3-Manoomin Access Contract - RFP.pdf

Manoomin (Wild Rice) Access Project

Request for Proposal for Prime Construction Contractor

Posted: July 10, 2026

Deadline for Proposal Submission: July 24, 2026, at 3:30 pm CDT

I. INTRODUCTION

To provide safe and easy access to Manoomin harvesting opportunities for Tribal members, the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (“Tribe”) is soliciting bids for materials and contractor services to construct new access points for Manoomin harvesting (the “Project”) on the Ottawa National Forest in partnership with the United

States Forest Service (USFS). The Tribe will use funds provided by the USFS and is therefore subject to certain labor and procurement requirements under federal law. In addition to USFS funds, the Tribe is supporting completion of the project with in-kind contributions.

II. SCOPE OF WORK: MANOOMIN ACCESS POINTS

This Project will include all the items identified in the accompanying plans and project specifications for Manoomin Access Project, in full or in part according to the options listed in the schedule of items that are awarded.

III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Tribe is seeking competitive proposals from General Contractors to complete the construction of up to four (4) Manoomin Access points on USFS federal lands as follows:

• Access from Sucker Lake Road (CTH 206) to Sucker Lake in Gogebic County, Michigan (Option A)

• Access from Sucker Lake Road (CTH 206) to Brush Lake in Gogebic County, Michigan (Option B)

• Access from Old US 2 (CTH 208) to the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River in

Gogebic County, Michigan (Option C)

• Access from Forest Road 3340 to Mallard Lake in Iron County, Michigan

(Option D)

Work will include site preparation, road construction, traffic control, parking lot construction, access trails, canoe launch points, and site restoration to the extent shown on the attached plans and specifications. Note that some materials will be furnished by the government as stated in the plan notes. Contractor will be responsible for obtaining all required permits for this Project. The Tribe may involve USFS inspectors for construction.

IV. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS

Applicants should carefully examine Request for Proposal documents to familiarize themselves with applicable requirements prior to submitting a proposal. All questions during the proposal period should be forwarded, in writing, to Program Contact, Alina J.

Shively, alina.shively@LVD-NSN.gov.

Prior to submitting a proposal, each applicant should familiarize themselves with all applicable laws, codes, ordinances, rules, and regulations affecting the type of work described within Section II.

V. PRE-QUALIFICATION

In order to submit a Proposal, the applicant and key staff assigned to the project must be licensed and insured, if applicable, under all applicable laws in the State of Michigan.

Applicants must have demonstrated prior experience in work of a similar scope.

The applicant must possess and maintain insurance coverage throughout the Project, naming the Tribe as additional insured with the minimum amounts stated below:

• $1,000,000 Professional Liability Insurance

• $1,000,000 General Liability Insurance

• $1,000,000 Error and Omissions Liability Insurance

VI. PROPOSAL ATTACHMENT

All proposals must include:

1. The following information about your company:

a. Name of company

b. Address of company

c. Email address, telephone, and fax number

d. Name of primary contact

2. Brief History of company:

a. Size of company and staff

b. Years in business

c. Prior experience with Tribes or USFS, if applicable

3. Resumes of key personnel assigned to project:

a. Name(s)

b. Years of service with company

c. Education

d. Professional experience

4. Identification of subcontractors

a. Name(s)

b. Size of company and staff

c. Years in business

d. Prior experience with Tribes or USFS, if applicable

5. Project Experience: List up to ten (10) projects completed with a similar scope of work to this project. For each project include:

a. Name and location

b. Project manager

c. Scope of project

d. Budget

e. Completion date

f. Project owner/client’s point of contact

g. Project owner/client’s phone number and email address

6. Legal proceedings: Identify any ongoing, pending, or resolved legal proceedings i.e., arbitration, complaint, or other court action, filed against your company for all projects or any individual related to the work of your company within the last five

(5) years.

7. Pricing: Provide a lump sum fixed fee including all reimbursable expenses for the completion of the scope of work set forth in your proposal. The contract award may include any or all the four options described in Section III.

Note: When preparing the bid, the following items should be considered:

The Tribe is exempt from State of Michigan sales tax; therefore, all materials purchased within Michigan for the project will not be subject to sales tax.

