diligence including examining the sites to be maintained and/or directing inquiries to the City’s Representative. Contractor shall accept the service area in its present physical condition. The City of Gainesville will not be liable for additional services to correct conditions contractor fails to document during its performance of due diligence.

   

  2. References

  Contractor shall have at least three (3) years practical experience in providing maintenance services for commercial and/or governmental entities. All contractors shall provide with their proposal a list of at least three (3) commercial or government references. The City of Gainesville reserves the right to contact references provided by contractor.

   

  General conditions

   

  1. Work to be performed in the areas described in “Scope of Work” comprises of litter pick-up, debris pick-up/removal and, when necessary, spot power washing of soiled areas or low pressure spraying to remove undesirable or unsanitary materials. Requirements vary by location depending upon the conditions present.

   

  2. Contractor and its employees shall conduct themselves in such a manner as to be courteous to the public. Proper clothing appropriate to landscape professional practice shall be worn at all times including shirts, necessary safety equipment and proper protective footwear. Clothing must identify the company name. Where work is performed on state roads or city streets, Contractor must wear eye protection and high visibility safety clothing (orange or green vest/shirt).

   

  3. All vehicles and equipment used in service of this contract must be maintained in good repair, appearance and sanitary conditions at all times. Vehicles must be identified with the name of the contractor and phone number clearly visible. In addition, all leaf blowers are not to exceed 70 decibels.

   

  4. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to assure that all work is being done per specifications.

   

  5. Contractor shall provide a 24-hour emergency phone number where they can be reached with no more than a fifteen (15) minute delay in call back time. Contractor is to have an active email address from which to receive correspondence from the City of Gainesville. Contractor must be able to respond to emergencies on site within one hour of notification by the City of Gainesville Project Manager.

   

  6. Contractor shall have fully trained and competent employees who can execute the responsibilities contained in this contract, including but not limited to the operation of power equipment, litter pick-up, debris pick-up/removal.

   

  7. The City of Gainesville Project Manager or Public Works Right of Way Supervisor will make regular inspections of contract sites on at least a weekly basis. Contractor shall meet as required with the City of Gainesville Right of Way supervisor to review site reports and visit any sites deemed necessary for review.

   

  8. The Contractor shall be aware of, and shall comply with, all City ordinances governing exterior Janitorial and Maintenance services as applicable to individual location being maintained.

   

  9. Work affecting the Public Right of Way: No activity shall be performed in the roadway portion of the Right of Way between the hours of 7:30AM-8:30AM and 5:00PM-6:00PM Monday-Friday, unless approved in writing by the City of Gainesville Project Manager. Additional work prohibitions may be required by the City of Gainesville during special City events such as UF Home coming weekend. Contractor shall obtain necessary lane closure permits and provide, at no additional cost to the City of Gainesville, traffic control and/or barricades as needed or as required by the State of Florida Department of Transportation. Barricading and detouring of traffic shall be accomplished in conformance with the State of Florida adopted, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, latest edition, while working on City, County or State roads with plan approval by qualified person. All lanes of traffic shall be open to vehicular traffic at the completion of each working day.

   

  10. Approval to Work in the Public Right of Way: Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining approval from the City of Gainesville for traffic control plans, for protecting existing utilities and improvements in the work area and for repairing any damage to utilities and improvements caused by the Contractor’s operations.

   

  11. Invoices will not be processed until all timesheets have been submitted according to “16. Invoicing and Timesheet Documents”.

   

  Scheduling of Work

   

  All work shall be performed three (3) days per week, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday year-round unless otherwise specified by the City of Gainesville. These mornings have the most accumulated trash due to nightlife activities. Therefore, time spent servicing downtown areas may vary depending on proximity to nightlife activity. In Cases of inclement weather, the City’s Project Manager shall be notified the day of via email. Each month, the Contractor shall submit a Timesheet Document, Appendix A, for each site detailing the schedule for all work to be performed. The City of Gainesville retains the right to alter any and all Timesheet Documents due to events that may conflict with the conduct of the scheduled work. The Timesheet Documents must be submitted with each prior month’s invoice. Therefore, as an example, the Contractor shall submit Timesheet Documents for August with the invoice for July’s services. An invoice will not be processed until all time sheets have been submitted.

   

  Public Convenience and Safety

   

  Contractor acknowledges and agrees that public safety is of the utmost importance, and the contractor agrees that during the performance of work, the Contractor shall protect and preserve the safety of the public. Contractor shall not unnecessarily cause inconvenience to the public during the performance of work and shall minimize the inconvenience caused by the Contractor’s operations.

