IFB01132026 - Security Guard Services - Garvan Woodland Gardens

Agency:	University of Arkansas
State:	Arkansas
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	561612 - Security Guards and Patrol Services
Posted Date:	Jan 13, 2026
Due Date:	Feb 4, 2026
Solicitation No:	IFB01132026
Original Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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Invitation For Bid (IFB)

IFB No. 01132026

Security Guard Services – Garvan Woodland Gardens

BID RELEASE DATE: January 13, 2026

BID DUE DATE:

BID DUE TIME:

BID OPENING EVENT:

February 4, 2026*

2:30 PM CST*

2:30 PM CST

SUBMIT ALL BIDS VIA: UA Formal Bid Submission

(NOTE: Take care to choose the CORRECT BID NUMBER from the dropdown menu.)

Signature Required For Response

Respondent complies with all articles of the Standard Terms and Conditions documents as counterpart to this IFB document,

and with all articles within the IFB document. If Respondent receives the University’s purchase order, Respondent agrees

to furnish the items and/or services listed herein at the prices and/or under the conditions as indicated in the IFB.

Vendor Name:

Mailing Address:

City, State, Zip:

Telephone:

Email:

Authorized Signature: _______________________________________

Date: ______________

Typed/Printed Name of Signor: ________________________________Title: ______________

*Under no circumstances will late bids be accepted.

Bid opening event will be conducted at the date and time specified via Microsoft Teams. Notice of bid opening event

will be posted on HogBid once the Teams meeting is set up.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL/COOPERATIVE USE OF COMPETITIVELY BID PROPOSALS AND

CONTRACTS:

In accordance with Arkansas Code Annotated § 19-11-249, any State public procurement unit, including any University

of Arkansas System campus or unit, may participate in any contract resulting from this solicitation with a participating

addendum signed by the contractor and approved by the chief procurement officer of the procurement agency issuing this

solicitation.

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General Campus Background for University of Arkansas

Founded in 1871 as a land-grant institution, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Arkansas (UofA), is the flagship

campus of the University of Arkansas System. Our students represent all 50 states and more than 120 countries. The UofA

comprises 10 colleges and schools offering an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate

students in more than 270 academic programs. The UofA contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and

applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. As of Fall

2023, student enrollment totaled approximately 32,140. The faculty count totaled 1,490 and the staff count totaled 3,350.

The UofA is one of the nation’s top public research universities and the state’s foremost partner and resource for

education and economic development. Its public service activities reach every county in Arkansas, throughout the nation,

and around the world. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the UofA among only 3 percent (3%) of universities in

America that have the highest level of research activity.

Garvan Woodland Gardens is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas and a center of the Fay Jones School of

Architecture + Design. Nestled in the picturesque Ouachita Mountains of Southwest Arkansas, the Gardens are a

wonderful gift to all people from local industrialist and philanthropist Verna Cook Garvan.

Garvan Woodland Gardens’ mission is to preserve and enhance a unique part of the Ouachita environment; provide

people with a place of learning, research, cultural enrichment, and serenity; develop and sustain gardens, landscapes, and

structures of exceptional aesthetics, design, and construction; and partner with and serve communities of which the

Gardens is a part.

1. INTRODUCTION, DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW

The Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, acting on behalf of the University of Arkansas Garvan

Woodland Gardens, located in Hot Springs, Arkansas (UofA) is soliciting sealed bid proposals from qualified and

reputable vendors to provide the required security guard services that will ensure the safety of Garvan Woodland

Gardens and its members and visitors.

UofA is seeking to award a term contract for security guard services pursuant to the specifications, terms and

conditions stated in this IFB.

UofA expects to achieve the following goals (at minimum) through the selected vendor:

1. Obtain a security contract with an enterprise that only recruits the highest quality security guards, who

are current in their training, to secure the grounds and patrons of Garvan Woodland Gardens. The

employees of said enterprise will show accountability and desire to work.

2. Collaborating and working with Garvan Woodland Gardens Director of Facilities and Services to

ensure exceptional coverage and a mutually beneficial long-term partnership.

3. Proactive in communicating and following up on issues; working to find areas of improvement.

4. Achieve cost containment by carrying out a risk-based approach that finds the proper balance in service

and cost.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

UofA is issuing this IFB to solicit sealed bid proposals to establish a term contract for qualified security service

provider(s) pursuant to the specifications, terms and conditions stated in this IFB. This will include full, partial

season and single event offerings to Garvan as well as other amenities associated with Garvan Woodland Gardens.

