Active SLED Opportunity · CONNECTICUT · CITY OF BRIDGEPORT

    LANDSCAPE SERVICES - CUTTING

    Issued by City of Bridgeport
    cityITBCity of BridgeportSol. 251808
    Open · 21d remaining
    DAYS TO CLOSE
    21
    due Jun 3, 2026
    PUBLISHED
    May 7, 2026
    Posting date
    JURISDICTION
    City of
    city
    NAICS CODE
    561730
    AI-classified industry

    AI Summary

    The City of Bridgeport seeks bids for landscape cutting services to maintain school district grounds. Services include weekly mowing, trimming, debris removal, and compliance with safety and licensing requirements. Bids due June 3, 2026, via the OpenGov portal.

    Opportunity details

    Solicitation No.
    251808
    Type / RFx
    ITB
    Status
    open
    Level
    city
    Published Date
    May 7, 2026
    Due Date
    June 3, 2026
    NAICS Code
    561730AI guide
    Jurisdiction
    City of Bridgeport
    Agency
    City of Bridgeport

    Description

    The City of Bridgeport seeks bids for LANDSCAPE SERVICES - CUTTING.

    Electronic submissions will be received by the City of Bridgeport, Department of Public Purchases, 2nd floor, 999 Broad Street, Bridgeport, CT 066604 until 2:00 pm on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at which time and then at said office will be publicly opened.

    Electronic submissions will be received through City’s e-Procurement Portal, OpenGov , https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bridgeportct),

    Bidders shall create a FREE account with OpenGov Procurement by signing up at https://procurement.opengov.com/signup. Once you have completed account registration, browse back to this page, click on "Submit Response", and follow the instructions to submit the electronic bid.

    Any questions regarding this bid must be presented in writing and may be posted directly on the OpenGov Procurement https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bridgeportct website question sections. The cut-off date for questions is 2:00 pm on Monday, May 18, 2026. . All bidders shall check https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bridgeportct  regularly to see if any addendums are issued.

    Project Details

    • Reference ID: BMB048266
    • Department: BOE Maintenance
    • Department Head: Jorge (George) Garcia (Director of Facilities)

    Important Dates

    • Questions Due: 2026-05-18T18:00:00.000Z
    • Answers Posted By: 2026-05-22T20:00:00.000Z

    Evaluation Criteria

    • Additional to Purchase Order Terms and Conditions; General Provisions, and Award, and Formation of Contract:

      Independent Contractor. Contractor is an Independent Contractor with respect to its relationship to the City.

      Indemnification. Contractor shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the City and its representatives from and against any and all claims, demands, suits, proceedings, liabilities, judgments, losses, costs or damages in any way relating to the negligent, willful or wanton acts or omissions of the Contractor or is agents and employees arising out of or in connection with the goods and/or services provided by Contractor.

      Termination; Events of Default: Termination for Convenience. The City may terminate the Agreement at any time and for any reason on seven (7) days written notice. Notwithstanding, City shall compensate Contractor for goods or services satisfactorily rendered prior to termination.

    • LANDSCAPE SERVICES - CUTTING

      GENERAL

      The following is to serve as specifications and to provide guidance in the landscape maintenance of the areas which fall under the Board of Education (BOE).

      Please note contractor(s) should also be available for on-call services.

       

      TURF AREAS (LAWNS)

      Mowing

      • Lawns shall be mowed and trimmed every seven (7) days, unless otherwise instructed throughout the entire cutting season. Cutting season is approximately from the second week of April until the second week of November.
      • The height of cutting shall be maintained consistently to prevent scalping or burn. The mowing height shall be appropriate to the turf species.
      • Mowing patterns in large areas shall be alternated each week to avoid creating ruts and compaction.

      Trimming – Trimming of sidewalk and parking lot cracks, curbs, around trees and lawn edges shall be maintained.

      • Trimming will be done once a week.
      • The Contractor will use weed trimmers or other suitable equipment to trim tall grass and weeds adjacent to mowed areas around fences, trees, bleachers, benches, backstops and any other structures that normally require trimming.
      • The Contractor will trim around tender barked trees such as dogwoods by hand and will avoid damaging these trees.

      Clippings

      • Excessive grass clippings shall be collected and disposed of by the contractor.
      • Adjacent sidewalks and streets shall be clean of clippings.

       

      DEBRIS REMOVAL

      • Litter and trash, including leaves, small branches rubbish, paper, bottles, cans, rocks, gravel, and other debris shall be removed from all areas.
      • All refuse resulting from the maintenance operation shall be disposed of by the contractor
      • Hardscape (i.e. sidewalks) shall be swept or blown free of debris and grass clippings.

