Autonomous_RFI.pdf

Equipment Acquisitions

6000 Minnehaha Ave St. Paul, MN 55111

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION SWIFT EVENT No. 18512

July 17, 2026

To: All Interested Suppliers

Re: Commercially Available Autonomous Mowing Equipment

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to Minnesota based suppliers for autonomous mowing equipment that are currently commercially available for purchase. This RFI is being conducted in support of the State of Minnesota’s Transportation SFY26– SFY27 Biennial Budget, Sec. 112: Autonomous Mowers Research and Development. The purpose of this RFI is to gather information on existing autonomous mower technologies, their operational capabilities, and their applicability to MnDOT’s roadway, rest areas, surrounding areas, traffic management, and vegetation management needs.

MnDOT will be hosting a one-day autonomous mower demonstration on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, with alternate dates of August 19 and 20, 2026 reserved for weather or unforeseen circumstances. The workshop will be held at the MnROAD Research Facility located at 9011 77th St NE, Otsego, Minnesota 55362. This closed course environment includes controlled areas that replicate rest area mowing, highway right of way ditch mowing, and vegetation management conditions. Responders representing commercially available product(s) will have the opportunity to provide classroom style presentations and field demonstrations.

A one-day site access period (Monday, August 10, 2026) will be provided prior to the workshop for mapping, boundary establishment, and exclusion zone setup. MnDOT intends to present equitable demonstration conditions across all participating vendors.

MnDOT requests that interested suppliers provide responses to the following items:

Availability & Willingness

• Confirm attendance regarding the workshop date. If yes, please provide your company name and company attendee(s) who will be present. Please include Name, Title, Phone and Email of all who will be present. Please send all the required information along with answers to the following questions to the contact listed below by Monday, July 27, 2026.

• Confirm that you intend to provide a classroom demonstration lasting no more than 20 minutes, including time for questions and answers. Responders will also be required to complete a field demonstration once all attendees have finished the classroom portion.

Demonstration Area, Operation & Equipment Information

• Identify the type of autonomous system used (e.g., fully autonomous, semi-autonomous, supervised operation).

• Identify the make and model, and if available, provide a website where specifications are listed.

• Detail battery life and charging requirements.

• Describe any operational limitations, sensor constraints, terrain restrictions, or boundary requirements.

• Identify the mowing application to be demonstrated (rest area, right of way, vegetation management, other).

• Provide the maximum grass height your equipment can effectively mow in wet and dry conditions.

• List any environmental conditions or limitations relevant to your equipment.

• Describe any app-based setup, restart procedures, or connectivity requirements.

• Provide any product licensing, software licensing, or end user license agreement that pertains to the product’s purchase or use.

• Provide any product service or maintenance plans and product warranties associated with makes and models that pertain to the product’s purchase or use.

• Provide the expected life expectancy of the product and any associated product trade-in options at or before the end-of-life cycle of products being presented.

Site Preparation

• Confirm whether one day (Monday, August 10, 2026) for mapping boundary and exclusion areas is acceptable. MnDOT staff will be on location to provide access to demonstration areas.

Administrative

• Confirm whether your insurance coverage extends to participation in this event. Please see insurance requirements in Attachment A.

• Indicate whether you have any concerns with a media blackout during the workshop.

This RFI is issued solely for information gathering and planning purposes. It does not constitute a solicitation, nor will it result in a direct contract award. The information may be used in a subsequent procurement process. MnDOT greatly appreciates your willingness to support this research effort and invites your organization to participate.

Please direct any questions and/or clarifications regarding this RFI to the contact listed below by Wednesday, July 22, 2026. All questions/clarifications must be submitted via email.

Agency Contact: Brandon Jones

E-mail Address: brandon.k.jones@state.mn.us mailto:brandon.k.jones@state.mn.us