Gardening Services for the American Embassy in Quito,Ecuador

Amendment / Modification

• The deadline for presenting offers has been extended.

• The new deadline for offers is June 15, 2026, before 04:00 pm.

• The date for presenting offers has been amended.

• The proposal submission deadline has been extended to June 15, 2026.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a solicitation for gardening services at the American Embassy in Quito, Ecuador. It is issued by the American Embassy Quito.

• The primary deliverable is "GARDENING SERVICES – SEE ATTACHED". Specific details of the required services are expected to be found in an attached document.

• The solicitation number is 19EC75-26-R-0002.

• The issue date is April 24, 2026.

• The offer due date is May 26, 2026, at 16:00 local time.

• The contract is administered by Matthew Madden, Contracting Officer.

• This is an Invitation for Bid (IFB) or Request for Proposal (RFP), indicated by the checkmark in block 14. The specific method of solicitation is RFP.

• The solicitation incorporates FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4, and 52.212-5 by reference, and these clauses are attached.

• The acquisition is marked as "UNRESTRICTED".

• The document is Standard Form 1449.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Gardening Services at the U.S. Embassy Quito Compound and Chief of Mission Residence. The U.S. Government intends to award a contract to the responsible company submitting an acceptable proposal at the lowest price.

• The solicitation requires following instructions in Section 3 for proposal submission.

• Offerors must complete and submit the SF-1449 form, Section 1 (Pricing), Section 5 (Representations and Certifications), and any additional information required in Section 3.

• Submission of a completed IRS Form W-14 is required for compliance with FAR 52.229-11, if applicable.

• Proof of SAM Registration is mandatory.

• The contract type, period of performance, and estimated value are not explicitly stated in this cover letter.

• Proposals must be submitted electronically to quitocontracts@state.gov.

• Submissions must be in MS-Word 2007/2010, MS-Excel 2007/2010, or Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format.

• The file size must not exceed 25MB per email; larger submissions must be split into multiple emails.

• Technical proposals and pricing must be submitted separately.

• Proposals are due by May 26, 2026, at 16:00.

• No proposals will be accepted after the deadline.

• Incomplete proposals will not be accepted.

• The government may award based on initial proposals without discussions, but may hold discussions if needed.

• Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database at the time of proposal submission. Failure to be registered will result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive.

• A pre-proposal conference will be held on May 7, 2026, at 9:30 am at the Quito Embassy, followed by site visits.

• Prospective offerors should contact quitocontracts@state.gov by April 29, 2026, at 13:00 for additional information or to arrange entry.

• Questions must be sent to quitocontracts@state.gov no later than May 13, 2026, at 12:00 pm.

• Proposals must be in English.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for gardening services for the U.S. Embassy Quito Compound, Chief of Mission Residence, and Deputy Chief of Mission Residence. The contract will be for a one-year period with four one-year option periods. The services include daily and periodic maintenance of various U.S. Government locations in Quito, including horticultural services and annual tree management.

• Standard Services: Lawn mowing, edging, trimming, weeding, debris removal, watering, fertilizing, pest and disease control, and pruning.

• Specialized Services: Maintenance of the Chancery Compound, DCMR, CMR, tennis court, and sport field. Annual tree surveys by a certified arborist.

• Temporary Additional Services: For special events, on an as-needed basis, with 24-hour advance notice.

• Grounds Maintenance Plan: Annual plan detailing services, frequency, and schedules.

• Personnel: Qualified workforce, including a dedicated on-site supervisor fluent in English, a certified safety coordinator, a certified horticulturist, and a certified arborist for tree maintenance.

• Safety: Compliance with US Safety and Health regulations (EM 385-1-1, OSHA) and Ecuadorian labor/safety laws. Submission of Work Plans, Activity Hazard Analyses (AHAs), and safety plans.

• Uniforms: Contractor-furnished uniforms for employees.

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price, Performance-Based.

• Period of Performance: One base year with four one-year option periods.

• Minimum Order: 5000 square meters.

• Maximum Order: 100,000 square meters for temporary/additional services per year.

• Value Added Tax (VAT): Not included in CLIN rates; priced as a separate line item.

• Proposal Submission: Must be in English, submitted electronically to quitocontracts@state.gov. Specific file formats and size limits apply. Technical and pricing proposals must be submitted separately.

• Key Deadlines: Offer Due Date is May 26, 2026, at 16:00 local time.

• Evaluation Criteria: Lowest priced, technically acceptable, responsible contractor. Evaluation includes Compliance Review, Technical Acceptability (past performance and experience), Price Evaluation, and Responsibility Determination.

• Site Visit: Mandatory site visit on May 7, 2026, at 9:30 am at the U.S. Embassy in Quito.

• This acquisition is UNRESTRICTED.

• Offerors must be registered in Ecuador and provide evidence of a business with licenses and permits to work in Ecuador.

• Offerors are encouraged to complete the pricing table for price evaluation purposes.

• FAR and DOSAR clauses are incorporated by reference and in full text as detailed in the document.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a pricing table for landscaping services, outlining the cost structure for the base year and four option years, plus an option to extend services.

• CLINs (Contract Line Item Numbers): The table is organized by CLINs for the Base Year (0001), Option Years 1-4 (1001-4001), and a 6-month extension option (5001).
• NAICS Code: All CLINs are associated with NAICS Code 561730 - Landscaping Services.
• Pricing Structure: For each CLIN, pricing is broken down into:
  • Standard Services: Price per Month (multiplied by 12 months for annual) and Price per Year.
  • Temporary Additional Services: Price per Square Meter, with an estimated number of square meters for each period (7140 sq meters for Base Year and Option Years 1-4, and for the 6-month extension).
  • Not-to-Exceed (NTE) Price: Calculated for Temporary Additional Services.
  • Total for All Services: Sum of Standard and Temporary Additional Services.
  • Value Added Tax (VAT): A separate line item for VAT.
  • Total Services plus VAT: The final price including VAT.
• Placeholders: Many fields are marked with '*' or '**', indicating where specific pricing figures need to be entered by the bidder or will be calculated.

This pricing table is essential for bidders to understand the cost components and structure required for their proposals. Bidders must use this template to provide detailed pricing for standard services, temporary additional services, and VAT for each contract period, including the base year and all option years. The estimated square meters for temporary services provide a basis for calculating NTE pricing.