Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) 8 6 26.docx

Michigan.gov/MiProcurement

Michigan.gov/MiProcurement

INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE # 260000000036

NOTICE OF INTENT TO NEGOTIATE AND CONTRACT WITH A SINGLE PROVIDER

Date: August 11, 2026 The State of Michigan intends to make a purchase for which it believes there is no viable alternative. The purpose of this notice is to attempt to identify possible alternatives.

Requestor: Michigan Department of Transportation, Blue Water Bridge

1. State Contact Information:

The sole point of contact concerning this Invitation to Negotiate is:

Terry Harris, Solicitation Manager Telephone number 1-517-294-0870 HarrisT@michigan.gov

2. Description of Purchase:

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) would like to continue its agreement with a TPA to provide equipment and data from the Border Wait Time System, utilized at Blue Water Bridge (BWB). This system is currently utilized both on the Canadian side and the US side of the bridge providing estimated wait times, at the border crossing, between the respective countries toll and customs booths. TPA-NA is a single source provider of the equipment utilized for monitoring the Border Wait Time system.

The components of the current system utilized, both on the Canadian and US sides of BWB Bridge, are end of life, failing, and require replacement; upgrading to the current technology standard provided by TPA-NA. The physical bridge device components will be upgraded but the current physical control servers, located on both the Canadian and US sides, will be removed and the control portion will be moved to a dedicated cloud service hosted by TPA-NA. Both the Canadian side (MTO/FBCL) and the US side (MDOT) will be responsible for their respective yearly hosting service fee. The physical server option is no longer offered nor supported.

TPA-NA, under the upgraded cloud control hosting, will remotely receive data from all US side devices and be able to remote configure/upgrade firmware as needed. The current ATMS system, that MDOT utilizes, will continue to be able to access the data from the cloud hosting service. The IP address, that ATMS currently has programmed will be updated to the new cloud hosting; ATMS will not see any data changes otherwise. TPA-NA will also work with MTO/FBCL keeping their respective devices updated and online.

3. Commodity Code References: 55080

4. Description of Action: Traffic Controls and Equipment, Electrical Systems Three-year contract with two one-year option renewals.

5. Intended Source: TPA-North America Inc., 3335 Yonge St. Suite 405, Toronto, ON. M4N2M1

6. Questions:

Questions concerning the Invitation to Negotiate must be emailed to the Solicitation Manager at Harrist@michigan.gov no later than 3:00pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, August 17, 2026. In the interest of transparency, only written questions will be accepted. Answers to questions will be posted on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS.

7. Response Deadline:

Any potential bidder who does not agree that this good or service is available only from the intended source, must submit a response via email to the Solicitation Manager at Harrist@michigan.gov. The response must be received in the email inbox by 3:00 pm Easter Time, 8/21/2026. The emailed response must include a detailed description of the product or service being offered as an equivalent.

The following documents, Vendor Questions Worksheet, and Standard Contract Terms are sample documents that bidders interested in State of Michigan contracts should be familiar with. Response or acceptance of the attached documents are not requirements for expressing interest in the Invitation to Negotiate.

VENDOR QUESTIONS WORKSHEET

Provide a detailed response to each question. “You” and “company” refers to the bidder.

Contact Information

Company Background Information

If receiving a contract under this RFP will increase your gross revenue by more than 25% from last year’s sales, explain how the company will scale-up to manage this increase.

Qualified Disabled Veteran/Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Program

To demonstrate qualification as a qualified disabled veteran, you must provide:

(a) Proof of service and conditions of discharge (DD214 or equivalent);

(b) Proof of service-connected disability (DD214 if the disability was documented at discharge or Veterans Administration Rating Decision Letter or equivalent if the disability was documented after discharge); and

(c) Legal documents setting forth the ownership of the business entity.

In lieu of the documentation identified above, you may provide proof of certification by the National Veterans Business Development Council.

Enter the filenames of documents submitted with your proposal to demonstrate status as a qualified disabled veteran.

Participation in RFP Development or Evaluation

If you enter “YES”, you are not eligible for contract award or to work as a subcontractor for the awarded vendor.

If you enter “YES,” you are not eligible for contract award. An awarded vendor may not partner or subcontract with anyone to provide goods and services required under a resulting contract if that subcontractor or partner assisted in the development of this solicitation.

If you enter “YES”, you are not eligible for contract award or to work as a subcontractor for the awarded vendor.

State of Michigan Experience and Prior Experience

Use the rows below to describe your applicable experience.

Experience 1

Company name.

Contact name.

Contact role at time of project.

Contact phone.

Contact email.

State.

Zip.

2. What role did your company play?

3. How is this project experience relevant to the subject of this Solicitation?

Company name.

Contact role at time of project.

Contact phone.

Contact email.

State.

Zip.

2. What role did your company play?

3. How is this project experience relevant to the subject of this Solicitation?

Company name.

Contact role at time of project.

Contact phone.

Contact email.

State.

Zip.

