Federal Contract Alert: Snow and Ice Removal Services in Culpeper, VA (VA011) — DEPT OF DEFENSE.DEPT OF THE ARMY.AMC.ACC.ACC-CTRS.ACC-NJ.W6QK ACC-PICA
What This Contract Actually Is
The Army's ACC-PICA (Army Contracting Command – Procurement Integrated Contracting Activity) in New Jersey is seeking snow and ice removal services at the Culpeper, Virginia site. This is a services contract (NAICS 561790) that requires your crew to show up when weather hits and remove snow and ice from roads, parking areas, and facility grounds. The contract likely runs for a base year plus option years—standard for this type of work. What matters: Army site work means you're dealing with access control, marshaling equipment in tight spaces, and strict scheduling tied to military operations. This isn't residential or municipal snow work; response times and documentation are tighter.
Who Can Bid: Set-Aside Status and NAICS Code
This is a Total Small Business Set-Aside under FAR 19.5, which means only certified small businesses can compete. Your NAICS code is 561790 (Other Support Services). If you're already SBA-certified, you're eligible to bid. If you're not yet certified, you'll need to complete that process before responding—don't expect the Army to wait. Check your SBA record in SAM.gov to confirm your size status and NAICS alignment match what the solicitation specifies. Some contractors slip up here and waste time bidding ineligible.
Key Deadline and Where to Find the Full Solicitation
Deadline is 21 August 2026 at 4:00 PM Eastern. The notice was posted 24 July 2026, giving you roughly four weeks to prepare and submit. Access the full statement of work, specifications, and evaluation criteria by visiting SAM.gov directly or using the notice description link provided. You'll need a SAM.gov account and a DUNS number to download solicitation documents and ultimately submit your bid.
How to Respond: What Wins This Work
Step 1: Download the entire solicitation from SAM.gov and read the statement of work twice—once for scope, once for hidden cost drivers like equipment mobilization, standby charges, or 24/7 availability requirements. Step 2: Review the evaluation criteria. Assume price is weighted heavily for commodity services like snow removal, but past performance and safety record matter on military sites. Step 3: Get current quotes from your equipment suppliers and labor pools for the Culpeper area—factor in surge pricing during winter. Step 4: Build your proposal around your team's response time guarantee and any existing experience at Army or DoD facilities. Step 5: Include insurance certificates and OSHA records upfront to avoid disqualification.
Real talk: If you don't have equipment in or near Culpeper, or you've never worked on military installations, this contract is harder to win than a straight snow removal job for a county. Incumbent contractors have operational muscle and site familiarity. Research who currently holds the contract using GovWin IQ or Bloomberg Government—both let you search active contracts and contractor names. If the same vendor has held it for three years, you're likely bidding to lose unless your price or safety story is materially different.
CMMC & DFARS Compliance Checklist
Snow removal contracts rarely involve IT or controlled unclassified information, so CMMC and DFARS clauses are typically not required here. That said, always verify the solicitation's data clause section before submitting. If the contract involves any Army IT environment access or facility-wide IT services bundled in, CMMC Level 1 may apply. Check for clauses 252.204-7012 (Safeguarding Covered Defense Information) and 252.204-7019/7020 (DFARS flow-downs). If you see these clauses, you'll need a CMMC assessment, a basic SPRS self-assessment score, and documented cybersecurity procedures. For a snow removal shop, this is low likelihood, but confirm before you commit to bidding.
Three Actionable Tips
1. Verify your equipment can stage and operate at Culpeper: Call the site point of contact listed in the solicitation and ask about parking, equipment storage, and winter weather baselines. Don't assume your standard rig works on a military installation.
2. Build relationships with local subcontractors: If you're not Virginia-based, partner with a local snow removal outfit early. They know the site, local labor, and military contract rhythm. Joint proposals often win over outsiders.
3. Undercut price with realistic overhead: Snow work is margin-thin. Price too low and you lose money; too high and you're uncompetitive. Use GovWin IQ to search historical data on Army snow contracts and see typical award amounts in your region. That baseline informs your bid strategy.
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