RFP No. AR-27-014 — Grounds Maintenance Services, Municipal Parks & Public Grounds
Sample — synthetic demonstration document
How to read this slip
Every line is one demand the posting makes, cited to the section and page that makes it. The right-hand column is where that demand gets answered in the outlined response. A box is ticked when the outline covers the line — on this slip, as on every delivery, every box is ticked. Miss any one of these lines and a bid can be set aside unread; that is the failure this document exists to prevent.
Section A — Submission mechanics
| Req | What the posting demands | Where it goes | Packed |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUB-1§1.4 · p.3 | One signed original plus three copies in a sealed envelope, marked with the RFP number and the bidder's name exactly as printed in §1.4. | Handling — plan the physical drop; label the envelope from the posting's own text, not from memory. | Handling |
| SUB-2§1.5 · p.3 | Received at the Purchasing counter by May 5, 2:00 p.m. local time. Postmarks do not count; late bids are returned unopened. | Handling — deliver a day early. The deadline is a received-by time, not a sent-by time. | Handling |
| SUB-3§1.7 · p.4 | Letter format, minimum 11-point type, one-inch margins, maximum 25 pages excluding required forms and the pricing schedule. | Every tab — the format rules govern the whole document; the page budget is allocated per tab in the outline below. | All tabs |
| SUB-4§4.2 · p.9 | Proposals must follow the tab order prescribed in §4.2; deviation from the order may be deemed non-responsive. | The outline below mirrors §4.2 tab for tab — the structure is the posting's, not ours. | All tabs |
| SUB-5§1.6 · p.4 | Written questions by April 18; the City answers by numbered addendum only, and oral statements bind no one. | Handling — submit questions in writing; watch for addenda and list every one on the acknowledgment form (F-7). | Tab 7 |
| SUB-6§1.8 · p.4 | The transmittal letter must be signed in ink by an officer authorized to bind the bidder to the offered terms. | Tab 1 — transmittal letter, signature block prepared for the authorized officer. | Tab 1 |
Section B — Mandatory qualifications
Pass/fail gates. A bid that cannot evidence every line in this section is set aside before scoring begins.
| Req | What the posting demands | Where it goes | Packed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-1§3.1 · p.7 | Three years of continuous commercial or municipal grounds-maintenance operation as of the closing date. | Tab 2 — company history with founding date and continuous-operation statement. | Tab 2 |
| Q-2§3.2 · p.7 | At least one state-licensed commercial pesticide applicator on staff; a copy of the license included in the proposal. | Tab 4 — named on the staffing plan; license copy filed with the forms in Tab 7. | Tabs 4·7 |
| Q-3§3.3 · p.7 | Insurance: $1M/$2M commercial general liability, $1M auto, statutory workers' compensation. Certificates due at award; a letter of insurability rides with the bid. | Tab 7 — carrier's letter of insurability (F-5); certificate logistics noted for award stage. | Tab 7 |
| Q-4§3.4 · p.8 | The bidder certifies that neither it nor its principals are debarred or suspended by any public entity. | Tab 7 — covered by the notarized non-collusion and debarment affidavit (F-3). | Tab 7 |
| Q-5§3.5 · p.8 | Three references from public-agency or commercial grounds contracts of similar scope performed within the last five years. | Tab 2 — reference narratives; contact details on the reference form (F-6) in Tab 7. | Tabs 2·7 |
Section C — Scope of work
Each line below must be visibly answered in the work plan — the evaluators score the technical approach (30 points) against exactly this list.
| Req | What the posting demands | Where it goes | Packed |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-1§2.2 · p.5 | Mow all turf areas listed in Schedule A weekly April through October, biweekly otherwise; clippings managed per §2.2. | Tab 3 — the mowing calendar, crew loading, and clippings method, keyed to Schedule A sites. | Tab 3 |
| S-2§2.3 · p.5 | String-trim and edge all hard edges, beds, fence lines, and fixed obstacles on every mowing cycle. | Tab 3 — trimming folded into the cycle plan, not listed as an extra. | Tab 3 |
| S-3§2.4 · p.5 | Litter and debris removed from all parcels before mowing; park containers emptied twice weekly in season. | Tab 3 — pre-mow policing and the container route, with in-season frequency stated. | Tab 3 |
| S-4§2.5 · p.5 | Monthly irrigation inspection April through September; defects reported to the City within 24 hours of discovery. | Tab 3 — inspection checklist and the defect-report channel, named. | Tab 3 |
| S-5§2.6 · p.6 | Playground surfaces raked and inspected weekly; hazards flagged to the City the same day they are found. | Tab 3 — playground routine with the same-day hazard escalation spelled out. | Tab 3 |
| S-6§2.7 · p.6 | Seasonal services per Schedule B: spring cleanup, fall leaf removal, and pre-season bed edging. | Tab 3 — the seasonal calendar mapped to Schedule B, dated by season, not left implied. | Tab 3 |
| S-7§2.8 · p.6 | Storm response: crews on site within 24 hours of a City storm callout, at the unit rates bid in the pricing schedule. | Tab 3 — the callout chain and mobilization plan; the rate itself lives in Tab 6. | Tabs 3·6 |
| S-8§2.9 · p.6 | A monthly service report in the City's template: work performed, exceptions, and damage observed. | Tab 3 — reporting commitment with a sample month, showing the template will actually be used. | Tab 3 |
| S-9§2.10 · p.6 | A current equipment inventory with age and capacity, submitted with the proposal. | Tab 3 — the equipment table, one row per unit: type, year, capacity, assigned crew. | Tab 3 |
Section D — Required forms and attachments
The lines bids most often die on. Every form below is inventoried in Tab 7 with a completion note, so the night-before discovery never happens.
