S--Grounds Care, U.S. EPA, Cincinnati, OH

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a requirement for grounds maintenance services at three of its locations in Cincinnati, Ohio. The facilities in question are the A. W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (approximately 10 acres), the Center Hill Facility (approximately five acres), and the Test and Evaluation Facility (approximately one-third of an acre). Work will consist of: grass mowing, edging, weeding, and trimming; tree and shrub pruning, trimming and shaping; periodic liming and fertilizing; mulching of trees and plant beds; weed and insect control; lawn aeration, de-thatching, and raking; tree removal; and removal of leaves, debris, and litter from the site. The Contractor must provide all necessary labor, materials, and equipment to perform the required services. Work will be conducted under a performance-based Statement of Work, and the Contractor's performance will be assessed as provided in a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. Financial deductions will be taken for sub-standard performance. A firm-fixed-price contract is contemplated, with a one-year base period of performance plus four one-year option periods. This procurement is a 100% set-aside for small business concerns. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 561730, "Landscaping Services", and the relevant small business size standard is average annual receipts for the last three fiscal years not exceeding $6.0 million. In addition to price, the Government's evaluation of proposals will address each offeror's past performance record and integrated pest management plan. All non-price evaluation factors, when combined, are approximately equal to price for purposes of source selection. The solicitation will be released through the internet on EPA's home page at www.epa.gov/oam/cinn_cmd/. Prospective offerors can download the Request for Proposals and related documents from this website on or about January 14, 2005. Telephone requests will not be honored.