ROUTINE CLEANING SERVICES FOR PUBLIC ART AND THE EL PASEO SCULPTURE EXHIBITION

The City of Palm Desert (“City”) is requesting proposals from qualified firms (“Proposers”) for ROUTINE CLEANING SERVICES FOR PUBLIC ART AND THE EL PASEO SCULPTURE EXHIBITION (“Services”) to establish a Maintenance Services Agreement ("Agreement") for a contract period of July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 with a city option to renew for 2 one-year renewals.

To serve and promote the welfare of its residents, the City intends to procure the Services, as described below.

Routine cleaning services of selected public art installations.

Background

The City is a charter city in the State of California. The City is a thriving community of approximately 50,000 full-time and 32,000 seasonal residents. It is located in the Coachella Valley in eastern Riverside County, part of the low desert region of Southern California. The City features big-city resources in a friendly, small-town setting, offering first class educational opportunities, safe and clean streets, as well as plentiful shopping and community events. Palm Desert is considered the geographical, educational and retail center of the Coachella Valley.

Incorporated in 1973, the City operates under a council-manager form of government with a five-member City Council elected by district. Each council member represents one of five single member districts and serves a four-year term. The City Council meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at Palm Desert City Hall, 73-510 Fred Waring Drive.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2026-RFP-010
• Department: PW - Operations & Maintenance
• Department Head: Randy Chavez (Director of Public Works)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-04-16T23:00:20.404Z
• Answers Posted By: 2026-04-21T23:00:59.320Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Technical Approach (30 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated on the clarity, specificity, and feasibility of the contractor's proposed approach to performing the required services. Evaluators will consider how the contractor proposes to clean and maintain artworks by material type, including bronze and other metals, stainless steel, Corten steel, glass, mosaic, and various surface finishes and patinas.

  Evaluators will also consider how artist-provided cleaning instructions will be obtained, stored, and followed, and how the contractor plans to meet the scheduling requirements for both the permanent collection and the El Paseo Sculpture Exhibition.

  Proposals that demonstrate a thorough understanding of material compatibility, surface finish preservation, and the distinction between routine cleaning and conservation-level intervention will be evaluated more favorably. Proposals that include a sample cleaning methodology, scheduling plan, or materials list will be viewed more favorably than those that address the technical approach in general terms only.

• Relevant Experience (25 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated on the depth and relevance of the contractor's experience cleaning and maintaining large-scale outdoor public artworks. Evaluators will consider the variety of materials the contractor has worked with, the scale of collections previously managed, and the duration and continuity of prior engagements.

  Contractors with demonstrated, ongoing relationships with public art programs will be viewed more favorably than those with limited or one-time project experience. The contractor must demonstrate a minimum of three years of relevant experience as described in the qualifications requirements of this RFP.

• Qualifications of Key Staff (15 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated on the qualifications and relevant experience of the individuals who will be directly performing the work under this contract. Proposals should identify the proposed project lead and any field staff, and include resumes or biographical summaries describing their experience with outdoor public art maintenance.

  Evaluators will consider whether the proposed team has hands-on experience with the material types identified in this RFP, and whether the staffing level is sufficient to meet the service frequency requirements for both the permanent collection and the El Paseo Sculpture Exhibition. Proposals that rely on subcontractors for core cleaning services should clearly identify those subcontractors and describe their qualifications and relevant experience.

• Cost (25 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated on the reasonableness, completeness, and clarity of the proposed cost structure. Evaluators will review unit costs per cleaning visit for both the permanent collection and the El Paseo Sculpture Exhibition artworks, costs for waxing and protective coating applications, hourly rates for additional or emergency services, and the total estimated annual contract cost based on the minimum service levels defined in this RFP. The proposal with the lowest total responsive cost will receive the maximum points available in this category.

• References (5 pts) —

  Each proposal must include three professional references from prior clients with experience relevant to public art maintenance or cleaning. For each reference, the proposal must include the contact name, organization, phone number, email address, a description of services performed, and the duration of the engagement. Proposals that fail to provide three complete and verifiable references will be deemed non-responsive and will not be evaluated further.

Submission Requirements

• Cover Letter / Executive Summary (required) —

  A brief (1-2 page) introduction identifying the firm, confirming understanding of the scope, and affirming the contractor's ability to meet all requirements -  including the July 1, 2026 start date, monthly El Paseo cleaning frequency, and documentation obligations.

