1. Proposal Instructions.docx

Enter your company name Proposal Instructions Department of Education Camp Tuhsmeheta Tree Inventory, Health Assessment, and Risk Evaluation Request for Proposal No. 270000000295 Solicitation Managers:

Dana Worrall 517-241-0186 worrallD1@michigan.gov Jenny Manar 517-241-2170 manarj@michigan.gov

Main Phone: 1-855-MI-PURCH 1-855-647-8724 This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) for:

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is seeking proposals for a qualified arboricultural, forestry, and tree-risk assessment consulting firm to conduct a comprehensive assessment of trees located on the grounds of Camp Tuhsmeheta located in Greenville, Michigan.

The purpose of this project is to establish a reliable, location-specific inventory of trees requiring attention and develop an actionable management plan that supports informed maintenance decisions, risk mitigation, and long-term stewardship of the camp’s natural resources. The selected contractor will conduct field evaluations, document tree conditions, establish geographic locations, assess potential failure risks, and recommend appropriate maintenance or mitigation actions.

RFP Timeline

A bidder’s proposal received at 1:00PM Eastern is late and subject to disqualification.

This RFP is subject to change. Check www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS for current information.

Proposal Preparation Read All Materials: Before preparing your proposal, read all Request for Proposal (RFP) materials, especially the Proposal Instructions and the Vendor Questions Worksheet.

Follow Instructions: Follow the Proposal Instructions and respond completely to the items listed in the RFP Structure and Documentation table.

Provide Information Directly: Do not use references or links to websites or external sources instead of providing the requested information within your proposal.

Include Company Name: Ensure your company name is in the header of all documents submitted with your proposal.

Public Record Notice: Be aware that all documents and information submitted will become public records immediately upon receipt by the State.

Website Posting: Proposals may be posted on the State’s public website after bidders are notified of the award recommendation.

RFP Structure and Documentation

Contact Information for the State The designated point of contact for this RFP is listed on the Cover Page. You must direct all questions to this individual.

Contacting any other State employee, agent, consultant, or representative regarding this RFP may result in disqualification.

Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting A Mandatory In-Person Pre-Proposal meeting will be held at 1:00PM on November 20, 2026, at

Camp Tuhsmeheta White Pine Lodge* 10500 Lincoln Lake Avenue NE Greenville, MI 48838

*White Pine Lodge which is 1 mile off Lincoln Lake Ave. Follow the main road until you arrive at the lodge. It will be a green building on the right side of the drive, just past the dumpsters.

The purpose of the pre-proposal meeting is to discuss the RFP and the work to be performed.

Statements made by the Solicitation Manager or their designee during the pre-proposal meeting do not change the RFP.

If any changes are needed after the meeting, the Solicitation Manager will post official updates in writing on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS, as explained in the “Modifications” section of this document.

Attendance at the pre-proposal meeting is limited to 2 people per bidder.

Arriving late at a mandatory pre-proposal meeting may result in disqualification.

A subcontractor may sign in on your behalf to confirm attendance.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to attend the meeting, contact the Solicitation Manager at least 3 business days before the meeting date. Requests received after that may not be fulfilled.

Modifications The State may modify this RFP at any time. Modifications will be posted on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. This is the only method by which the RFP may be modified.

Questions You must email any questions about this RFP to the Solicitation Manager by the deadline listed on the Cover Page. Only written questions will be accepted.

Answers will be posted on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS.

Please submit your questions using the format shown below. The State recommends Microsoft Excel or a similar format.

Delivery of Proposal You must submit your complete proposal, including all attachments, modifications, or withdrawals, electronically through www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS by the deadline listed on the Cover Page.

Do not remove bidder boxes or format the documents using your own layout or letterhead. Failure to follow this process may result in your bid being considered non-responsive.

Your pricing proposal must be uploaded to SIGMA as a separate file from the rest of the proposal.

Submit all files in a modifiable (native) format, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Docs, or Sheets. You may also include PDF versions in addition to any of the modifiable file types listed above.

Each file must be 30 MB or smaller.

Your entire proposal must be uploaded and submitted before the deadline. The SIGMA VSS system will not accept late submissions even if part of your proposal was uploaded on time.

Important: Do not wait until the last minute. Submitting a proposal requires creating an account, entering required information, and uploading all documents, which is time consuming.

The Solicitation Manager cannot assist with submission issues. You are responsible for ensuring your proposal is complete and submitted on time.

If you need help using SIGMA VSS, call:

(517) 284-0540 or

(888) 734-9749 Please note: All submitted documents become public records upon receipt. After award recommendations are made, proposals may be posted on the State’s public website.

