2027-371_Request_for_Bid.pdf

Rev. 07.01.2025

State of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

REQUEST FOR BID

2027-371 Finland Picnic & Group Camp Fuels Reduction

Lake County/Near Finland

SWIFT Event #18774

Date Posted: October 14, 2026

• Responses must be received not later than 2:00 PM, Central Time, October 28, 2026

• Late responses will not be considered

• As of July 1, 2025, certain terms are unenforceable in state contracts. See Session Laws, 2025 Regular Session, Chapter 39, Article 2, Sec. 45.

Minnesota’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion The State of Minnesota is committed to diversity and inclusion in its public procurement process. The goal is to ensure that those providing goods and services to the State are representative of our Minnesota communities and include businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and those with substantial physical disabilities.

Creating broader opportunities for historically under-represented groups provides for additional options and greater competition in the marketplace, creates stronger relationships and engagement within our communities, and fosters economic development and equality.

To further this commitment, the Department of Administration operates a program for Minnesota-based small businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and those with substantial physical disabilities. For additional information on this program, or to determine eligibility, please call 651.201.2402 or go to the Office of Equity in Procurement home page, at https://mn.gov/admin/business/vendor-info/oep/.

SPECIAL NOTICE: This is a request for bid. It does not obligate the State of Minnesota to award a contract or complete the proposed program, and the State reserves the right to cancel this solicitation if it is considered in its best interest.

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2025/0/Session+Law/Chapter/39/ https://mn.gov/admin/business/vendor-info/oep/

This Solicitation requires proposals to be submitted through the SWIFT Supplier Portal. Please note the security changes below that may impact responders from submitting a timely response.

SWIFT SUPPLIER PORTAL SECURITY CHANGES

There are new security measures that the Minnesota Management and Budget implemented on October 16, 2022. It is a new multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance the security of the State of Minnesota Supplier Portal. MFA is an authentication method that requires bidders and suppliers provide two verification factors to log into the SWIFT Supplier Portal. The goal of MFA is to create a layered defense that makes it more difficult for unauthorized system access to occur.

For information about these changes, please refer to the SWIFT Supplier Portal Multi-Factor Authentication FAQ document.

If you have not done so already, please make sure to log into the SWIFT Supplier Portal as soon as possible to get this authentication set up early so there are no issues when submitting a response to an RFB.

You are strongly encouraged to set your MFA during business hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Central Time, Monday through Friday. You may experience delay setting your MFA after hours.

https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMjEwMjAuNjU0MDU5NTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2d1ZXN0LnN1cHBsaWVyLnN5c3RlbXMuc3RhdGUubW4udXMvcHNjL2Ztc3N1cGFwL1NVUFBMSUVSL0VSUC9jL05VSV9GUkFNRVdPUksuUFRfTEFORElOR1BBR0UuR0JMPyYifQ.i-HI1goSFhyukO6-tDKJ950RA0248ccp4eK29Xzz01Y/s/349718272/br/146252762755-l http://mn.gov/mmb-stat/documents/swift/training/trainingguides/swift-sup-portal-mfa.pdf http://mn.gov/mmb-stat/documents/swift/training/trainingguides/swift-sup-portal-mfa.pdf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Solicitation Content

SECTION 1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDERS

SECTION 2 – SUMMARY OF SCOPE

SECTION 3 – RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

SECTION 4 – RESPONSE CONTENT

SECTION 5 – UNENFORCEABLE TERMS AND SOLICITATION TERMS

Solicitation Attachments

• Attachment A: Responder Declarations

• Attachment B: Pricing

• Attachment C: Intentionally Left Blank

• Attachment D: Additional Information

• Attachment E: Vendor Qualifications

• Attachment F: Equipment Specifications

Sample Contract

• Exhibit A: Contract Terms

• Exhibit B: Insurance Requirements

• Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work

• Exhibit D: Pricing

• Exhibit E: Special Instructions

• Exhibit F: Supplemental Material o 2027-371 Maps

• SECTION 1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDERS

Steps for Completing Your Response

Follow the steps below to complete your response to this Solicitation:

Step 1: Read the solicitation documents and ask questions, if any Step 2: Write your response Step 3: Submit your response

Incomplete Submittals

A response must be submitted along with any required additional documents. Incomplete responses that materially deviate from the required format and content may be rejected.