  Identify the individual(s) name, address and phone number authorized to negotiate Agreement terms and compensation

• Firm Qualifications & Experience (required) —

  Provide a narrative of your firm's qualifications and experience, including:

  • Company background, years in operation, and primary service area.
  • Narrative describing at least 3 years of demonstrated experience maintaining large scale outdoor public art.
  • Representative project list showing prior engagements, including: collection size, artwork materials handled, and duration of engagement.
  • Any relevant certifications, professional memberships or training
• References (required) —

  Proposers shall provide a minimum of three (3) professional references demonstrating relevant experience in the maintenance and cleaning of public art, particularly large-scale outdoor artworks of similar materials and complexity. References should reflect projects comparable in scope, environment, and level of care required for public art conservation.

  Each reference shall include:

  • Client/agency name
  • Project description and scope of services performed
  • Dates of service
  • Contact name, title, phone number, and email address

  The City reserves the right to contact references to verify proposer experience and past performance. Reference checks will be conducted by a designated City representative. A summary of the reference check findings may be provided to the Evaluation Committee to confirm qualifications and identify any performance concerns.

  Reference checks are intended to validate the information provided in the proposal and will not be independently scored as a separate evaluation category. However, unsatisfactory reference feedback may be considered in determining the proposer’s overall responsibility and final award recommendation.

• Technical Approach (required) —

  Provide a narrative that addresses:

  • Proposed Cleaning methodology by material type - i.e. how do you approach cleaning the variety of material types of bronze, stainless steel, mosaic, glass, etc.
  • How artist provided cleaning instructions will be obtained, stored, and followed
  • Proposed scheduling plan for the 28 permanent artworks (2x a year) and 18 El Paseo sculptures (monthly)
  • Approach to pre- and post-cleaning photography and field documentation
  • How the contractor will handle notification of vandalism, graffiti, safety hazards, or issues beyond routine scope
  • Proposed response time for urgent or emergency cleaning requests.
• Documentation & Reporting Approach (required) —
  • Description of the contractor's current field documentation practices
  • Familiarity with or experience using asset management software 
  • Confirmation of availability of iOS or Android mobile devices for field data entry
  • Sample completion report or sample condition report from a prior engagement (if available)
• Staffing (required) —
  • Identification of the proposed project lead and any field staff
  • Brief bios or resumes showing relevant experience
  • Subcontractor disclosure, if any portion of the work will be subcontracted.
• Cost Proposal (required) —

  Include:

  • Unit cost per cleaning visit per artwork (permanent collection)
  • Unit cost per cleaning visit per artwork (El Paseo)
  • Unit cost for waxing / protective coating application
  • Hourly rate for additional or emergency services (time and materials)
  • Any mobilization or per-visit minimums
  • Total estimated annual contract cost based on the minimum service levels defined in the scope
• Bid Guarantee (required) —

  IF SUBMITTING AN ORIGINAL BID BOND: Please download the Bid Bond Form under #Attachments, and Mail or hand deliver in a sealed and labeled envelope including the Project Number, Project Title, and Project Due Date visible on the outside of the envelope to the City Clerk's Office located at 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260 before the bid submittal deadline.

  IF SUBMITTING CASH OR CASHIER'S CHECK: Mail or hand deliver in a sealed and labeled envelope including the Project Number, Project Title, and Project Due Date visible on the outside of the envelope to the City Clerk's Office located at 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260 before the bid submittal deadline.

  IF SUBMITTING AN E-BID BOND: follow E-Bid Bond instructions.

• E-Bid Bond —

  Please enter your Bid Bond information from Surety2000 below ONLY IF YOU ARE NOT SUBMITTING A HARD COPY BID BOND, CASH, OR CASHIER'S CHECK.

• Non-Collusion Declaration (required) —

  The undersigned declares:

  I am an authorized representative of my company, the party making the foregoing Bid, to certify the following.

  The Bid is not made in the interest of, or on behalf of, any undisclosed person, partnership, company, association, organization, or corporation. The Bid is genuine and not collusive or sham. The Bidder has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other Bidder to put in a false or sham bid. The Bidder has not directly or indirectly colluded, conspired, connived, or agreed with any Bidder or anyone else to put in a sham bid, or to refrain from bidding. The Bidder has not in any manner, directly or indirectly, sought by agreement, communication, or conference with anyone to fix the Bid Price of the Bidder or any other Bidder, or to fix any overhead, profit, or cost element of the Bid Price, or of that of any other Bidder. All statements contained in the Bid are true. The Bidder has not, directly or indirectly, submitted his or her Bid Price or any breakdown thereof, or the contents thereof, or divulged information or data relative thereto, to any corporation, partnership, company, association, organization, bid depository, or to any member or agent thereof to effectuate a collusive or sham bid, and has not paid, and will not pay, any person or entity for such purpose.