      The Contractor is responsible for identifying the mowing areas and providing for them in the proposal. The Contractor will mow as close to immovable objects as practical, then trim any tall weeds and grass around them.

      REQUIREMENTS

      • A supervisor must be on site at all times of service.
      • All mowers must have safety guards installed at all times. No equipment shall be left on grounds unattended.
      • All employees must be properly trained on equipment which they are assigned and use.
      • All employees must have proper identification, wear safety vests and or uniforms and safety equipment. 
      • All work performed must conform with all applicable codes, laws, regulations and in accordance with industry standards.
      • The Contractor is responsible for all damage they cause to any property or facility including vehicle and building windows, building and playground structures and fencing.
      • LICENSES The Contractor and employees shall possess all licenses such as CDL, Chemical Applicator’s, Chemical Storage, Supervisor’s Applicator’s, etc. required by Local, State and Federal regulations to perform the contracted work.
      • WETPROPERTIES The Contractor is responsible for recognizing when site conditions are too wet for mowing and will stay off such sites until conditions improve enough to allow mowing.

      The Contractor will notify the Contract Manager whenever a mowing is skipped.

       

      CONDUCT The Contractor’s employees will conduct themselves appropriately, or the Contract Manager will request their removal from the job.

      NOISE REGULATIONS The Contractor shall comply with all ordinances and Town regulations concerning hours of work and noise.

      SAFETY The Contractor is responsible for safety. BOE officials will notify the Contractor in writing of safety problems and the Contractor must take appropriate action.

      SCHEDULE Before starting work, the Contractor will provide the BOE with a written (weather permitting) mowing schedule listing sites to be mowed each day.

       

      Natural wooded areas with a permanent accumulation of leaves are not included. Leaves are not to be blown into wooded areas near any creek, stream, brook, pond, river, or any other body of water. The Contractor will keep leaves and grass separate from all other materials. Items such as brush, stones, litter, earth and other contaminants must remain separated for disposal.

       

      Before quoting a price for the cleanups, the Contractor will be thoroughly familiar with the actual physical conditions of the bid areas.

       

    • BRIDGEPORT PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUILDING OPERATIONS

      The Bridgeport Public Schools Building Operations and Maintenance Department is the operational arm of the Board of Education responsible for the physical stewardship of the school district’s infrastructure. Located at 1085 Connecticut Avenue, the department oversees the upkeep, repair, and safety of over 38 school buildings and administrative offices across the city. Its primary mission is to ensure that all educational environments are clean, safe, and fully functional for the district’s 20,000+ students and staff. The department manages a wide range of services, from daily custodial operations to long-term capital improvement planning.

       

    • Submission Instructions

      All submissions must be submitted via the procurement portal.

      Special Submission Circumstances:  The procurement portal, OpenGov, is the electronic bid submission process of choice for City of Bridgeport purchases.  In the event, a bidder is unable to submit electronically through the city’s procurement portal, bids can be submitted, by mail, as outlined below.  Non-electronic submissions are accepted on an exception only basis.

    • Contacting the City of Bridgeport

      The exclusive means by which all prospective respondents may obtain ITB packages, direct inquires, request and receive addenda and supplemental information, and submit proposals shall be through the City of Bridgeport’s bidding platform.

      The City of Bridgeport has made it possible for vendors to view our solicitations, download bid packages and ask questions, free of charge.

      Instructions to do so are as follows:

        1. Go to the procurement portal, OpenGov
        2. Click on any bid you see.  It will take you that bid’s page.
        3. On the right-hand side of the page, click on Register now for free!  
        4. After you register, you'll be able to view/download or ask questions on any bid you have interest in.

      If you have any trouble registering on the procurement portal, please email OpenGov at procurement-support@opengov.com

      General Information: All inquiries regarding this bid must be presented in writing and may be posted directly on the procurement portal, OpenGov. All answers will be published in the form of addenda on the procurement portal.

      Addenda Notification: Respondents are required to register on the procurement portal, OpenGov.  Once the respondent has completed registration, they will receive addenda notifications in their email. Ultimately, it is the sole responsibility of each respondent to periodically check the site for any addenda.

      Late Submissions: The City of Bridgeport will not assume responsibility if a submission is misdirected, or its delivery is delayed. The city will not accept late submission. It shall be the sole responsibility of the submitter to pay for any type of delivery service charge, and to see that the Office of the Purchasing Agent receives his/her submission on time.  The clock used shall be the Purchasing Agent’s official date and time stamp clock.  The City does not assume financial responsibility for late deliveries by the U.S. Postal System or any other delivery service.