STEP 1 – READ THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT & ASK QUESTIONS, IF ANY

How to Ask Questions

Pre-Bid Meeting

The contact person for questions is:

Amy Archer, Contract Officer Department of Natural Resources amy.archer@state.mn.us

Questions should be emailed to the contact by October 23, 2026.

Other personnel are not authorized to answer questions regarding this Solicitation.

A Mandatory pre-bid meeting will take place on October 21, 2026 at 1:00 PM at the Kiosk at the Finland Campground located on Hwy 6/Little Marais Road. Attendance is mandatory.

STEP 2 – WRITE YOUR RESPONSE

The Response Content section is in this link to Section 4. Prepare a written response and supply all requested content. Responses should address the requested information and documents detailed in Section 4. DO NOT INCLUDE Non-Public/Trade Secret data (as defined in this link to Minn. Stat. § 13.37).

Review, sign, and include the Responder Declarations with your response.

STEP 3 –SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE

Where to Send Your Response

All responses to this solicitation (termed an “Event” within SWIFT) must be submitted through SWIFT using the Supplier portal (https://mn.gov/supplier). Training and documentation on how to submit your response is available through the Supplier portal link above. Fax, e-mail, and printed responses will not be accepted or considered. All costs incurred in responding to this solicitation will be borne by the responder.

Late responses will not be considered. Responses received after End Date above will not be considered, even if errors or delays were caused by issues outside of responders’ control. If you need assistance please contact the SWIFT Vendor Assistance Helpline at 651-201-8100, Option 1, and then Option 1.

By submitting a response, your company is making a binding legal offer for the period of time set forth below in Section 5, Conditions of Offer.

mailto:amy.archer@state.mn.us https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/13.37 https://mn.gov/supplier

SECTION 2 – SUMMARY OF SCOPE

Procurement Overview and Goals.

The work covered under this solicitation shall consist of the labor, equipment, materials, tools, transportation, and incidentals necessary to cut white spruce and balsam fir trees, disposing of all material off-site, on approximately 3.7 acres in the Finland Picnic Area and Finland Recreation Area Group Camp located in Lake County.

This project is in response to continued spruce budworm issues in the area. The goal is to improve fire safety and reduce fuel load by cutting and removing all white spruce and balsam fir from the project area. The project boundary will be flagged.

Sample Tasks and Deliverables.

Review Exhibit C to the Sample Contract for Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work.

SECTION 3 – BID INSTRUCTIONS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Anticipated Contract Term.

The term of this contract is anticipated to be from Notice to Proceed through December 11, 2026.

Estimated Amount.

Any quantities shown in this solicitation are estimated quantities only and impose no obligation upon the State either minimum or maximum.

Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting.

A mandatory pre-bid will take place at the date and location listed. Responders must attend the pre-bid meeting prior to submitting their response. Responses received from responders that did not attend the pre-bid meeting will be rejected.

PRE-BID MEETING

LOCATION DATE AND TIME

Kiosk at the Finland Campground October 21, 2026 at 1:00 PM located on Highway 6/Little Marais Rd.

The pre-bid meeting format will adhere to social distancing and other guidance provided by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 (https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html). Attendees are responsible to bring their own face coverings. Prospective attendees exhibiting any cold or flu-like symptoms will not be admitted. These requirements may change; Responders are responsible for sending attendees who meet the requirements in effect at the time of the pre-bid meeting.

Question and Answer Instructions.

All questions should be submitted no later than the date and time listed in Section 1, Instructions to Responders. The State is not obligated to answer questions submitted after the question due date and time.

Only personnel listed above are authorized to discuss this solicitation with responders. Contact regarding this solicitation with any personnel not listed above could result in disqualification. This provision is not intended to prevent responders from seeking guidance from state procurement assistance programs regarding general procurement questions.

If a Responder discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in the solicitation, please immediately notify the contact person detailed above in writing of such error and request modification or clarification of the document.

Dispute Resolution Procedures.

Any issue a responder has with the RFB document, which includes, but is not limited to, the terms, conditions, and specifications, must be submitted in writing to the contact person for this solicitation prior to the solicitation opening due date and time. Any issue a responder has with the Contract award must be submitted in writing to the contact person for this solicitation within five business days from the time the intent to award or the Contract award date is made public. This public notice may be made by any of the following methods: notification by letter or email, posted on the OSP website, https://mn.gov/admin/osp/ , or electronic notification by our electronic procurement system, SWIFT. The State will respond to any protest received that follows the above procedure. For those protests that meet the above submission requirements, the appeal process is, in sequence: the contact person for this solicitation, the Office of State Procurement (OSP) Acquisitions Manager, and the OSP Director.