   

  Defective work

   

  The City of Gainesville will work with the contractor to achieve satisfactory performance results under this contract; however, the City of Gainesville will have the authority to disapprove or reject work which the City of Gainesville believes is defective and not in accordance with the contract specifications. The City’s Project Manager will be the final interpreter of the requirements of the contract specifications and judge the acceptability of the contractor’s work.

   

  1. The City of Gainesville will notify the Contractor in writing of defective work and of any corrective actions required.
  2. Contractor shall correct all defective work immediately and bear all costs to correct defective work.
  3. Contractor shall inform the City of Gainesville in writing when its personnel will correct the defective work.
  4. Should the Contractor fail to correct three (3) defective work notices in accordance with 8(c) in any three (3) month period, then the City of Gainesville may request termination of the contractor’s contract.
  5. The City of Gainesville may, at its discretion, execute an additional contract with another Contractor in order to rectify the defective work.

    

  Changes to the Scope of Work

   

  The City of Gainesville reserves the right to order changes in the work consisting of additions, deletions, unscheduled work tasks or other revisions within the general scope of the contract. The contractor shall not make any claims against the City of Gainesville that the scope of the Contractor’s contract has been changed, requiring changes to the amount of compensation to the Contractor as long as such changes have been made by written amendment to the contract executed by the City of Gainesville and the Contractor. If the Contractor believes that any particular work is not within the scope of the project, or will require additional compensation to the Contractor, then the Contractor must immediately notify the City’s Project Manager in writing of this belief. The City’s Project Manager and the Contractor may then negotiate the terms of a contract amendment to address the proposed change in work scope.

   

  Wash Water Disposal

   

  Non-storm water discharges are prohibited from entering the storm sewer system by Alachua County ordinance (Section 77.10). Contractor shall take steps to minimize the volume of wash waters and shall not allow any unfiltered was waters to enter the storm drain. Water disposal and filtration is the responsibility of the Contractor.

   

  Cleaning Agents

   

  Cleaning agents are permitted only if they have been approved by the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department.

   

  Availability of Water for Cleaning

   

  The contractor is responsible for obtaining the water used for the services described herein.

   

  Damage Caused by Contractor

   

  The contractor shall repair, at contractor’s expense, any damage to property belonging to the City of Gainesville caused by the Contractor to the satisfaction of the respective owner. The Contractor shall also take adequate measures to insure that its’ operations do not harm any existing underground utilities. Damage may include, but is not limited to power equipment damage to trees, water supply or electrical facilities.

   

  Emergencies and Complaints Response

   

  Whenever it is the city’s Project Manager’s opinion immediate action is required to prevent impending injury, death or damage to private, or City of Gainesville property maintained under this contract, the City of Gainesville will, at its discretion attempt to contact the Contractor to take preventative actions. Should the City of Gainesville be unable to reach the Contractor as specified in Section 5 General Conditions (E), this may cause preventative actions to be taken by City personnel and/or other service providers and may result in charging the cost thereof to the contractor. Should it be determined that the necessary repairs were caused by the Contractor’s lack of performance under the specifications of this contract, then the Contractor may be liable for all charges to perform the required repairs.

   

  Contract Term

   

  The initial contract term is for one (1) fiscal year, beginning upon execution of a contract, with the option for four (4) such extensions. However, if the contract start date is after October 1, of the current fiscal year, then the compensation for the initial year of the contract term will be prorated accordingly.

   

  Invoicing and Timesheet Documents

   

  Each month, the Contractor is required to submit a monthly invoice, Appendix B, to the City of Gainesville no sooner that the last day of the service month. No invoice will be accepted that does not contain the following information:

   

  1. Contractor’s name and contact information
  2. City of Gainesville project name
  3. City of Gainesville project number
  4. Purchase Order number
  5. Invoice number
  6. Date
  7. Description of services rendered, including date of service
  8. Invoice amount

  Contractor shall submit monthly Timesheet Documents, Appendix A, as described in “6. Scheduling of Work” with the following information:

  1. Vendor name and contact information
  2. Project location
  3. Project name
  4. Purchase Order number
  5. Submission date
  6. Site visit dates
  7. Visit start and end times
  8. Total monthly hours
  9. Contractor signature and date

  Detailed Description of the Work – Scope of Work

  Some City districts have areas requiring exterior sidewalk maintenance services. Proper maintenance of these sites requires a fundamental level of knowledge, professional management and quality services. The results of these maintenance activities will be highly visible to the community and are essential to the look and vitality of each location. Work may commence during the morning, at the discretion of the Contractor, but must be completed on the specified days between 4:30AM and 7:30AM. Workers will be required to wear attire suitable to the project. Maintenance services under this contract will focus specifically on the Downtown Areas.

