This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Smithfield, North Carolina. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

PROJECT Johnston County Rest Areas (pair) on I-40, East and Westbound Lanes, Mile Marker 324, near Benson. SCOPE OF CONTRACT The N.C. Department of Transportation (hereinafter referred to as "Department") is seeking the services of a landscape/grounds maintenance company to provide professional rest area lawn and grounds maintenance consisting of but not limited to labor, supervision, equipment and supplies as specified herein. The intent of these specifications and requirements is to state and define the terms and conditions under which the Contractor shall provide the management, supervision, and manpower capable of performing work at the highest standards of horticultural excellence necessary to provide these services in a professional and workmanlike manner. This document is intended as a benchmark of the Department's minimum standards for rest area lawn and grounds maintenance. The Department places significant value on the safety and treatment of travelers who visit rest areas. All travelers are to be treated as customers and the Contractor shall emphasize safety and customer service at all times. The provisions of the services required as part of this solicitation ultimately reflect upon the Department and the State of North Carolina as a whole. This proposal, as written, is to be binding by the State and the Contractor. MANDATORY PRE-BID Please be advised that any references in the RFP to pre-bid language will not apply as a pre-bid will not be held for this contract. If bidders have questions, they will be addressed in an addendum. The Bidder is encouraged to make his/her own observations of the site to determine the items identified in this contract as the Contractor's responsibility. BID QUESTIONS Purpose: Upon review of the bid documents, bidders may have questions to clarify or interpret the bid in order to submit the best bid possible. To accommodate the Bid Questions process, bidders shall submit by email any such questions no later than Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 5:00 PM. A response to bidder questions will be in the form of an addendum. Written questions shall be emailed to Sharon McCalop stmccalop@ncdot.gov by the date and time specified above. Bidders will enter "54-SM-04-12047651 - Questions" as the subject for the email. PREQUALIFICATION The Department encourages and promotes the growth, development, and continuation of competent Contractors that can perform the work necessary under this contract. The Department's procurement process is built on the principle of competition. The Department believes that the specifications and requirements under this contract are reasonable to satisfy the need for services requested, but are not unduly restrictive, in order to encourage competition in the open market. In furtherance of these principles, bidders are not required to be prequalified for this contract. All references to "prequalification" of bidders are hereby waived for this contract.