How to bid on Swan Lake Ranger District janitorial services for the Forest Service

What the Forest Service is buying

The Forest Service is seeking custodial services for the Swan Lake Ranger District Office and Wellness Room at 200 Ranger Station Rd, Bigfork, Montana. The work is intended to keep both spaces clean, neat, and professional.

Routine tasks include emptying wastebaskets, cleaning floors and surfaces, cleaning and disinfecting bathroom surfaces and drinking fountains, restocking bathroom supplies, and removing cobwebs. Periodic tasks include cleaning blinds, carpets, light fixtures, and windows.

Key dates and the deadline

A site visit is scheduled for October 30, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time at the district office. Vendors do not need to submit information to attend, but they will be asked to complete an attendance sheet with company name, employee name, phone number, and email address.

Questions are due to the contracting officer by email no later than November 4, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time. The proposal deadline is November 12, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Plan to submit before the deadline; the provided information does not specify what happens to late submissions.

Who this opportunity suits

This contract is a 100% total small-business set-aside. It may suit a small business that provides janitorial or custodial services and can handle routine office cleaning as well as periodic carpet, blind, light-fixture, and window cleaning.

How to access and respond

Use the opportunity portal’s “View original source” option to open the solicitation. The first click may take you to the portal homepage; click the option again to go directly to the bid. A free account may be needed to view documents, though some bids can be viewed without one.

Review the solicitation documents and the amendment, which corrects the SF-1449, the Schedule of Items numbering, and Attachment 10. The amendment states that vendor employees and subcontractors accessing the building must take the annual mandatory trainings. Submit questions to the contracting officer by the stated deadline. The provided information does not specify how proposals must be submitted.

Prepare a clear, competitive response

Use the corrected Schedule of Items and confirm that your response addresses each required item. Explain how your team will cover both routine cleaning and the quarterly, semiannual, and annual tasks described in the solicitation.

Plan staffing and scheduling around the building’s cleaning needs, and account for the stated annual training requirement for employees or subcontractors who access the building. Attend the site visit if useful, note questions as they arise, and send them before the question deadline.