   

  The Contractor shall:

  1. Ensure that personnel performing these services will wear neat, proper clothing, as defined in “5. General Conditions”, Paragraph (B), at all times and will be trained to interact with the public in a friendly and informative manner. Personnel shall also be competent and trained to carry out their job responsibilities.
  2. Illustrate the ability to hire and manage staff, if necessary.
  3. Plan for supervision of staff and quality control, as necessary.
  4. Provide monthly Timesheet Document, Appendix A, with each prior month’s invoice, Appendix B, detailing the maintenance schedule for each site as specified in “6. Scheduling of Work” and “16. Invoicing and Timesheet Documents”.
  5. Supply an active email address from which to receive correspondence from the City of Gainesville.
  6. Have knowledge of water disposal requirements, debris and litter disposal requirements, and the overall maintenance needs specific to each City of Gainesville Downtown site.
  7. Demonstrate the expertise to undertake the work required.
  8. Be able to provide proof of required insurance.

               

  Litter Pick-up/Removal:

  Contractor shall pick-up trash and other debris, three (3) days per week, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the service area including sidewalks, curb and gutters, in planters, in landscaped beds, in tree wells with and without grates, and on benches during each weekly service visit. The Contractor shall either mechanically sweep or vacuum the area to keep litter from entering the street. Contractor shall dispose of all trash and debris off-site. Contractor duties do not include emptying waste receptacles.

  Examples of litter and debris to be removed from the service area include, but are not limited to, the following:

   

  1. Leaves, dead or living, limbs and sticks
  2. Paper and plastic
  3. Old newspapers
  4. Cigarette butts
  5. Broken glass
  6. Gum wrappers
  7. Fruit or berries
  8. Traffic debris
  9. Rocks, stones, gravel, sand, etc.
  10. Maintenance generated debris (grass clippings, woody materials, mulch, etc.)
  11. Miscellaneous debris/trash

   

  Sidewalk Spraying:

  As needed spraying down of paved/bricked surfaces with a hose when vomit, urine, food, spills, etc. are present in the paved surface area. These paved surfaces include sidewalks, from the horizontal surface of the street curb all the way to the edge of the Right of Way.

   

  Sidewalk Power Washing:

  The performance of this service shall remove built up dirt, oil, gum and other miscellaneous stains on the paved surface area in the effort to continue to improve conditions along the Downtown areas. These services are required on both sides of the street, unless otherwise specified. Proper waste water disposal and appropriate cleaning agents are required specified in Section 10 Wash Water Disposal and Section 11 Cleaning Agents. Power Washing will be on an as needed spot washing basis in areas identified where sidewalk spraying is ineffective for removal of unwanted oil, gum, graffiti, and miscellaneous stains. 

• Background —

  Gainesville is the largest city and also the county seat of Alachua County. It serves as the cultural, educational and commercial center for the north central Florida region.

   

  The city provides a full range of municipal services, including police and fire protection; comprehensive land use planning and zoning services; code enforcement and neighborhood improvement; streets and drainage construction and maintenance; traffic engineering services; refuse and recycling services through a franchised operator; recreation and parks; cultural and nature services; and necessary administrative services to support these activities.  Additionally, the city owns a regional transit system, a municipal airport, a 72-par championship golf course and a utility.

   

  Gainesville is home to Florida's largest and oldest university, and is one of the State’s centers for education, medicine, cultural events and athletics. The University of Florida and UF Health Hospital at UF are the leading employers in Gainesville and provide jobs for many residents of surrounding counties. Known for its preservation of historic buildings and the beauty of its natural surroundings, Gainesville's numerous parks, museums and lakes provide entertainment to thousands of visitors. Because of its beautiful landscape and urban "forest," Gainesville is one of the most attractive cities in Florida.

   

• CONTRACT AWARD —

  An Intent to Award, if any, shall be made to the Respondent(s) whose proposal(s) shall be deemed by the CITY to be in the best interest of the CITY.  The decision of the CITY of whether to make the award(s) and which proposal is in the best interest of the CITY shall be final.

   

• CONTRACT —

  The Contract entered into will designate the successful Respondent as the CITY’s Contractor.  The successful Respondent will be required to execute an agreement with the CITY in substantially the same format as found in the DRAFT.

