Terms of Reference for Landscape Maintenance and Improvement Service Tender at Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA)

1. Background and Context

The Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) is a higher learning institution dedicated to training the next generation of farmers and agricultural professionals. The RICA campus covers approximately 20 hectares and includes diverse landscapes such as lawns, gardens, planted areas, open fields, and natural zones that require regular and professional maintenance.To maintain a clean, safe, and aesthetically pleasing campus environment, RICA seeks to contract a qualified and experienced landscape vendor to provide regular maintenance services over a period of two (2) years.

2. Objectives

The overall objective of this contract is to ensure that the RICA campus landscape is maintained to a high standard throughout the contract period. Specifically, the vendor shall:

• Ensure the campus grounds are always clean, well-kept, and visually presentable.
• Carry out all scheduled maintenance activities in a timely and professional manner.
• Support landscape improvement initiatives as directed by RICA Infrastructure and Ecology team.
• Dispose of all waste and debris generated during maintenance activities.

3. Scope of Services

The vendor shall provide the following services on a quarterly basis (every three months). An example schedule would be visits at the beginning of June followed by another at the beginning of September, continuing the same cycle for the duration of the contract.

3.1 Routine Quarterly Services

The following services shall be performed during each scheduled visit:

• Bush Clearing: Removal of unwanted shrubs, overgrown bushes, and invasive vegetation across all designated areas of the campus.
• Mowing: Machine mowing of all lawn and grass areas across the approximately 20-hectare campus.
• Grass Cutting: Manual or mechanical trimming of grass in areas not accessible by mowing equipment, including edges, borders, and around structures.
• Planting (when necessary): Planting trees, shrubs, flowers, lawns or other plant materials as directed by RICA, including replacement of dead or diseased plants.
• Waste and Debris Disposal: Collection, removal, and proper disposal of all green waste, cuttings, and debris generated during each maintenance visit.

3.2 Additional / Extra Services

Any services requested by RICA outside of the agreed quarterly scope will be considered additional work. Such additional services will be agreed upon in writing between RICA and the vendor prior to commencement and will be assessed and paid for separately from the quarterly contract fee.

4. Vendor Requirements

The vendor must meet the following requirements to be eligible for this contract:

4.1 Labor and Staffing capacity

• The vendor must provide their own qualified and sufficient labor team to carry out all services.
• The vendor must avail an adequate permanent workforce and not reliance solely on casual/day laborers, to ensure service continuity across quarterly maintenance visits.
• All staff must be experienced in mowing, bush clearing, pruning, planting, landscaping, and waste management and supervised by an on-site and qualified team leader capable of communicating in Kinyarwanda and English or French and providing maintenance reports when required.
• The vendor is responsible for the conduct, safety, supervision and welfare of all personnel deployed on the RICA campus.

4.2 Tools and Equipment

• The vendor must supply all necessary tools and equipment required to complete the services, including but not limited to mowers, brush cutters, hedge trimmers, rakes, wheelbarrows, and transport for debris.
• All equipment must be in good working condition and maintained throughout the contract period.
• RICA will not be responsible for providing any tools or equipment to the vendor.

4.3 Legal & Regulatory compliance

• Valid RDB Business Registration Certificate
• Valid Tax Clearance Certificate issued by RRA
• Valid RSSB Compliance Certificate
• Any relevant professional certifications related to forestry, landscaping, or grounds maintenance.

4.4 Experience

• Minimum of 2-3 years of proven experience in landscape and ground maintenance services in Rwanda.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining large institutional, hospitality, educational, or estate properties, preferably exceeding 20 hectares.
• At least two references from similar contracts with recognized institutions in Rwanda, including verifiable contact details of referees.

5. Contract Duration

This contract shall be for a period of two (2) years from the date of signing. The contract may be reviewed, extended, or terminated by mutual agreement between RICA and the vendor, subject to satisfactory performance.

6. Payment Terms

Payment shall be made on a quarterly basis (every three months), upon satisfactory completion of the services scheduled for that quarter. The following conditions apply:

• Invoices must be submitted by the vendor within five (5) working days after the completion of each quarterly service cycle.
• Payment will be processed within 7 working days of receipt of a valid invoice and confirmation of satisfactory work.
• Additional services outside the quarterly scope will be invoiced and paid separately, as per the agreed quotation for those services.
• RICA reserves the right to withhold or adjust payment in cases of incomplete or unsatisfactory service delivery.

7. Performance Standards and Quality

The vendor is expected to maintain high standards of quality throughout the contract. RICA will assess performance based on:

• Timely completion of all scheduled services.
• Quality and completeness of mowing, cutting, clearing, and planting work.
• Complete removal and proper disposal of all waste and debris.
• Professional conduct and appearance of the vendor's team on campus.
• Responsiveness to additional requests and instructions from RICA management.

8. Penalty Clause

RICA reserves the right to apply penalties in the following circumstances:

• Failure to commence or complete services within the agreed schedule without prior notice or valid justification.
• Substandard quality of work that does not meet RICA's expectations and requires redoing or correction.
• Failure to dispose of waste and debris as required.
• Damage to RICA property, plants, or infrastructure caused by negligence.

Penalties will be communicated in writing and may include deductions from the quarterly payment, proportional to the severity and impact of the non-performance. Repeated non-performance may result in contract termination.

9. Health, Safety, and Environmental Compliance

• The vendor must comply with all applicable health and safety regulations while working on the RICA campus.
• All staff must use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) during operations.
• The vendor must handle and dispose of all waste in an environmentally responsible manner.
• Any accidental damage to RICA property must be reported immediately and remedied at the vendor's cost.

10. Reporting and Communication

The vendor shall:

• Confirm each scheduled visit at least five (5) working days in advance.
• Submit a brief completion report after each quarterly service, noting work done, areas covered, and any observations.
• Immediately notify RICA of any issues or concerns encountered during service delivery.

The designated RICA contact person for this contract will be: Digne Brigitte KAMUGIRE, the Ecology and Groundskeeping Associate.

11. Submission of Quotation

Interested vendors are requested to submit the following:

• A detailed technical proposal describing their approach to the services.
• A financial proposal with a clear quarterly cost breakdown.
• Company profile and relevant experience in landscape maintenance.
• List of equipment available for the contract.
• References from at least two (2) previous similar contracts.
• Proof of legal registration and any relevant certifications.

Submissions should be addressed to: bids@rica.rwQueries should be addressed to: feedback@rica.rw