Evaluation Process The State will evaluate each proposal based on the following criteria:

Proposals receiving 80 out of 100 or more technical evaluation points will have pricing evaluated and be considered for award.

The State may use information from all proposals, regardless of technical score, to help determine fair market value for the goods or services requested. The State is not required to accept the lowest price.

If applicable, the State will also consider whether you qualify as a Qualified Disabled Veteran/Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (QDV/SDVOB) under MCL - Section 18.1261 - Michigan Legislature. For more information, visit DTMB - Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Preference.

You are strongly encouraged to accept the State’s Contract Terms and Schedules as written. The State may consider your proposal non-responsive if you do not accept these terms.

If you propose changes to the Contract Terms or Schedules, you must:

Submit them using track changes (i.e., visible edits), and Include a clear explanation for each proposed change. Utilize the comment feature in Word.

If you do not include tracked changes and explanations, the State will assume you accept the Contract Terms or Schedules as-is. General statements, such as reserving the right to negotiate terms, may also be considered non-responsive.

· Changes suggested only in the comments and not demonstrated in track changes format may be considered non-responsive for failure to follow directions.

The State may disqualify you if you fail to respond to requests for clarification or negotiation during the evaluation process by the deadline set by the Solicitation Manager.

At any point during the evaluation, the State may, but is not required to:

Conduct an on-site visit to inspect your facilities Request an oral presentation of your proposal Conduct interviews, reference checks or background checks Request additional price concessions Conduct refinement sessions to ensure clarity and alignment with requirements Notice of Deficiency The State may issue a Notice of Deficiency if, after the proposal deadline, the State determines that part of the RFP was unclear, ambiguous, or deficient.

If you receive a Notice of Deficiency, you must respond by the deadline set by the Solicitation Manager, or you may be disqualified.

Clarification Request The State may issue a Clarification Request if any part of your proposal is unclear.

If you receive a Clarification Request, you must respond by the deadline set by the Solicitation Manager, or you may be disqualified.

Award Recommendation The contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible bidder who offers the best value to the State, as determined by the State.

Best value is based on:

Meeting the minimum point threshold, and Offering the best combination of evaluation factors and price, as outlined in the Evaluation Process section of this document.

The State will post the Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS or in the same manner the RFP was originally published.

Debrief Meeting and Bid Protest The State will publish an Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis which will provide instructions on how to request a debrief meeting.

If you wish to initiate a protest of the award, you must submit your written protest to Dana Worrall 517-241-0186 worrallD1@michigan.gov Jenny Manar 517-241-2170 manarj@michigan.gov no later than 1:00pm, 5 business days after the Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis is posted on SIGMA VSS.

Additional information about the protest process is available at DTMB - Programs & Policies under the “Bidder Protests” link.

State Administrative Board Contracts valued at $250,000 or more require approval by the State Administrative Board. The Board’s decision is final, however, its approval does not constitute a contract.

The award process is not complete until the selected contractor receives a contract that is fully executed by all parties.

General Conditions The State is not responsible for any costs, expenses, or damages you incur while participating in this solicitation.

By submitting a proposal, you agree that:

Your proposal is an offer to do business with the State based on the terms outlined in your submission, including the Contract Terms.

Your proposal is irrevocable and binding for 180 calendar days from the date of submission.

The State may choose to incorporate any part of your proposal into the final agreement if you are awarded a contract.

This RFP may not fully describe the State’s environment or include all terms that must be agreed upon.

Your proposal becomes a public record immediately upon receipt by the State. Except for verified trade secrets, all documents submitted through www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS become the property of the State.

Confidential Treatment Form and the Freedom of Information Act As a public record, all portions of the bidder’s proposal and resulting contract are subject to disclosure as required under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231, et seq. However, the State may exempt some information from disclosure as permitted by law. Under MCL 18.1261(13)(b), records containing “a trade secret as defined under section 2 of the uniform trade secrets act, 1998 PA 448, MCL 445.1902,” are exempt from disclosure under FOIA. In addition, “financial or proprietary information” submitted with a bidder’s proposal is exempt from disclosure under FOIA. A bidder’s failure to comply with this Section is grounds for rejecting a bidder’s proposal as non-responsive. As a part of its proposal, each bidder must follow the procedure below.