   

• PROHIBITION OF LOBBYING —

  To ensure fair consideration, consistent and accurate dissemination of information for all respondents, the CITY prohibits communication to or with any department, employee, or agent evaluating or considering proposals during the submission process, except as authorized by the Procurement Division representative. Additionally, the CITY prohibits communication initiated by a respondent to any CITY official or employee evaluating or considering the proposals (up to and including the City Commissioners) before the time an award decision has been made. Any communication between proposer and the CITY required to obtain information or clarification for preparing a bid or to enable a proper, accurate evaluation of a proposal will be handled solely through the Procurement Division staff. Any communications initiated between the respondent and the CITY outside these parameters may be grounds for disqualifying the offending respondent from consideration for award of the proposal and/or any future proposal. 

   

  Lobbying means when any natural person, for compensation, seeks to influence the governmental decision-making, to encourage the passage, defeat or modification of any proposal, recommendation or decision by the CITY officials and employees, except as authorized by procurement documents.

   

• Procurement Representative —

  Sheri Manning

  Procurement Specialist II

  mannings1@cityofgainesville.org

   

  Respondents shall submit all inquiries regarding this bid via the City of Gainesville Procurement Portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofgainesville 

   

  Please note the deadline for submitting inquiries. All answers to inquiries will be posted via Addendum on the City of Gainesville Procurement Portal. Respondents shall click “Follow” on this bid to receive an email notification when Addenda are posted. It is the responsibility of the respondent to check the website for answers to inquiries.

   

• SMALL AND SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN BUSINSS PARTICPATION —

  Small or Service-Disabled Veteran’s Business Enterprise Definition: A Small Business or a Service-Disabled Veteran’s Business, which is duly licensed and authorized to engage in business and maintains a permanent principal place of operation with full time personnel within Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Gilchrist, Levy, Putnam, or Union County and possess a current City business tax receipt as required, and is so certified by the Small and Service-Disabled Veteran’s Business Program Coordinator.

  It is the policy of the City of Gainesville that small and service-disabled veteran businesses as defined in the Small and Service-Disabled Veteran Business Program, have the maximum practical opportunity to participate in contracting opportunities provided by the City.  In keeping with this policy, each bidder is asked to state whether it will utilize small and service-disabled veteran businesses that are eligible for assistance to perform work on the project(s) being advertised. 

  For bidders not yet certified by the City, a small and service-disabled veteran application may be accessed via the Diversity Business Management System website. To be considered as a certified small and/or service-disabled veteran business, a bidder must have a current certificate at the time of the solicitation submittal due date.  For more information on certified small and service-disabled veteran businesses, please visit the Office of Equity and Inclusion website.

• LIVING WAGE REQUIREMENTS —

  Living Wage requirements, Ordinance 020663, as amended in Ordinance 030168, and in Ordinance 180999, and as shown on the City’s web page, applies to contracts solicited by the City after midnight on March 31, 2021.

  Section 2-619. – Living Wage Requirements.

  1. The following are requirements of each service contractor/subcontractor:
     1. A service contract or/subcontractor shall pay a living wage to each of its covered employees during the time they are providing the covered services.
     2. A copy of the living wage rate shall be posted by the service contractor/subcontractor in a prominent place where it can easily be seen by the covered employees and shall be supplied to any covered employee upon request.
     3. Each service contractor shall make all of its service subcontractors aware of the requirements of this division and shall include the contract provisions listed in the Sample Contract under the Living Wage paragraph in each of its service subcontracts to ensure compliance with this article.  The city shall not be deemed a necessary or indispensable party in any litigation between the service contractor and a subcontractor.
     4. A service contractor/subcontractor shall not discharge, reduce the compensation of, or otherwise retaliate  against any covered employee for filing a complaint, participating in any proceedings or otherwise asserting the requirement to pay a living wage under this division.  A covered employee who claims their employer has not paid them a living wage as required by this division may file a written com plaint with the city.
     5. Each service contractor/subcontractor shall produce payroll records, and any other requested documentation to the city as necessary for the city to audit or investigate compliance with or a reported violation of this division.

  The City’s current adjusted Living Wage Rates (Wage with Health Benefits OR Wage without Health Benefits) are available here.  The living wage for this contract will increase annually on the anniversary date of the contract at the City’s prevailing living wage rate, which is updated October 1 each year.

   

• Timeline —

  Release Project Date:	June 3, 2026
  Pre-Proposal Meeting (Mandatory):	June 23, 2026, 10:00am 200 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601 Roberta Lisle Conference Room 016
  Question Submission Deadline:	July 1, 2026, 11:59pm
  Response Submission Deadline:	July 15, 2026, 3:00pm

• CONE OF SILENCE —

  During the Cone of Silence, except as pursuant to an authorized appeal, no person may lobby on behalf of a competing party in a particular procurement process, no person may lobby CITY officials or employees except the Procurement Division designated staff. Violation of this provision shall result in disqualification of the party on whose behalf the lobbying occurred.