Also refer to Attachment A within this IFB document.

Scope to include armed and unarmed security service at Garvan Woodland Gardens, 540 Arkridge Road, Hot

Springs, AR 71913.

General scope of work will be to supply all labor, materials, equipment and incidentals necessary to provide

appropriate armed and unarmed security guard services at the Garvan Woodland Gardens campus of the University

of Arkansas. Use and maintain a tracking system for routine use during patrols.

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43. DISTRIBUTING ORGANIZATION

This IFB is issued by the Office of Business Affairs at UA. The University Purchasing Official is the sole point of

contact during this process. Only written communication is considered formal and can be supported throughout this

process.

Respondent Questions and Addenda: Respondent questions concerning all matters of this IFB should be sent via

email to:

Andrea Trevisan, Procurement Coordinator

Business Services

trevisan@uark.edu

Questions received via email will be directly addressed via email, and compilation of all questions and answers

(Q&A), as well as any revision, update and/or addenda specific to this IFB solicitation will be made available on

HogBid, the UA bid solicitation website: http://hogbid/. During the time between the bid opening and contract

award(s), with the exception of Bidder’s questions during this process, any contact concerning this IFB will be

initiated by the issuing agency and not Bidder. Specifically, the persons named herein will initiate all contact, unless

designated otherwise.

Bidders shall not rely on any other interpretations, changes, or corrections. It is Respondent’s responsibility to

thoroughly examine and read the entire IFB document and any Q&A or addenda to this IFB. Failure of Bidders to

fully acquaint themselves with existing conditions or information provided will not be a basis for requesting extra

compensation after the award of a Contract.

43. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS/RESPONDENTS

• Respondents must comply with all articles of the Standard Terms and Conditions documents posted on our

Hogbid website as counterpart to the IFB document, and any associated appendices, as well as all articles

within the IFB document. UA is not responsible for any misinterpretation or misunderstanding of these

instructions on the part of the Respondents.

• Unless otherwise noted, Bids will be publicly opened in a virtual event at the specified date and time. All

bids must be submitted per instructions found on the Formal Bid Solicitations Form at

https://forms.uark.edu/xfp/form/906.

• REQUIRED

Respondents must submit one SIGNED digital copy. If submitting a redacted copy, see Section 33 of

this IFB document.

o Take care to choose the correct IFB NUMBER from the dropdown menu

o Only PDF and Word documents can be uploaded to the Proposal Portal (No Excel Files)

o There is a file size limit of 20MB per upload field

• For a Bid to be considered, an official authorized to bind the respondent to a resultant contract must include

signature in the blank provided on the IFB cover sheet. Failure to sign the bid as required will eliminate it

from consideration.

• All official documents, including responses to this IFB, shall be included as part of any resultant Contract.

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• The UA Procurement Official reserves the right to award a contract or reject a bid response for any or all line

items of a bid received as a result of this IFB, if it is in the best interest of UA to do so. Bids may be rejected

for one or more reasons not limited to the following:

o Failure of the Respondent to submit the bid response as required in this IFB on or before the

deadline established by UA.

o Failure of the Respondent to respond to a requirement for oral/written clarification, presentation, or

demonstration in the Proposal.

o Failure to provide the bid security or performance security if required.

o Failure to supply Respondent references if required.

o Failure to sign an Official Bid Proposal Document.

o Failure to complete the Official Bid Price Sheet.

o Any wording by the Respondent in their Proposal or any response to this IFB, or in subsequent

correspondence, which conflicts with or takes exception to a bid requirement in this IFB.

• If the Respondent submits standard terms and conditions with the bid, and if any section of those terms is in

conflict with the laws of the State of Arkansas, the State laws shall govern. Standard terms and conditions

submitted may need to be altered to adequately reflect all the conditions of this IFB, the Respondent’s

Proposals and Arkansas State law.

• According to Ark. Code Ann. § 4-27-1501 and OSP Rule R4:19-11-217, A foreign corporation may not

transact business in Arkansas until it obtains a certificate of authority from the Secretary of State.

• The University may make any decision or take any action that it, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate in

order to comply with Act 1020 of 2021, the Transparency in Foreign Investment Act (Ark. Code Ann. § 6-

60-1201 et seq.).

43. AWARD RESPONSIBILITY

The UA Procurement Official will be responsible for award and administration of any resulting contract(s). UA

reserves the right to reject any or all bids, or any portion thereof, to re-advertise if deemed necessary, and to

investigate any or all bids and request additional information as necessary in order to substantiate the professional,

financial and/or technical qualifications of the respondent(s).

