DHS small procurements with fast turnarounds: renovations, security guard services, shredding, and more (Maryland)

Executive takeaway

These Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) opportunities skew toward small procurement actions where the scope is often defined primarily through attachments (bid forms, exhibits, incident report templates, walk-through instructions, and contract models). For firms that already have compliant templates and a fast internal review cycle, these can be efficient bids. For firms that rely on long capture runways or need extensive discovery calls, the timelines and document-driven compliance can be a poor fit.

What the buyer is trying to do

Across the notices provided, DHS appears to be sourcing a mix of facility support and operational services, including:

• Renovation work at a county DSS location (with a scheduled walk-through).
• Unarmed security guard services at county DSS locations (multiple counties appear across the notices, with exhibits covering incident reporting and walk-thru procedures).
• On-site confidential paper shredding services (with amendments and a published Q&A document).
• Other DHS small procurement service contracting, including a notice referencing temporary rental furniture and a standard services contract framework.

Several items explicitly reference exhibits and solicitation models; that’s a signal the buyer is emphasizing standardized compliance and documentation over narrative marketing.

What work is implied (bullets)

• Facility renovation coordination and execution for the Charles County DSS renovations notice, including attending the specified walk-through and delivering a bid by the stated due time.
• Unarmed guard staffing and site operations consistent with provided exhibits (e.g., incident report forms and general orders referenced in the Allegany County and Wicomico County guard-related notices).
• Walk-thru / screening procedure compliance where exhibits reference walk-thru procedures and metal detector/hand wand procedures (as shown in the Wicomico County unarmed guard services posting).
• On-site document destruction for the confidential paper shredding services notice, including tracking amendments and aligning your offer with the issued Q&A.
• Small procurement services contracting terms that may mirror DHS’s standard services contract language (as seen in the temporary rental furniture snippet referencing a standard services contract structure and invoicing/payment method language).

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

• Bid if you:
  • Already provide unarmed guard services and can adapt quickly to county-site procedures, exhibits, and reporting formats.
  • Have proven ability to mobilize staffing fast (one unarmed guard notice explicitly states the contract is for 3 months and lists multiple locations).
  • Offer on-site shredding and have a process to manage addenda/Q&A documents without slipping compliance details.
  • Are a renovation/facilities firm that can attend a required walk-through and price promptly.
• Pass if you:
  • Cannot meet in-person requirements like walk-through / walk-thru logistics on the buyer’s schedule.
  • Need extensive clarification to scope the work but the notice is largely attachment-driven (risk of mispricing if you can’t reconcile exhibits and amendments quickly).
  • Don’t have mature compliance controls for incident reporting, post orders, or site procedures (where referenced).

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

• Completed bid form / financial bid form (verify in attachments).
• Signed/acknowledged small procurement solicitation model and any required certifications (verify in attachments).
• Any required incident report templates or operational exhibits incorporated/acknowledged (verify in attachments).
• Any walk-through / walk-thru confirmation steps (RSVP requirements are explicitly mentioned in the Wicomico guard services notice; verify instructions in attachments).
• All amendments acknowledged (explicitly present for the shredding notice and Wicomico guard services notice).
• For RFP-structured responses where applicable: separate Technical and Financial volumes (the Disability Benefits Advocacy Project amendment describes volume separation; verify for your specific notice in attachments).
• Any participation goal documentation (where applicable) such as MBE/VSBE forms (the Disability Benefits Advocacy Project amendment references MBE and VSBE goals; verify applicability to the notice you’re bidding).

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

• Start with the attachments: several postings include a dedicated bid form (e.g., guard services bid forms and financial bid forms). Let the form structure drive your pricing breakdown.
• Use amendment/Q&A documents as pricing risk controls: the shredding services posting includes amendments and a “Questions and Responses” document—review these before finalizing assumptions.
• For guard services, price to the procedures: where exhibits include general orders, incident reporting, and walk-thru procedures, build your staffing model around compliance time (supervision, reporting, site-specific procedures) rather than assuming a generic post.
• For renovation work, price after the walk-through: the Charles County DSS renovations notice explicitly schedules a walk-through; treat it as your primary scope validation event.
• Benchmark using comparable DHS county guard buys: BidPulsar shows multiple unarmed guard services notices across counties. Use them to sanity-check your staffing approach and required exhibits, even if the locations differ.

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• Guard services primes: team with a partner for surge staffing if the solicitation covers multiple sites/addresses (one notice lists three locations).
• Guard services: subcontract reporting/admin support if incident report workflows and documentation are exhibit-heavy (verify requirements in attachments).
• Shredding services: team with a firm that can provide on-site operations coverage during peak periods if the solicitation implies recurring service windows (verify in attachments).
• Renovations: partner with local trades to ensure you can meet any site access constraints surfaced during the walk-through.

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• Deadline risk: these are short-fuse bids; confirm the due date/time in the notice and any amendments.
• Attachment dependency: multiple notices show “Loading” followed by files; assume the real requirements are embedded in those attachments. Missing an exhibit acknowledgement can sink an otherwise competitive price.
• Walk-through / walk-thru compliance: at least one renovation notice schedules a walk-through, and a guard services notice references RSVP due by a specific date. Treat these as gating items.
• Amendment control: shredding services shows multiple amendments plus a Q&A file; ensure your submission reflects the latest version.
• Term constraints: one guard services notice explicitly states a 3 month contract term—confirm whether renewals/extensions exist (verify in attachments).
• RFP volume rules where applicable: one DHS RFP amendment states separate technical/financial volumes and limits on alternate proposals. Don’t assume flexibility—verify in attachments for your specific solicitation.

Related opportunities

• Small Procurement – Charles Co. DSS Renovations 17
• Small Procurement Solicitation for Unarmed Security Guard Services (Allegany County)
• On Site Confidential Paper Shredding Services
• Unarmed Guard Services for Wicomico Co. DSS (IFB 326 listing)
• Unarmed Security Guards (Harford County; multiple locations; short term)
• Disability Benefits Advocacy Project (RFP 259 amendment excerpt)
• Statewide Genetic Paternity Testing Services (RFP 344 amendment excerpt)
• Temporary Rental Furniture (MDTHINK Development Center)

How to act on this

1. Open the BidPulsar notice and download every attachment (bid form, exhibits, solicitation model, amendments, Q&A).
2. Confirm whether a walk-through / RSVP is mandatory and calendar it immediately.
3. Build your offer directly around the provided forms and label volumes/sections exactly as required (verify in attachments).
4. Run a final compliance check to ensure all amendments are acknowledged and every exhibit requirement is addressed.

If you want a second set of eyes on compliance, response structure, or a fast-turn pricing sanity check for these DHS small procurements, contact Federal Bid Partners LLC to support your bid response.