   

  The Cone of Silence is the period between the issue date of the solicitation and the time the CITY Officials and Employees award the contract.

   

• BID PROTEST —

  Participants in this solicitation may protest the solicitation specifications or award in accordance with Section 5. Bid Protests of the PRO-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines.

   

• DETERMINATION OF RESPONSIBLE BIDDER —

  As a part of the proposal evaluation process, the CITY reserves the right to conduct a background investigation of bidder, including a record check by the Gainesville Police Department if the qualifications require it. Bidder’s submission of a proposal constitutes acknowledgment of the process and consent to such investigation.

  
  No contract will be awarded to any respondent who is in arrears to the CITY for any debt, fee, tax, or contract, or who is a defaulter as surety or in any other capacity, upon any obligation to the City. Additionally, any respondent determined to be not responsible by the CITY pursuant to Pro-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines, C.2.ii., will not be awarded a contract.

  
  Respondent must demonstrate that it is responsible as defined in the City of Gainesville’s Pro-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines, C.2.ii., as may be amended.
  These criteria assess the respondent's capability to perform.

  
  A. The ability of the bidder to successfully carry out a proposed contract.
  B. Past performance (including reference check), experience, business and financial capabilities, skills, technical organization, legal eligibility and reliability.

  
  If it is determined that the respondent is not responsible, the CITY may notify respondent of its finding, including evidence used, and allow respondent the opportunity to come into compliance within three (3) business days of notification.

  
  If selected, respondent must either update or complete CITY’s vendor application, pay business tax (if applicable), and register with the State of Florida (if required by law).

   

• SOLICITATION POSTPONEMENT/CANCELLATION/WAIVER OF IRREGULARITIES —

  The CITY may, at its sole and absolute discretion, reject any and all, or parts of any and all, proposals; re-advertise this RFP; postpone or cancel, at any time, this RFP process; or waive any irregularities in this RFP or in the proposals received as a result of this RFP. See Section B. The Bid Process, 9. viii. of the PRO-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines.

   

• TAXES, CHARGES AND FEES —

  The Proposer agrees that any applicable Federal, State and Local sales and use taxes, which are to be paid by City of Gainesville, are included in the stated bid prices. Since the City of Gainesville is often exempt from taxes for equipment, materials and services, it is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine whether sales taxes are applicable. The Contractor is liable for any applicable taxes which are not included in the stated bid prices.

   

• RESPONSIVENESS OF BID —

  A responsive proposal is one which follows the requirements of the solicitation, includes all required documentation, is submitted in the format outlined in the solicitation, is of timely submission through the eProcurement Portal, and has the appropriate signatures as required on each document. Failure to comply with these requirements may deem the proposal non-responsive (Pro-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines , C.2.i.)

  
  Each proposal shall be reviewed to determine if the proposal is responsive to the submission requirements outlined in the solicitation.

   

• COSTS INCURRED BY RESPONDENTS —

  All expenses involved with the preparation and submission of proposals to the City, or any work performed in connection therewith shall be borne by the proposer(s).  No payment will be made for any responses received, nor for any other effort required of or made by the proposer(s) prior to commencement of work as defined by a contract approved by the City Commission (if so required).

   

• CONTRACT TERM —

  Contract Term is for one (1) year with an optional four (4) additional one (1) year periods.

• RULES; REGULATIONS; LICENSING REQUIREMENT —

  The bidder shall comply with all laws, ordinances and regulations applicable to the services contemplated herein, including those applicable to conflict of interest and collusion.  Bidders are presumed to be familiar with all Federal, State and local laws, ordinances, codes and regulations that may in any way affect the services offered.

   

• RECORDS/AUDIT —

  Contractor shall maintain records sufficient to document their completion of the scope of services established by this Contract.  These records shall be subject at all reasonable time to review, inspect, copy and audit by persons duly authorized by the City.  These records shall be kept for a minimum of three (3) years after completion of the Contract.  Records which relate to any litigation, appeals or settlements of claims arising from performance under this Order shall be made available until a final disposition has been made of such litigation, appeals, or claims.

   

• PUBLIC ENTITY CRIME INFORMATION STATEMENT —

  Section 287.133 (2)(a), Florida Statutes, contains the following provisions:  “A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for public entity crime may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity, in excess of the threshold amount provided in Section 287.017, for CATEGORY TWO for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

   

• DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, OTHERWISE EXCLUDED —

  By submitting this proposal, bidder agrees that it:

  • Is not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency;
  • Has not within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against it for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State, or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification, or destruction of records, making false statements or receiving stolen property;
  • Is not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State, or local) with commission or any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (2) of this certification; and
  • Has not within a three-year period preceding this application/proposal had one or more public transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default.