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html

SECTION 4 – RESPONSE CONTENT

Please submit the following information:

1. Responder must complete and submit “Attachment E: Vendor Qualification Form” with their response. Responder should answer every question and provide all information requested on the reference form. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the rejection of the entire response as non-responsive. The State reserves the right to verify the information submitted on the Attachment before an award is made. The State reserves the right to contact the references listed in the Attachment. The solicitation response will be rejected if the State, in its sole discretion, receives information that indicates the responder is non-responsible or non-responsive.

2. Responder must complete and submit “Attachment F: Equipment Specification Form” with their response.

Responder should answer every question and provide all information requested on the reference form. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the rejection of the entire response as non-responsive. The State reserves the right to verify the information submitted on the Attachment before an award is made. The State reserves the right to contact the references listed in the Attachment. The solicitation response will be rejected if the State, in its sole discretion, receives information that indicates the responder is non-responsible or non-responsive.

3. Cost Detail. A price schedule document will not be used for this solicitation. Responders must enter their bid price(s) in SWIFT at the unit line level.

Submit all requested documentation, including, but not limited to, the following documents:

1. Attachment E: Vendor Qualification

2. Attachment F: Equipment Specifications

DO NOT INCLUDE Non-Public/Trade Secret data (as defined by Minn. Stat. § 13.37).

SECTION 5 – UNENFORCEABLE TERMS AND SOLICITATION TERMS

Unenforceable Terms

As of July 1, 2025, certain terms are unenforceable in state contracts. See Session Laws, 2025 Regular Session, Chapter 39, Article 2, Section 45.

Unenforceable terms

(a) A contract entered into by the state shall not contain a term that:

(1) requires the state to defend, indemnify, or hold harmless another person or entity, unless specifically authorized by statute;

(2) binds a party by terms and conditions that may be unilaterally changed by the other party;

(3) requires mandatory arbitration;

(4) attempts to extend arbitration obligations to disputes unrelated to the original contract;

(5) construes the contract in accordance with the laws of a state other than Minnesota;

(6) obligates state funds in subsequent fiscal years in the form of automatic renewal as defined in section

325G.56; or

(7) is inconsistent with chapter 13, the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.

(b) If a contract is entered into that contains a term prohibited in paragraph (a), that term shall be void and the contract is enforceable as if it did not contain that term.

Solicitation Terms

Competition in Responding The State desires open and fair competition. Questions from responders regarding any of the requirements of the Solicitation must be submitted in writing to the Solicitation Administrator listed in the Solicitation before the due date and time. If changes are made the State will issue an addendum.

Any evidence of collusion among responders in any form designed to defeat competitive responses will be reported to the Minnesota Attorney General for investigation and appropriate action.

Addenda to the Solicitation Changes to the Solicitation will be made by addendum with notification and posted in the same manner as the original Solicitation. Any addenda issued will become part of the Solicitation.

Joint Ventures The State allows joint ventures among groups of responders when responding to the solicitation. However, one responder must submit a response on behalf of all the others in the group. The responder that submits the response will be considered legally responsible for the response (and the contract, if awarded).

Withdrawing Response A responder may withdraw its response prior to the due date and time of the Solicitation. For solicitations in the SWIFT Supplier Portal, a responder may withdraw its response from the SWIFT Supplier Portal. For solicitations done any other way, a responder may withdraw its response by notifying the Solicitation Administrator in writing of the desire to withdraw.

After the due date and time of this Solicitation, a responder may withdraw a response only upon showing that an obvious error exists in the response. The showing and request for withdrawal must be made in writing to Solicitation Administrator within a reasonable time and prior to the State’s detrimental reliance on the response.

Rights Reserved The State reserves the right to:

• Reject any and all responses received;

• Waive or modify any informalities, irregularities, or inconsistencies in the responses received;

• Require responders to conduct presentations, demonstrations, or submit samples;

• Award by location or item, including category, by groups of items, or all items (therefore, the responder is encouraged to offer a response for all locations or items); and

• Interview key personnel or references.