Submit a completed Confidential Treatment Form with your bid. Completion and submission of the Confidential Treatment Form (CT Form) is required regardless of whether the bidder seeks confidential treatment of information. Failure to submit a completed CT Form may be cause for disqualification from the solicitation process. If a bidder fails to properly complete and submit the CT Form or otherwise fails to follow CT Form instructions, the proposal may be publicly disclosed in its entirety without redaction after an award recommendation.

Complete and sign Section 1 of the CT Form if the bidder does NOT request confidential treatment of information contained in its proposal; or Complete and sign Section 2 of the CT Form if the bidder requests confidential treatment of certain information. Bidder must also submit a copy of the proposal with the trade secret, financial, and proprietary information redacted and clearly labeled as the “PUBLIC COPY.”

Failure to complete and sign a CT Form may result in disqualification of the bidder. If a bidder fails to properly complete and submit the CT Form or otherwise fails to follow the CT Form instructions, the proposal, in its entirety, may be publicly disclosed by the State without redaction after an award recommendation.

FOIA requests. If a FOIA request is made for a bidder’s proposal, the Public Copy may be distributed to the public along with the bidder’s CT Form. The CT Form is a public document and serves as an explanation for the redactions to the Public Copy. Do not put any trade secret, financial, or proprietary information in the CT Form. Do not redact the CT Form itself.

No Advice. The State will not advise a bidder as to the nature or content of documents entitled to protection from disclosure under FOIA or other laws, as to the interpretation of such laws, or as to the definition of trade secret or financial or proprietary information. Nothing contained in this provision will modify or amend requirements and obligations imposed on the State by FOIA or other applicable law. The State is not obligated to notify a bidder if a FOIA request for bidder’s proposal is received nor if bidder’s proposal is made available to the public.

Failure to request confidential treatment. Failure to request material be treated as confidential as specified herein relieves the State, its agencies, and personnel from any responsibility for maintaining material in confidence.

Bids containing a request to maintain an entire proposal as confidential may be rejected as non-responsive. Bidders may not request confidential treatment with respect to resumes, pricing, and marketing materials. The State reserves the right to determine whether material designated as exempt by a bidder falls under MCL 18.1261 or other applicable FOIA exemptions. If a FOIA request is made for materials that the bidder has identified as trade secret, financial, or proprietary information, the State has the final authority to determine whether the materials are exempt from disclosure under FOIA.

Bidder forever releases the State, its departments, subdivisions, officers, and employees from all claims, rights, actions, demands, damages, liabilities, expenses and fees, which arise out of or relate to the disclosure of all or a portion of bidder’s proposal submitted under this RFP. Bidder must defend, indemnify and hold the State, its departments, subdivisions, officers, and employees harmless, without limitation, from and against all actions, claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, attorney fees, and expenses (including those required to establish the right to indemnification), arising out of or relating to any FOIA request, including potential litigation and appeals, related to the portion of bidder’s proposal submitted under this RFP that bidder has identified as a trade secret, or financial or proprietary information. The State will notify bidder in writing if indemnification is sought. The State is entitled to: (i) regular updates on proceeding status; (ii) participate in the defense of the proceeding; (iii) employ its own counsel; and to (iv) retain control of the defense, or any portion thereof, if the State deems necessary. Bidder will not, without the State’s written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise, or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any claim, action, or proceeding. If a State employee, official, or law is involved or challenged, the State may control the defense of that portion of the claim. Any litigation activity on behalf of the State, or any of its subdivisions under this Section, must be coordinated with the Department of Attorney General. An attorney designated to represent the State may not do so until approved by the Michigan Attorney General and appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General.

Reservations The State reserves the right to:

Disqualify you for not following the RFP instructions.

Cancel the RFP process at any time, for any reason or no reason. Issuing this RFP, receiving your proposal, and evaluating it does not obligate the State to award a contract, even if all requirements are met.

Adjust the timing for any section of this solicitation. Changes will be published.

Consider late proposals if:

No proposals are received No complete proposals are received Received proposals do not meet minimum or technical requirements The award process does not result in a contract Consider a disqualified proposal if no other proposals are received.

Disqualify your proposal based on:

Information you provide in your response Failure to register at www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS Submission of false or misleading information Consider your past performance with the State.

Evaluate the economic impact of your proposal, including:

Location of work Employment of Michigan residents Investment in Michigan Job creation Tax revenue Support for economically disadvantaged businesses Consider total cost of ownership, such as transition or training costs.

Refuse to award a contract if you owe State taxes or have outstanding debt.

Negotiate with one or more bidders on pricing, terms, or deliverables.

Award multiple contracts, optional-use contracts, or award by Contract Activity.

Use an alternative evaluation process if only one proposal is received.

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