   

• NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY AND COMMERCIAL NON-DISCRIMIATION REQUIREMENT —

  As a condition of entering into this agreement, the company represents and warrants that it will comply with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and all other federal, state or local laws prohibiting discrimination.  The company shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability or gender identity, or other unlawful forms of discrimination in the solicitation, selection, hiring, commercial treatment of subcontractors, vendors, suppliers or commercial customers, nor shall the company retaliate against any person for reporting instances of such discrimination. 

   

  The City reserves the right to investigate any claims of illegal discrimination by the Contractor and in the event a finding of discrimination is made and upon written notification thereof, the Contractor shall take all necessary steps to cure and rectify such action to the reasonable satisfaction of the City.  The company understands and agrees that a violation of this clause shall be considered a material breach of this agreement and may result in termination of this agreement, disqualification of the company from participating in City contracts, or other sanctions.  This clause is not enforceable by or for the benefit of, and creates no obligation to, any third party.

   

  For more information on this policy and requirement, please visit the Office of Equity and Inclusion.

   

• EXAMINATION OF SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS - FULLY INFORMED RESPONDENT —
  1. Prior to responding to the Solicitation, Respondents are responsible for the following: (1) examining the Solicitation thoroughly, (2) considering federal, state and local laws and regulations that may impact or affect cost, progress, performance or furnishing of the Work, (3) studying and carefully correlating Respondent’s observations with the Solicitation, and (4) notifying the Procurement Representative of all conflicts, errors or discrepancies in the Solicitation.
  2. Respondents are expected to become fully informed as to the requirements of the Specifications and failure to do so will be at their own risk. Respondents cannot expect to secure relief on the plea of error.
  3. A Respondent who is aggrieved in connection with the specifications of this Solicitation may protest in writing to City of Gainesville Procurement at least within five (5) work days of the solicitation posting date.

   

• PROHIBITION AGAINST CONSIDERATION OF SOCIAL, POLITICAL, OR IDEOLOGICAL INTERESTS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING —

  In accordance with Section 287.05701(2)(a), F.S. (2023), the City may not request documentation of or consider a vendor's social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the vendor is a responsible vendor, and may not give preference to a vendor based on the vendor's social, political, or ideological interests.

   

• INTERNATIONAL PROPOSER REQUIREMENTS —

  The City is unable to send ACH payments to international banks.  Therefore, ACH payments will only be made to U.S.A. banks.  Additionally, the international company must be from a country that has a tax treaty with the U.S.A.    International proposers must agree to these requirements and provide proof of same should they receive an award recommendation.

   

• PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS —

  The bid response, containing all required documents, with authorized signatures, must be submitted in OpenGov by 3:00 p.m. on the due date indicated on the Solicitation Cover Page. OpenGov will reject late proposals, and the City will not accept proposals submitted in any other manner that through OpenGov.

   

  Both the response and the price proposal, if required to be submitted as a separate document, must be signed by an officer of the business who is legally authorized to enter into a contractual relationship in the name of the bidder. An authorized representative who is not an officer may sign the proposal, but must attach a corporate resolution granting authorization to the representative to execute on behalf of the business.

   

  The submittal of a response by a respondent will be considered by the City as constituting an offer by the respondent to perform the required services at the stated fees.

   

• ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING CLAUSE —

  Pursuant to section 787.06(13), Fla. Stat., when this contract is executed, renewed, or extended the Contractor and any subcontractors must provide the CITY with an affidavit, signed by an officer or a representative of the Contractor and any subcontractors under penalty of perjury, attesting that the Contractor and subcontractor does not use coercion of labor or services as those terms are defined in this section.

   

• INTERPRETATION AND ADDENDA —

  All questions about the meaning or intent of this Solicitation are to be directed to the Procurement Representative via the CITY's eProcurement Portal, https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofgainesville, unless stated otherwise. Interpretations or clarifications considered necessary in response to such questions will be issued by Addenda posted on the City’s eProcurement Portal.

   

  Respondents must create an account on the City’s eProcurement Portal to receive notifications.  Registered Respondents will be notified of all Addenda posted in the City’s eProcurement Portal.

   

  Only questions answered by formal written Addenda will be binding.

   

  1. Addenda may also be issued to modify the Solicitation as deemed advisable by the Procurement Representative.
  2. Addenda issued before the Solicitation due date and time are considered binding and treated as if they were originally written into the Solicitation. It is the responsibility of the Respondents to ensure they have received, signed, and included all addenda(s) with their submittals.
     