Contract(s) will be awarded to the respondent(s) whose proposal(s) adheres to the conditions set forth in the IFB,

and in the sole judgment of UA, best meets the overall goals and financial objectives of UA. A resultant contract

will not be assignable without prior written consent of both parties.

43. BID EVALUATION

Award will be made on a per item or all or none basis, whichever is in the best interest of the University of

Arkansas. All bids must meet or exceed minimum specifications and will be evaluated based solely on price

and/or discount as specified on the Official Bid Price Sheet. The University of Arkansas reserves the right to

withdraw the IFB and to not make a final award if it is in the best interests of the University to do so. Bids not

meeting the requirements specified in this IFB or received after the bid opening date and time will be rejected and

removed from further consideration.

7. BEST AND FINAL OFFER

UA reserves the right to request an official “Best and Final Offer” (BAFO) from bid respondents if it deems such an

approach is in the best interest of the institution. In general, the “Best and Final Offer” will consist of an updated

cost proposal in addition to an opportunity for the respondent to submit clarification response to specific questions

or opportunities identified in subsequent discussions related to the original Proposal response submitted to UA. If

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the UA chooses to invoke a “Best and Final Offer” option, all responses will be re-evaluated by incorporating the

information as requested in the official “Best and Final Offer” document, including costs and answers to specific

questions presented in the document. The specific format for the official “Best and Final Offer” request will be

determined during evaluation discussions. The official request for a “Best and Final Offer” will be issued by the

UA Procurement Department.

8. CONTRACT TERM AND TERMINATION

The term (“Term”) of any resulting Contract will begin upon date of Contract award. If mutually agreed upon in

writing by the Contractor and UA, the term shall be for an initial period of one (1) year, with option to renew at the

end of the contract term for six (6) additional years, for a combined total of seven (7) years (or 84 months). The

University of Arkansas may terminate this Agreement without cause, at any time during the Term (including any

renewal periods), by giving the other party thirty (30) days advance written notice of termination. Additionally, in

the event of non-appropriation of funds necessary to fulfill the terms and conditions of this Agreement during any

period of the Term (including any renewal periods), the parties agree that this Agreement shall automatically

terminate without notice.

43) If at any time the performance becomes unsatisfactory, UA will give thirty (30) days written notice to the

contractor. If at the end of the thirty (30) day period the performance is still deemed unsatisfactory, the

contract shall be cancelled by UA, Office of Business Affairs. Additionally, the contract may be terminated,

without penalty, by UA without cause by giving thirty (30) days written notice of such termination to

contractor.

b) Upon award, the agreement is subject to cancellation, without penalty, either in whole or in part, if funds

necessary to fulfill the terms and conditions of this contract during any period of the Term (including any renewal

periods) are not appropriated.

c) In no event shall such termination by UA as provided for under this section give rise to any liability on the part

of UA, its trustees, officers, employees or agents including, but not limited to, claims related to compensation for

anticipated profits, lost business opportunities, unabsorbed overhead, misrepresentation, or borrowing. UA’s sole

obligation hereunder is to pay contractor for services ordered and received prior to the date of termination.

The terms, conditions, representations, and warranties contained in the contract shall survive the termination of the

Contract.

9. RESPONDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO READ IFB

It is the respondent’s responsibility to thoroughly examine and read the entire IFB document, including any and all

appendices. Failure of respondents to fully acquaint themselves with existing conditions or the amount of goods or

work involved will not be a basis for requesting extra compensation after the award of a contract. This engagement

is separate from any other engagement bidder may be currently pursuing with the University of Arkansas.

Interpretation of the University of Arkansas is final.

Bids not fully compliant with all sections of the IFB may be deemed non-responsive and may not be evaluated.

However, UA reserves the right to waive any formality or irregularity in any bid if deemed to be in the best interest

of UA. In addition, UA reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

If language in this IFB differs from other language in the UA Standard Terms and Conditions or other standard

forms, the language in this IFB shall govern.

10. INDICIA

The respondents and the contractor acknowledge and agree that UA owns the rights to its name and its other names,

symbols, designs, and colors, including without limitation, the trademarks, service marks, designs, team names,

facilities images, uniforms, nicknames, abbreviations, city/state names in the appropriate context, slogans, logo

graphics, mascots, seals, color schemes, trade dress, and other symbols associated with or referring to UA that are

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This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.

IFB01132026 - Security Guard Services - Garvan Woodland Gardens

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