       

       

    • Payment Terms

      Detail the payment schedule and any conditions for payment.

    • Warranty and Support

      Specify any warranty and support requirements.

    • Contractors Requirements and Responsibilities

      Contractor must be licensed in the State of Connecticut and all employees must be properly certified and qualified to perform the work.  Out of state bidder must provide the City of Bridgeport with a Certificate of Authority to Do Business in the State of Connecticut within five days of a Notice of Intent to Award.  This can be obtained from the Connecticut Secretary of State.

      The contractor will be responsible for the safety of the work site.

      The contractor is responsible obtaining and paying for any and all permits as required.

      This contract award will require that the successful vendor have a valid SAM, DUNS, CT and Federal Tax ID numbers prior to commencing work.

      The Contractor is prohibited from assigning, transferring, conveying, subletting, or otherwise disposing of the ultimate contract award or its rights, title or interest therein or its power to execute such agreement to any other person, company or corporation without the prior consent and approval in writing by the City.

    • Qualification Expectations

      Eligible respondents must be able to demonstrate the following:

      3.2.1 Demonstrated experience with projects like this project. To be qualified, the proposed project awardee for this project must have recently and successfully completed recent projects with similar scope and complexity and shall provide references for those projects.

      3.2.2 Demonstrated experience with municipalities like the City of Bridgeport. Any additional information which demonstrates the respondent’s ability to perform the required work not already mentioned herein, must be provided.

      3.2.3 Assigned Staff and office support must have the necessary experience, organization, and professional skills and facilities to successfully perform the required services described in the scope of work in this RFP. Description of the firm’s composition with identification of roles of all anticipated employees and/or subcontractors, if any. Resumes of key personnel are required for all key personnel.

      3.2.4 No pending criminal litigation or criminal charges against the firm, Principal Owners, Partners, Corporate Officers, or management Personnel.

      The bidder must demonstrate that they are a professional commercial landscape contractor with the capacity and expertise to maintain school district grounds. At minimum, the contractor shall provide:

      • A minimum of three (3) years of verifiable commercial landscaping experience, preferably with public-sector, educational, or institutional clients.
      • Proof of business registration and authorization to operate within the state.
      • A dedicated management team with documented experience overseeing multi‑site landscape maintenance contracts.
      • A trained workforce, including full‑time employees who are qualified to operate commercial mowing, trimming, and turf‑care equipment.

       

    • Electronic Submission Instructions

      THIS METHOD IS PREFERRED.

      The City of Bridgeport is accepting electronic bid submissions. Bidders shall create a FREE account with OpenGov Procurement by signing up at https://procurement.opengov.com/signup. Once you have completed account registration, browse back to this page, click on "Submit Response", and follow the instructions to submit the electronic bid.

    • Paper Submission Instructions

      SEALED ONE (1) ORIGINAL, THREE (3) COPIES AND ONE (1) ELECTRONIC VIA THUMBDRIVE MUST BE SUBMITTED.

      Bid Submission: Sealed submissions must be received and time-stamped by the Department of Public Purchases prior to ITB closing time.  No submission received after closing time will be considered. The opening will be in the City of Bridgeport Department of Public Purchases’ Conference Room. To ensure proper handling and avoid misdirected delivery, please mark your ITB envelope as follows:

      BMB048266 LANDSCAPE SERVICES - CUTTING

      If your envelope is not marked accordingly, the City will not assume responsibility for late delivery or deliver to the incorrect location.

      Mail your submissions to:

      Laura DeMoura
      City of Bridgeport
      Department of Public Purchases
      2nd floor, 999 Broad Street
      Bridgeport, CT 06604

      ITB submissions are due:

      Wednesday, June 3, 2026 no later than 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST)

      Late Submissions: The City of Bridgeport will not assume responsibility if a submission is misdirected, or its delivery is delayed. The city will not accept late submission. It shall be the sole responsibility of the submitter to pay for any type of delivery service charge, and to see that the Office of the Purchasing Agent receives his/her submission on time.  The clock used shall be the Purchasing Agent’s official date and time stamp clock.  The City does not assume financial responsibility for late deliveries by the U.S. Postal System or any other delivery service.

