Award Watch: Unarmed guard services (MD DHS) and other near-term bids worth a look

Executive takeaway

Maryland Department of Human Services is seeking unarmed guard services for three Harford County DSS locations under a short, three-month contract, with pricing likely driven by staffing coverage assumptions and site requirements contained in the attached bid form and exhibits. If you can mobilize quickly, document guard qualifications cleanly, and follow the small-procurement format, this is a practical near-term pursuit.

What the buyer is trying to do

The buyer is procuring unarmed security guard services for Harford County DSS operations at three locations in Bel Air and Havre, Maryland. The solicitation references an eMaryland Marketplace posting and includes multiple attachments (bid form, solicitation model, and exhibits), indicating the State is expecting a structured response in its standard small-procurement format.

Key context included in the notice:

• Three service locations are specified (two on South Main Street in Bel Air, and one on Pulaski Highway in Havre).
• Contract term is stated as 3 months.
• Proposal due date/time is stated as 8/15/2022 at 1:00 PM.

What work is implied (bullets)

• Provide unarmed security guard coverage at three Harford County DSS facilities (verify posts, hours, and staffing levels in attachments).
• Support operations at multiple addresses, implying travel/logistics planning and potential multi-post scheduling.
• Comply with Maryland DHS small procurement submission requirements (format, forms, and any certifications in the solicitation model document).
• Complete and submit the Bid Form and follow instructions in the exhibits (scope details and site-specific requirements are likely there; verify in attachments).

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

• Should bid
  • Security firms that routinely staff unarmed guard posts and can mobilize quickly for a short-term contract.
  • Teams with experience supporting public-facing government offices where customer traffic can be unpredictable (verify expectations in exhibits).
  • Offerors comfortable responding to a state small procurement using provided templates and exhibits.
• Should pass
  • Firms that cannot staff three separate locations without heavy overtime or uncertain coverage.
  • Companies that rely on electronic portal submission only—some state/local buys require specific packaging or forms; verify submission method in attachments.
  • Firms whose operating model requires longer contract duration to amortize startup costs (this is stated as a 3-month term).

Response package checklist (bullets; if unknown say “verify in attachments”)

• Completed pricing using the provided Attachment A Bid Form (verify line items and units in the spreadsheet attachment).
• Signed/acknowledged solicitation forms from the DHS Small Procurement Solicitation Model document (verify required signatures, affidavits, and representations in attachments).
• Any technical narrative requested in Exhibits 1–3 (verify what each exhibit requires in attachments).
• Submission label/reference alignment with the notice references (e.g., solicitation and reference numbers shown in the notice; verify exact naming requirements in attachments).
• Delivery method and deadline compliance (due 8/15/2022 at 1:00 PM; verify timezone/location rules in attachments).

Pricing & strategy notes (how to research pricing; do not invent pricing numbers)

• Start with staffing assumptions: use the bid form/exhibits to confirm post hours, number of guards per post, any supervision requirements, and whether breaks must be backfilled.
• Normalize labor build-up: model base wage, payroll taxes, insurance, training, recruiting/turnover, and management overhead; then compare against what you’ve historically needed to maintain reliable coverage for government sites.
• Stress-test short-term startup costs: three months is a tight window—account for onboarding, uniforms, and scheduling setup (but only charge what the bid form allows).
• Benchmark intelligently: review comparable unarmed guard contracts in your portfolio and any publicly available state/local award tabs for guard services (when available) to sanity-check total monthly spend per post.
• Use the exhibits to avoid mispricing: site rules, reporting expectations, and any special constraints often create hidden labor time (verify in attachments).

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• Partner with a local/regional guard firm for surge coverage if three sites require overlapping staffing (confirm whether subcontracting is permitted; verify in attachments).
• If reporting requirements are detailed in exhibits, consider teaming with a provider that already runs incident reporting workflows for government clients (verify deliverables in attachments).
• Use a small bench subcontractor for sick-call coverage to reduce overtime risk during a short contract term (verify allowable staffing approach in attachments).

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• Short contract period (stated as 3 months) can magnify recruiting and coverage risk—missed shifts can quickly sink performance.
• Multi-location logistics: three addresses means scheduling complexity; confirm whether hours differ by site (verify in attachments).
• Attachment-driven scope: key requirements appear to be inside exhibits and the bid form—pricing without validating those documents is a common error.
• Submission compliance: small procurement formats can be strict; ensure every required form is included and signed (verify in attachments).

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How to act on this

1. Open the BidPulsar listing and download every attachment referenced (bid form, solicitation model, and exhibits).
2. Extract post hours, number of guards, site rules, and any reporting requirements directly from the exhibits; build your staffing plan from that.
3. Complete the bid form exactly as structured and run a compliance check against the solicitation model document.
4. Submit ahead of the stated deadline and keep proof of submission per the method required (verify in attachments).

Need a compliance-first review before you submit? Federal Bid Partners LLC can help you package a clean, compliant response and reduce avoidable bid-risk.