2. What role did your company play?

3. How is this project experience relevant to the subject of this Solicitation?

Standard Contract Terms

Insurance Requirements

Michigan Voluntary Protection Program

Michigan Economic Impact

Labor, Antidiscrimination and Environmental Law Compliance

Prevailing Wage

Other

Response to State Requests

Standard Contract Terms Bidder Instructions

Bidders must propose all changes utilizing the track changes feature in Word. Bidders must explain the reason for the requested change utilizing the comment feature in Word. Bidders who provide redlines as part of their initial bid submission but fail to note justifications for each red line provided, may be disqualified The State may choose not to accept any redlines proposed by Bidders after the initial bid submission. Additionally, General statements, such as that the Bidder reserves the right to negotiate the terms and conditions or extensive redlines, may be considered non-responsive.

☐ I confirm that I have read and understand the instructions provided above.

This STANDARD CONTRACT (“Contract”) is agreed to between the State of Michigan (the “State”) and Insert Company Name (“Contractor”), a Insert State & Entity Status, e.g., a Michigan corporation or a Texas limited liability company. This Contract is effective on Month, Day, Year (“Effective Date”), and unless terminated, will expire on Month, Day, Year (the “Term”).

This Contract may be renewed for up to two (2) one (1) year period(s). Renewal is at the sole discretion of the State and will automatically extend the Term of this Contract. The State will document its exercise of renewal options via Contract Change Notice.

The parties agree as follows:

Duties of Contractor.

Contractor must perform the services and provide the deliverables (the “Contract Activities”) described in a Statement of Work, the initial Statement of Work is attached as Schedule A – Statement of Work. An obligation to provide delivery of any commodity is considered a service and is a Contract Activity.

Contractor must furnish all labor, equipment, materials, and supplies necessary for the performance of the Contract Activities unless otherwise specified in a Statement of Work.

Contractor must: (a) perform the Contract Activities in a timely, professional, safe, and workmanlike manner consistent with standards in the trade, profession, or industry; (b) meet or exceed the performance and operational standards, and specifications of the Contract; (c) provide all Contract Activities in good quality, with no material defects; (d) not interfere with the State’s operations; (e) obtain and maintain all necessary licenses, permits or other authorizations necessary for the performance of the Contract; (f) cooperate with the State, including the State’s quality assurance personnel, and any third party to achieve the objectives of the Contract; (g) return to the State any State-furnished equipment or other resources in the same condition as when provided when no longer required for the Contract; (h) assign to the State any claims resulting from state or federal antitrust violations to the extent that those violations concern materials or services supplied by third parties toward fulfillment of the Contract; (i) comply with all State physical and IT security policies and standards which will be made available upon request; and (j) provide the State priority in performance of the Contract except as mandated by federal disaster response requirements. Any breach under this paragraph is considered a material breach.

Contractor must also be clearly identifiable while on State property by wearing identification issued by the State, and clearly identify themselves whenever making contact with the State.

Notices.

All notices and other communications required or permitted under this Contract must be in writing and will be considered given and received: (a) when verified by written receipt if sent by courier; (b) when actually received if sent by mail without verification of receipt; or (c) when verified by automated receipt or electronic logs if sent by facsimile or email.

Terry Harris MDOT-CSD-Purchasing 425 West Ottawa Street Lansing, MI 48933 517-249-0870 HarrisT@michigan.gov Name Street Address City, State, Zip Email Phone

Contract Administrator.

The Contract Administrator, or the individual duly authorized for each party, is the only person authorized to modify any terms of this Contract, and approve and execute any change under this Contract (each a “Contract Administrator”):

Terry Harris MDOT-CSD-Purchasing 425 West Ottawa Street Lansing, MI 48933 517-249-0870 HarrisT@michigan.gov Name Street Address City, State, Zip

Program Manager.

The Program Manager for each party will monitor and coordinate the day-to-day activities of the Contract (each a “Program Manager”):

Connie Zeller Blue Water Bridge 1410 Elmwood Port Huron, MI 48060 ZellerC1@michigan.gov 810-984-3131

Name Street Address City, State, Zip

Performance Guarantee.

Contractor must at all times have financial resources sufficient, in the opinion of the State, to ensure performance of the Contract and must provide proof upon request. The State may require a performance bond (as specified in a Statement of Work) if, in the opinion of the State, it will ensure performance of the Contract.

Insurance Requirements.

General Requirements. Contractor, at its sole expense, must maintain the insurance coverage as specified herein for the duration of the Term. Minimum limits may be satisfied by any combination of primary liability, umbrella or excess liability, and self-insurance coverage. To the extent damages are covered by any required insurance, Contractor waives all rights against the State for such damages. Failure to maintain required insurance does not limit this waiver.

Qualification of Insurers. Except for self-insured coverage, all policies must be written by an insurer with an A.M. Best rating of A- VII or higher unless otherwise approved by DTMB Enterprise Risk Management.

Primary and Non-Contributory Coverage. All policies for which the State of Michigan is required to be named as an additional insured must be on a primary and non-contributory basis.