       

      NOTE: IF THE MARGARET E. MORTON GOVERNMENT CENTER, 999 BROAD STREET BRIDGEPORT,CT IS CLOSED FOR ANY UNFORESEEN EVENT, BIDS WILL BE DUE AT THE SAME TIME ON THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY THAT THE MARGARET E. MORTON GOVERNMENT CENTER IS OPEN.

    • Licensing & Certifications

      The bidder must hold all licenses and certifications required by state and local regulations, including:

      • A valid Commercial Pesticide Applicator License (if any chemical applications are included in the scope).
      • Any required contractor or trade licenses for landscape maintenance.
      • OSHA‑compliant safety training documentation for all field staff. 

         

    • Standard/Prevailing Wage Rates

      If applicable, any work that exceeds $100,000.00 is required to obtain necessary standard/prevailing wage rates set by the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL).

    • Openness of Procurement Process

      Written responses, other discussions, correspondence, and all other pertinent records shall be handled as public records in compliance with State and Federal open records statutes and regulations.

    • Errors and Omissions

      Once a response is submitted, the City of Bridgeport may consider requests by any contractor to correct errors or omissions but shall retain sole discretionary authority to determine the outcome of such a request.

    • References & Past Performance
      • The bidder shall submit:

        • At least three (3) references from commercial or public‑sector clients for whom similar landscape services have been provided within the past five years.
        • A brief portfolio or description of comparable properties, including acreage, service frequency, and scope of work.
    • Submission Compliance

      Certificates of Insurance: Certificates of insurance will be required from the awarded contractor prior to the commencement of any work and shall be furnished to the Department of Public Purchases, Margaret E. Morton Government Center, Second Floor, 999 Broad Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604 and must be shown to the City of Bridgeport as an additional insured with thirty (30) days’ notice for cancellation or non-renewal of policy.  A copy of the endorsement insurance will also be required for this project.

      No Conflicts| Disclosure:  the awarded contractor must accurately complete and submit the No Conflicts/Disclosure Form when it receives a Notice of Intent to Award. Failure to submit the No Conflicts within three (3) business days of receipt of the Notice of Intent may result in the loss of the award.

      Non-Collusion Affidavit: all bidders must accurately complete and submit non-collusion affidavits with all bids or bids will be considered non-responsive.

      Addendums:  all bidders shall check the procurement portal regularly to see if any addendums are issued.

      Contract Award Requirements:  the contract award will require that the successful will require that the successful vendor have a valid SAM, DUNS, CT, and Federal Tax ID numbers prior to commencing work.

    • Collusion

      By offering a response to this ITB the supplier certifies that no attempt has been made or will be made by the consultant to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.  All persons interested in this project, principal or principals being named therein, and no other person have an interest in this project or in the Agreement which they may participate in. No person or agency has been employed or retained to solicit or secure this Agreement upon an agreement or understanding for a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee, excepting legitimate employees or established commercial agencies maintained by the consultant for the purpose of doing business. All firms interested in this project (including the firm's employees, representatives, agents, lobbyists attorneys and subconsultants) will refrain, under penalty of disqualification, from direct or indirect contact for the purpose of influencing the selection or creating bias in the selection process with any person who may play a part in the selection process, including the evaluation panel and other administrative staff. The policy is intended to create a level playing field for all potential firms; assure that contract decisions are made in public and to protect the integrity of the selection process.

    • Suspension and Debarment

      The City will not participate in contracts with parties that have been debarred, suspended or excluded from Federal assistance programs per 2 CFR part 180 and part 1532 and 40 CFR part 31.35. Further, the    respondent is required to verify that the respondent, or its principals, as defined at 49 CFR 19.995, or affiliates, as defined at 49 CFR 29.905, are excluded or disqualified as defined at 49 CFR 29.40 and 29.945

      The respondent is required to comply with 49 CFR 29, Subpart C and must include the requirement to comply with 49 CFR 29, Subpart C in any lower-tier covered transaction it participates in.

      By signing and submitting its bid or proposal, the respondent or proposer certifies as follows:

      The certification in this clause is a material representation of fact relied upon by the City if it is later determined that the respondent or proposer knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to remedies available to the City the Federal Government may pursue available remedies, including but not limited to suspension and/or debarment. The respondent or proposer agrees to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR 29, Subpart C while this offer is valid and throughout the period of any contract that may arise from this offer. The respondent or proposer further agrees to include a provision requiring such compliance in its lower-tier covered transactions.