     
• USE OF SOLICITATION REPLY IDEAS —

  The City has the right to use any or all information presented in any response to this solicitation, whether amended or not, except as prohibited by law.  Selection or rejection of the submittal does not affect this right.

   

• EXCEPTION TO THE SOLICITATION —

  Respondents may take exception to any of the terms of this Solicitation unless otherwise stated. Should a respondent take exception where none is permitted, the proposal will be rejected as non-responsive. All exceptions taken must be specific to allow the City a meaningful opportunity to evaluate and rank proposals.

   

  Where exceptions are permitted, the City shall determine the acceptability of the proposed exceptions. The proposals will be evaluated based on the proposals as submitted. The CITY retains the right to accept or reject the exceptions. Where exceptions are rejected, the CITY may request that the respondent furnish the services or goods described herein, or negotiate an acceptable alternative.

   

• MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF A RESPONSE —

  Modifications to or withdrawal of a respondent’s submittal can be made until the Response Submission Deadline (See Section 1.4 – Deadline). Modifications or withdrawals must be documented in the City eProcurement Portal https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofgainesville prior to the Response Submission Deadline (See Section 1.4 – Deadline) in order to be recognized by the CITY. Any bid not withdrawn will constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days, to provide the CITY adequate time to award the Contract for the services specified in this solicitation.
  

   

• COLLUSION —

  Only one (1) response from any individual, firm, corporation, organization or agency under the same or different name will be considered as a response to this Solicitation. Multiple responses from any individual, firm, corporation, organization or agency under the same or different name may result in rejection of all responses from the Respondent.

   

  1. Respondent, by signing the Respondent’s Verification Form, declares that the Response is made without any previous understanding, agreement, or connections with any persons, firms, or corporations responding on the same items and that it is in all respects fair and in good faith without any outside control, collusion or fraud. A non-exclusive manufacturer/distributor relationship does not, in and of itself, constitute a prior understanding, agreement, connection or collusion between Responders.
  2. By responding to the Solicitation, the Respondent acknowledges that it has not offered or given any gift or compensation to any CITY officer or employee to secure favorable treatment with respect to being awarded this Contract.

   

• TRADE SECRETS OR CONFIDENTIAL AND EXEMPT INFORMATION —

  Florida’s Public Records Law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, includes numerous exemptions to the general requirement to disclose information to the public in response to a public record’s request.  Exemptions are found in various provisions of the Florida Statutes, including but not limited to Section 119.071, Florida Statutes (General exemptions from inspection or copying of public records), and Section 119.0713, Florida Statutes (Local government agency exemptions from inspection or copying of public records). Section 815.045, Florida Statutes (Trade secret information), provides that trade secret information as defined in Section 812.081, Florida Statutes (Trade secrets; theft, embezzlement; unlawful copying; definitions; penalty) is confidential and exempt from disclosure because it is a felony to disclose such records. The Parties understand and agree that Florida’s Public Records Law is very broad and that documents claimed by a Party to be confidential and exempt from public disclosure pursuant to the Public Records Law may in fact not be deemed such by a court of law.  Accordingly, the following provisions shall apply:

   

  A.  Identifying Trade Secret or Otherwise Confidential and Exempt Information.

  For any records or portions thereof that respondent claims to be Trade Secret or otherwise confidential and exempt from public disclosure under the Public Records Law, respondent shall:

  1. 1. Upload a pdf version reply of the complete UNREDACTED proposal. Include “UNREDACTED, CONFIDENTIAL” in document title. This is the version that will be used by the evaluators when they are reviewing your proposal. It is essential that the items that will be redacted are highlighted in yellow to prevent the evaluation team from discussing these items after the award. The first page of the document for the unredacted document should provide a general description of the information respondent has designated as confidential and/or exempt, and provide a reference to the appropriate Florida or Federal statute supporting the confidential and/or exempt classification.
     2. The City’s evaluators will be provided with the complete unredacted proposal, including any trade secret or otherwise confidential and exempt information.  The City evaluators will maintain the confidentiality of the information through the evaluation process, including any recorded evaluation team meetings.
     3. Upload a pdf version reply of the REDACTED copy of the proposal.  Include “REDACTED” in the document title. This copy will be used to support any public records requests that may arise from this solicitation.
     4. Provide an affidavit or similar type of evidence that describes and supports the basis for Respondent’s claim that the information is confidential and exempt from public disclosure, referencing all applicable Florida Statutes

   

  B.   Request for Trade Secret or Otherwise Confidential and Exempt Information. 

   