Samples and Demonstrations Upon request, responders are to provide samples to the State at no charge. Except for those destroyed or mutilated in testing, the State will return samples if requested and at the Responder’s expense. All costs to conduct and associated with a demonstration will be the sole responsibility of the Responder.

Responses are Nonpublic during Evaluation Process All materials submitted in response to this Solicitation will become property of the State. During the selection process, with the exception of information that becomes public after bids are due, all information concerning the responses submitted will remain private or nonpublic and will not be disclosed to anyone whose official duties do not require such knowledge. Responses are private or nonpublic data until the completion of the selection process as defined by Minn.

Stat. § 13.591. The completion of the selection process is defined as the State having completed its evaluation and has ranked the responses. The State will notify all responders in writing of the selection results.

Trade Secret Information

8.1 Responders must not submit as part of their response trade secret material, as defined by Minn. Stat. § 13.37.

8.2 In the event trade secret data are submitted, Responder must defend any action seeking release of data it believes to be trade secret, and indemnify and hold harmless the State, its agents and employees, from any judgments awarded against the State in favor of the party requesting the data, and any and all costs connected with that defense.

8.3 The State does not consider cost or prices to be trade secret material, as defined by Minn. Stat. § 13.37.

8.4 A responder may present and discuss trade secret information during an interview or demonstration with the State, if applicable.

Conditions of Offer Unless otherwise approved in writing by the State, Responder’s response pertaining to the sale of goods or general services will remain firm for 180 days, until it is accepted or rejected by the State.

Award Any award that may result from this solicitation will be based upon the established selection process. The State reserves the right to award this solicitation to a single responder, or to multiple responders, whichever is in the best interest of the State, providing each responder is in compliance with all terms and conditions of the solicitation. The State reserves the right to accept all or part of an offer, to reject all offers, to cancel the solicitation, or to re-issue the solicitation, whichever is in the best interest of the State.

Requirements Prior to Contract Execution Prior to contract execution, a responder receiving a contract award must comply with any submittal requests. A submittal request may include, but is not limited to, a Certificate of Insurance.

Preference Environmental The State desires to purchase environmentally responsible goods and services where practicable. When feasible and when the price of recycled materials does not exceed the price of non-recycled materials by more than 10%, the Commissioner, and State agencies when purchasing under delegated authority, must purchase recycled materials. See Minn. Stat. § 16C.0725.

Specifications A response will be held to strict compliance with the specifications. If a response deviates from the specifications, the deviation must be clearly noted and the State reserves the right to reject the response. All specifications are for new items unless otherwise noted in the solicitation. When brand name or manufacturer’s name or numbers are stated in the specifications, they are intended to establish a standard only and are not restrictive unless the solicitation states:

“No Substitute.” Responses may be considered on other alternate makes, models, or brands having comparable quality, style, and performance characteristics. Any alternates included in a response are subject to State approval.

Prohibited Substances.

Contractor shall not provide any goods containing triclosan, coal tar, or polybrominated diphenyl ether to the State.

Amara's Law (Minn. Stat. § 116.943) will take effect in Minnesota January 1, 2025, and applies all products sold or distributed under the contract. The law prohibits the sale or distribution of some products with intentionally added PFAS within Minnesota.

Distributor or Manufacturer’s Representative If your company is a distributor or manufacturer’s representative, as defined in MN Rules 1230.0150, and you are submitting an offer on behalf of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), your company must either:

• Be listed on the OEM’s website as an authorized distributor or an authorized manufacturer’s representative, or

• You must provide a letter from the OEM, on the OEM letterhead, stating the Responder is authorized to sell the specific product listed in the Solicitation, or the OEM’s full line of products, and that all OEM equipment warranties are applicable. (This requirement may be met by attaching the OEM letter to the Solicitation response.)

The Responder shall be the single point of contact through which customers will arrange warranty work that is still covered under the original equipment manufacturer’s warranty on the equipment that is purchased.

Pursuant to MN Rules 1230.0150, responses from brokers will not be accepted.

Prompt Payment Discounts Offered If a responder offers a discount for a payment made in less than 30 days, this discount will not be considered in the evaluation of the response. A prompt payment discount will be calculated from the date of acceptance of an undisputed invoice or upon the date a disputed invoice is resolved.

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/116.943#stat.116.943