    • Equipment Requirements

       

      The contractor must demonstrate access to:

      • Commercial‑grade mowing equipment suitable for large turf areas.
      • Properly maintained tools and vehicles necessary to perform all services in the bid.
      • Backup equipment to ensure uninterrupted service in case of breakdowns.
    • Reservation of Rights

      This solicitation is for an “Invitation to Bid (ITB) only”.  This invitation to bid is not to be construed as a specific proposal or an offer to buy any products or services.  Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, the City expressly reserves all rights in its sole discretion and in the best interests of the City at any time prior to the selection of a preferred respondent and purchase order:

      Bid Rejection: The City of Bridgeport reserves the right to reject any and all bids in whole or in part or to accept any bid, in its sole discretion if doing so deemed to be in the best interest of the City of Bridgeport.  This includes the right to reject any or all bids or to decline to make an award.  Further, the City of Bridgeport reserves the right to make an award to more than one bidder or make awards not based solely on low bid when time is of the essence.

      Expenses: The City shall not be responsible for and/or shall not pay any costs associated with the preparation, submission, or presentation of any submission, or costs incurred by the responding firms during the interview and negotiations phase of the solicitation process

      Information and Materials:  Any information or materials submitted to this ITB shall become the property of the City of Bridgeport and will not be returned.  All submitted materials will be available for public review.

      MSDS: The City of Bridgeport may request MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) or additional product information and literature or samples on any brands or products proposed as equivalents to those listed herein prior to award or to be included with shipment.

      Tax Delinquency: The City of Bridgeport reserves the right to ensure bidders are not delinquent on any City real estate and personal property taxes, ate the time of bid opening.

      Purchase Order: No work of deliveries shall be performed under the contract award until a Purchase Order has been issued by the Purchasing Department.

      Contract Award: The City of Bridgeport reserves the right to award a purchase order to the responsible bidder whose bid, conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to the City of Bridgeport in terms of cost. Other factors such as lead time, equipment, availability and other factors specified in this solicitation may be considered.

      Bid Dates: The City of Bridgeport reserves the right to modify any dates other terms of the ITB upon posting notice. Please keep in mind dates are estimates only and are subject to change.

      Liability: The City of Bridgeport is not liable to any Respondent for damages of any type, however arising.

      Title: vendors are prohibited from assigning, transferring, conveying, subletting, or otherwise disposing of the ultimate contract award or its rights, title or interest therein or its power to execute such agreement to any other person, company or corporation without the prior consent and approval in writing by the City.

      Taxes:  bidders should not include any taxes in their quotation for which the city is not liable.  The City of Bridgeport will issue tax-exempt certificates covering the work upon request.

    • Payment Terms

      Payment terms are Net 45 Days.

    Submission Requirements

    • Federal I.D. Number or Social Security Number: (required)
    • Confirmation (required)

      Pursuant to and in compliance with your Invitation To Bid relating thereto, the submitter states that he has examined the Contract Documents and the site of the work, and that he understands the purport and magnitude of the work intended, and the undersigned hereby offers to furnish all plant, materials, supplies, equipment, labor, and other facilities and things necessary or proper for or incidental to, the proper construction of the work, and to construct the said work in strict accordance with the Contract Documents and such detailed directions, plans, and drawings as may be furnished from time to time during the progress of construction by the Engineer at the following unit and lump sum prices which prices include all incidental work, viz.

    • Contractor's License Number (required)
    • Contractor's Designation of Compliance Officer (required)

      Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

    • Contractor's Good Standing Certification (required)

      Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

    • Contractor's Wage Certification Form (required)

      Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

    • Equal Opportunity Policy Statement (required)

      Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

    • No Conflicts-Disclosure Form (required)

      Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

    • Licensing & Certifications (required)

      The bidder must hold all licenses and certifications required by state and local regulations, including:

      • A valid Commercial Pesticide Applicator License (if any chemical applications are included in the scope).
      • Any required contractor or trade licenses for landscape maintenance.
      • OSHA‑compliant safety training documentation for all field staff. 
    • References & Past Performance (required)
      • The bidder shall submit:

        • At least three (3) references from commercial or public‑sector clients for whom similar landscape services have been provided within the past five years.
        • A brief portfolio or description of comparable properties, including acreage, service frequency, and scope of work.
    • Additional Vendor Documents (optional)

      Vendor can upload additional documents relevant to solicitation.

    • Will you be using the following: (required)
    • Bid price submitted shall be firm fixed and valid through ______________. (required)

      Example: December 1, 2024

    • Will this require extension language? (required)

    Key dates

    1. May 7, 2026Published
    2. June 3, 2026Responses Due

    AI classification tags

    Frequently asked questions

    SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.

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