  1. 1. In the event a public record request is made to view the information which respondent claims is confidential and/or exempt, the City will notify the respondent and give the respondent a reasonable opportunity (generally 2 business days) to institute appropriate legal action to prevent the disclosure of the information claimed as confidential and/or exempt.
     2. In the event that the City in its sole discretion finds no basis for respondent’s claim that certain information is Trade Secret or otherwise confidential and exempt under Florida’s Public Records Law, then City shall notify respondent in writing of such conclusion and provide respondent a reasonable amount of time to file for declaratory action requesting a court of law to deem the requested information as Trade Secret or otherwise as confidential and exempt under Florida’s Public Records Law.  If respondent fails to file for declaratory action within the reasonable amount of time provided, then City will disclose the information requested.
     3. If a public records lawsuit is filed against CITY requesting public disclosure of the information labeled by respondent as Trade Secret or otherwise as confidential and exempt, CITY shall notify respondent and respondent shall intervene in the lawsuit to defend the nondisclosure of such information under Florida’s Public Records Law. 
     4. Respondent hereby indemnifies and holds CITY, its officers and employees harmless from any and all liabilities, damages, losses, and costs of any kind and nature, including but not limited to attorney’s fees, that arise from or are in any way connected with respondent’s claim that any information it provided to CITY is Trade Secret or otherwise confidential and exempt from public disclosure under Florida’s Public Records Law.

   

  C.   How to Designate Trade Secret or Otherwise Confidential and Exempt Information

   

  If a respondent believes that its reply contains Trade Secret or otherwise confidential and exempt information (as defined by Florida or Federal law) and should be withheld from disclosure to the public, in such cases the respondent must provide a redacted copy of the proposal for public access.

   

  D.   How the City will Handle Material Identified as Trade Secret or Otherwise Confidential and Exempt Information

   

  All public records submitted to the City, including those claimed as confidential and/or exempt, will be retained by the City and will not be returned to a respondent at the conclusion of the bidding process.
  
  

• PROTEST OF SOLICITATION SPECIFICATIONS AND/OR AWARD —

  Participants may protest the Specifications of the solicitation in accordance with Section C.5.i. of the Pro-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines

   

  Participants may protest the Solicitation Award in accordance with Section C.5.i. of the Pro-01 Procurement Administrative Guidelines 

   

• SOLICITATION POSTPONEMENT/CANCELLATION/WAIVER OF IRREGULARITIES —

  The City may, at its sole and absolute discretion, reject any and all, or parts of any and all, proposals; re-advertise this solicitation; postpone or cancel, at any time, this solicitation process; or waive any irregularities in this solicitation or in the proposals received as a result of this solicitation.

   

Submission Requirements

• RESPONDENT VERIFICATION (required) —

  DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

   

  I hereby propose to provide the goods/services requested in this Solicitation. I agree to hold pricing for at least 120 calendar days from the Solicitation due date. I agree that CITY’s terms and conditions herein take precedence over any conflicting terms and conditions submitted for CITY’s consideration, and agree to abide by all conditions of this Solicitation.

  I certify that all information contained in this Response is truthful to the best of my knowledge and belief. I further certify that I am duly authorized to execute and submit this Response on behalf of the organization as its agent and that the organization is ready, willing and able to perform if awarded.

• LOCAL PREFERENCE (required) —

  To claim "Local Preference" a bidder must have a valid occupational license (business permit) issued by the City of Gainesville, Florida at least six months prior to bid or proposal opening date and have a physical business address located within the corporate limits of the City of Gainesville, Florida.

• SOLICITATION RESPONSE (required) —

  Download the BID FORM from the Attachments tab, complete and upload your company's proposal for this solicitation here.

• DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION FORM (required) —

   

  DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

   

  Whenever two or more bids which are equal with respect to price, quality, and service are received in accordance with Section 287.087, Florida Statutes, preference shall be given to respondents that certify that they have a drug-free workplace.

• CONSOLIDATED STATE LAW AFFIDAVIT (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, notarize and upload.

• REFERENCES (required) —

  DOWNLOAD THE BELOW DOCUMENT, COMPLETE AND UPLOAD HERE.

• NO RESPONSE SURVEY —

   

  If you are not bidding, please complete and return the attached form so that we may learn from your comments to improve our solicitations. 

• Did you complete the Exhibit B Maintenance Schedule Fee Schedule for the Downtown Area?
• Will there be a site visit? (required)
• Insert Meeting Details
• Is this project using Specialty Funding? (required)
• Is Local Preference applicable to this solicitation? (required)
• Investigation of Wrongdoings? (required)
• Do any of the following pricing variables apply to your solicitation? (required)