| Req | What the posting demands | Where it goes | Packed |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-1§5 · Att. 1 | Bid proposal form, every blank completed — no field left empty, "N/A" entered where nothing applies. | Tab 7 — completed first; an empty blank reads as an incomplete bid. | Tab 7 |
| F-2§5 · Att. 2 | Pricing schedule: unit prices per site per service, extended and totaled, in the City's own workbook. | Tab 6 — the pricing schedule, separate from the 25-page narrative budget. | Tab 6 |
| F-3§5 · Att. 3 | Non-collusion and debarment affidavit, notarized. | Tab 7 — flagged for notarization ahead of the deadline, not on the day. | Tab 7 |
| F-4§5 · Att. 4 | Completed IRS Form W-9. | Tab 7. | Tab 7 |
| F-5§3.3 · p.7 | Letter of insurability from the bidder's carrier evidencing the §3.3 limits. | Tab 7 — requested from the carrier at bid start; carriers take days, not hours. | Tab 7 |
| F-6§5 · Att. 5 | Reference form with three completed entries matching the Q-5 references. | Tab 7 — entries mirror the Tab 2 narratives exactly; mismatched names invite a phone call you didn't plan. | Tab 7 |
| F-7§5 · Att. 6 | Addenda acknowledgment: every issued addendum listed by number and signed for. | Tab 7 — checked against the portal on the day of assembly; a missed addendum can void the bid. | Tab 7 |
| F-8§5 · Att. 7 | Subcontractor list — or "none" entered affirmatively; a blank form is not an answer. | Tab 7. | Tab 7 |
| F-9§5 · Att. 8 | Local-preference affidavit — required only if claiming the 5% preference under §6.6. | Tab 7 — include if eligible; the eligibility call is the bidder's, and the slip marks it as such. | Tab 7 |
Section E — Contract terms to price in
Not response sections — cost drivers. Each one changes the number in Tab 6, so the slip surfaces them before pricing, not after award.
| Req | What the posting demands | Where it goes | Packed |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-1§6.2 · p.11 | Prevailing wage applies to all labor performed under the contract. | Tab 6 — labor priced at the published rates; acknowledged in Tab 1. | Tabs 1·6 |
| T-2§6.3 · p.11 | Annual performance bond at ten percent of contract value, renewed each contract year. | Tab 6 — bond premium carried in the price; surety availability confirmed at bid start. | Tab 6 |
| T-3§6.1 · p.11 | Two-year base term with three one-year City-option renewals; year-one pricing held firm. | Tab 6 — escalation, if any, stated for the option years exactly as the form allows. | Tab 6 |
| T-4§6.5 · p.12 | Termination for convenience on thirty days' written notice. | Tab 6 — priced with no recovery assumption beyond work performed; no exception taken. | Tab 6 |
Evaluation — where the 100 points live
| Criterion | What the evaluators score | Points | Won in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical approach & work plan§4.3(a) · p.10 | Completeness of the plan against §2 — frequencies, routes, reporting, and response, stated specifically enough to hold the contractor to. | 30 | Tab 3 |
| Experience & past performance§4.3(b) · p.10 | Similarity and recency of prior contracts, and what the references say when called. | 25 | Tabs 2·5 |
| Key personnel & staffing§4.3(c) · p.10 | Named supervisor and crew structure, licenses in evidence, and a staffing level that matches the mowing math. | 15 | Tab 4 |
| Price§4.3(d) · p.10 | Total evaluated price from the Attachment 2 workbook, low bid scoring highest by formula. | 25 | Tab 6 |
| Local preference§6.6 · p.12 | Five points for bidders qualifying under the City's local-preference ordinance, claimed by affidavit. | 5 | Tab 7 · F-9 |
The annotated outline — eight tabs, in the posting's own order
This is the second half of the $149 package: the response skeleton, one tab per §4.2 slot, each annotated with what goes in it and which requirement lines it retires.
Transmittal letter and bid form cover
Signed by the authorized officer (SUB-6); states the offer, acknowledges prevailing wage (T-1) and all addenda; no marketing copy — this page is a legal instrument, not a brochure.
Company qualifications
Continuous-operation history (Q-1), the three reference narratives with scope and dates (Q-5), written to be verified — every claim here is one a reference call can confirm.
Technical approach and work plan
The biggest tab because it carries the most points (30): the mowing calendar, trimming and litter cycles, irrigation and playground routines, seasonal schedule, storm-response chain, reporting sample, and the equipment table (S-1 through S-9).
Staffing and key personnel
Named supervisor, crew structure sized to the Schedule A acreage, and the licensed applicator with license attached (Q-2) — the staffing math shown, not asserted.
Past performance detail
The reference contracts expanded: scope, term, outcomes as the customer would state them — aligned word for word with the F-6 form entries.
Pricing schedule
Attachment 2 completed per site per service, with prevailing wage (T-1), the bond premium (T-2), and option-year escalation (T-3) priced in from the start. Outside the 25-page budget.
Required forms
All nine forms (F-1 through F-9) in attachment order, each with a completion note — notarization flagged early, addenda checked on assembly day, blanks filled or marked N/A.
Exceptions and clarifications
Recommended entry: none. Exceptions cost points under §4.2; anything that genuinely needs asking belongs in a written question before April 18 (SUB-5).