  Any person executing this declaration on behalf of a Bidder that is a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or any other entity, hereby represents that he or she has full power to execute, and does execute, this declaration on behalf of the Bidder.

  I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.

• Iran Contracting Act Certification (required) —

  (Public Contract Code section 2200 et seq.)

  As required by California Public Contract Code Section 2204, the Contractor certifies subject to penalty for perjury that the option selected below relating to the Contractor’s status in regard to the Iran Contracting Act of 2010 (Public Contract Code Section 2200 et seq.) is true and correct.

  Note: In accordance with Public Contract Code Section 2205, false certification of this form shall be reported to the California Attorney General and may result in civil penalties equal to the greater of $250,000 or twice the Contract amount, termination of the Contract and/or ineligibility to bid on contracts for three years.

• Enter your valid CA Contractors State License Board (CSLB) number (required) —

  Please enter your License Number here. This will be verified against the state database.

• Enter your California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Registration number (required) —

  Please enter your Public Works Contractor DIR Number. This will be verified against the state database.

• SAM.gov (required) —

  Please enter your legal entity name for SAM.gov verification.

• Type of Business (required)
• Litigation (required) —

  Provide litigation history for any claims filed by your firm or against your firm related to the provision of Services in the last five (5) years (or type "N/A").

• Changes to Agreement (required) —

  The City standard Maintenance Services Agreement contract is included as an attachment herein. The Proposer shall identify any objections to and/or request changes to the standard contract language in this section of the proposal (or type "N/A"). If you are identifying changes here ALSO upload a copy of the redlined Language/Agreement with your Proposal. Changes requested may effect theCity's decision to enter into an Agreement.

• No Deviations from the RFP (required) —

  In submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, Proposer is certifying that it takes no exceptions to this RFP including, but not limited to, the Agreement. If any exceptions are taken, such exceptions must be clearly noted here, and may be reason for rejection of the proposal. As such, Proposer is directed to carefully review the proposed Agreement and, in particular, the insurance and indemnification provisions therein (or type "N/A").

• List the Signatory(s) Authorized to Sign and Bind an Agreement. (required) —

  (If two (2) signatures are required, include the following information for both signatories)

  1. Full Name
  2. Title
  3. Physical Business Address
  4. Email Address
  5. Phone Number

  Corporation (C-Corp): Requires two signatures from authorized officers— one from President or Vice President, and the other from the Secretary or Treasurer.  

  An alternate signatory may be used if authorized by a Notarized Corporate Resolution or Article of Authority.

  LLC: Usually requires one signature from an authorized member or manager. For significant contracts (e.g., over $50,000 for construction or over $25,000 for service agreements), additional approvals or signatures may be required.

  Sole Proprietorship, Non-Profit, Single LLC: Only the one signature is necessary.

• Certification of Proposal: The undersigned hereby submits its proposal and, by doing so, agrees to furnish services in accordance with the Request for Proposal (RFP), and to be bound by the terms and conditions of the RFP. (required)
• What is the Project Number? (required) —

  If not required, type "N/A"

• Agency (required) —

  What agency is this for?

• Agency Awarding Body (required)
• Select the appropriate Agency abbreviation/acronym. (required)
• Insert brief Project Description (required)
• Is this a prevailing wage project? (required) —

  Select YES for any "Public Works" project estimated to exceed $15,000.00 (maintenance).

• Will this project require DIR Registration (required)
• Will a CA Contractor's State License be required? (required)
• If a CA Contractor's State License IS required, enter the license classification requirement here. —

  ex.) Class A, General Engineering

• Is a Bid Bond required? (required)
• Insert Agreement Name (required)
• Insert background information regarding need for services requested (required)
• Is this project Federally funded? (required)
• Pre- Proposal Meeting? (required)
• Use electronic pricing tabulation? (required) —

  If "NO" Proposers will be prompted to upload their own fee proposal.

• Prices valid for how many days ? (required) —

  Prices provided by Proposers in response to this RFP are valid for ____ days from the proposal due date.

• Will this project exceed $1,000,000.00? (required) —

  (this will determine the Iran Disclosure requirement for proposers)

• Does this project require a City issued permit? (required) —

  (ie, encroachment/building permits)

• Select the appropriate Agency abbreviation/acronym (required)
• What is your contract term? (required)
• Is this procurement a purchase of an asset, or does it include services that affect City assets? (required)

Questions & Answers