VII. PROPOSAL STANDARDS

Applicants are required to submit an original proposal and five (5) copies in an envelope clearly marked “Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Manoomin

Access Project – Prime Contractor), Attn: Patrick Garrison, Tribal Treasurer”. Each page of the proposal must clearly identify what company the proposal is from. Proposals will be accepted from July 10, 2026, until July 14, 2026, at 3:30 P.M. in either of the following forms:

1. Hand Delivered:

Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians

Tribal Administrative Offices

Attn: Patrick Garrison, Tribal Treasurer

N4698 US Hwy 45

Watersmeet, MI 49969

2. First Class Mail:

Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (Manoomin Access Project

– Prime Contractor)

Attn: Patrick Garrison, Tribal Treasurer

PO Box 249

Watersmeet, MI 49969

NOTE: Companies submitting proposals by First Class Mail should allow sufficient time for delivery to ensure receipt by the date/time as specified above.

Proposals received after the deadline will be returned to the applicant unopened and will not be accepted.

All proposal pricing must remain fixed for a period of ninety (90) days following the bid closure on July 14, 2026, at 3:30 P.M. CDT and contain a signed statement to this effect.

VIII. TERMS OF CONTRACT

Proposals will be accepted from non-Native as well as Native-owned economic enterprises or organizations. The Tribe will provide preference to all qualified Natives and Native-owned economic enterprises or organizations in accordance with applicable law.

Any bidder seeking Native Preference in this award must provide evidence satisfactory to the Tribe that it is not less than fifty-one percent (51%) Native owned, operated and controlled.

The Tribe reserves the right, in its own discretion, to accept or reject any and all responses, to waive any irregularity and/or informality in any response and to request and receive additional information from any supplier when such acceptance, rejection, waiver or request is in the best interest of the Tribe.

The Tribe will enter into a contract with the supplier that best preserves the sovereign immunity of the Tribe.

The Tribe reserves the right, despite the application of Native Preference as noted above, to select the supplier with the proposal that the Tribe believes, in its sole and absolute discretion, provides the greater benefit considering the estimated cost.

The Tribe reserves the right to decline to select a Contractor for this project.

The contract will not create an employment relationship. Neither the supplier nor any of the employees thereof who perform work under the contract will be, in any way, considered employees of the Tribe.

The costs of travel to and from the Tribe, if required, and other related travel expenses will be borne by the supplier and will not be reimbursed separately from the fee to be awarded under the Contract.

Note: Work performed under this contract shall be subject to a warranty period as described in FAR Clause 52.246-21.

IX. DOCUMENTATION

Failure to provide sufficient information for the evaluation criteria will result in the loss of points or being deemed unresponsive. The Tribe reserves the right to verify the validity of all information provided.

X. RANKING CRITERIA

Award of the contract resulting from this RFP will be based upon the most responsive and responsible prime contractor whose bid will be the most advantageous to the Tribe in terms of cost, functionality, and other factors as specified below. This evaluation will be calculated in accordance with the following evaluation criteria and the respective point values assigned. Consideration of the award will be determined based on the accumulation of points. Please note that the USFS will be represented in the bid review process.

Evaluation Criteria Points

1. EXPERIENCE 25

Within the last five years, the company’s owner(s) and key personnel have performed work for ten

(10) projects with a similar scope.

Within the last five years, the company’s owner(s) and key personnel have performed work for seven (7) projects with a similar scope.

Within the last five years, the company’s owner(s) and key personnel have performed work for five

(5) projects with a similar scope.

Within the last five years, the company’s owner(s) and key personnel have performed work for less than five (5) projects with a similar scope.

2. REFERENCES 20

The Tribe will select a number of references from each company’s proposal. A Tribal representative will contact the selected references and ask the same pre-determined questions. Based upon the scoring of the responses, an average will be determined and the appropriate points awarded to the applicant’s proposal.

Contractors receiving an average of five (5) points will receive 20

Contractors receiving an average of four (4) points will receive 15

Contractors receiving an average of three (3) points will receive 10

Contractors receiving an average of two (2) points will receive 0

3. PRICING 20

The Contractor is the lowest responsive bidder. 20

The Contractor is the second lowest responsive bidder. 16

The Contractor is the third lowest responsive bidder. 12

All others will receive. 8

4. TIMELINE 20

Contractors committing to completing the project within six (6) weeks of signing a contract will receive twenty points.

Contractors committing to completing the project within eight (8) weeks of signing a contract will receive sixteen (16) points.

Contractors committing to completing the project within ten (10) ten weeks of signing a contract will receive twelve (12) points.

All others will receive ten (10) points. 10

Attachments:

A – Design Plans for Construction

ATTACHMENT

A