Claims-Made Coverage. If any required policies provide claims-made coverage, Contractor must:

Maintain coverage and provide evidence of coverage for at least 3 years after the later of the expiration or termination of the Contract or the completion of all its duties under the Contract;

Purchase extended reporting coverage for a minimum of 3 years after completion of work if coverage is cancelled or not renewed, and not replaced with another claims-made policy form with a retroactive date prior to the Effective Date of this Contract Proof of Insurance Insurance certificates showing evidence of coverage as required herein must be submitted to the Contract Administrator within 10 days of the contract execution date.

Renewal insurance certificates must be provided on annual basis or as otherwise commensurate with the effective dates of coverage for any insurance required herein.

Insurance certificates must be in the form of a standard ACORD Insurance Certificate unless otherwise approved by DTMB Enterprise Risk Management.

All insurance certificates must clearly identify the Contract Number (e.g., notated under the Description of Operations on an ACORD form).

The State may require additional proofs of insurance or solvency, including but not limited to policy declarations, policy endorsements, policy schedules, self-insured certification or authorization, and audited financial statements.

In the event any required coverage is cancelled or not renewed, Contractor must provide written notice to the Contract Administrator no later than 5 business days following such cancellation or nonrenewal.

Subcontractors. Contractor is responsible for ensuring its subcontractors, if any, carry and maintain insurance coverage as applicable to the subcontracted service(s).

Limits of Coverage & Specific Endorsements.

Commercial General Liability Insurance

Minimum Limits:

$1,000,000 Each Occurrence $1,000,000 Personal & Advertising Injury $2,000,000 Products/Completed Operations $2,000,000 General Aggregate Contractor must have their policy endorsed to add “the State of Michigan, its departments, divisions, agencies, offices, commissions, officers, employees, and agents” as additional insureds using endorsement CG 20 10 11 85, or both CG 20 10 12 19 and CG 20 37 12 19.

Coverage must not have exclusions or limitations related to sexual abuse and molestation liability.

Automobile Liability Insurance

Minimum Limits:

$1,000,000 Per Accident Contractor must have their policy: (1) endorsed to add “the State of Michigan, its departments, divisions, agencies, offices, commissions, officers, employees, and agents” as additional insureds; and (2) include Hired and Non-Owned Automobile coverage.

Workers Compensation Insurance

Minimum Limits:

Coverage according to applicable laws governing work activities.

Waiver of subrogation, except where waiver is prohibited by law.

Employers Liability Insurance

Minimum Limits:

$500,000 Each Accident $500,000 Each Employee by Disease $500,000 Aggregate Disease

Non-Waiver. This Section 6 is not intended to and is not to be construed in any manner as waiving, restricting or limiting the liability of either party for any obligations under this Contract, including any provisions hereof requiring Contractor to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the State.

RESERVED.

RESERVED.

Relationship of the Parties.

The relationship between the parties is that of independent contractors. Contractor, its employees, and agents will not be considered employees of the State. No partnership or joint venture relationship is created by virtue of this Contract. Contractor, and not the State, is responsible for the payment of wages, benefits and taxes of Contractor’s employees and any subcontractors. Prior performance does not modify Contractor’s status as an independent contractor. Neither party has authority to contract for nor bind the other party in any manner whatsoever.

Intellectual Property Rights.

If a Statement of Work requires Contractor to create any intellectual property, Contractor hereby acknowledges that the State is and will be the sole and exclusive owner of all right, title, and interest in the Contract Activities and all associated intellectual property rights, if any. Such Contract Activities are works made for hire as defined in Section 101 of the Copyright Act of 1976. To the extent any Contract Activities and related intellectual property do not qualify as works made for hire under the Copyright Act, Contractor will, and hereby does, immediately on its creation, assign, transfer and otherwise convey to the State, irrevocably and in perpetuity, throughout the universe, all right, title and interest in and to the Contract Activities, including all intellectual property rights therein.

Subcontracting.

Contractor may not delegate any of its obligations under the Contract without the prior written approval of the State. Contractor must notify the State at least 90 calendar days before the proposed delegation and provide the State any information it requests to determine whether the delegation is in its best interest. If approved, Contractor must: (a) be the sole point of contact regarding all contractual matters, including payment and charges for all Contract Activities; (b) make all payments to the subcontractor; and (c) incorporate the terms and conditions contained in this Contract in any subcontract with a subcontractor. Contractor remains responsible for the completion of the Contract Activities, compliance with the terms of this Contract, and the acts and omissions of the subcontractor. The State, in its sole discretion, may require the replacement of any subcontractor.

Staffing.

The State’s Contract Administrator may require Contractor to remove or reassign personnel providing services by providing a notice to Contractor.

Background Checks.

Pursuant to Michigan law, all agencies subject to IRS Pub. 1075 are required to ask the Michigan State Police to perform fingerprint background checks on all employees, including Contractor and Subcontractor employees, who may have access to any database of information maintained by the federal government that contains confidential or personal information, including, but not limited to, federal tax information. Further, pursuant to Michigan law, any agency described above is prohibited from providing Contractors or Subcontractors with the result of such background check. For more information, please see Michigan Public Act 427 of 2018. Upon request, or as may be specified in a Statement of Work, Contractor must perform background checks on all employees and subcontractors and its employees prior to their assignment. The scope is at the discretion of the State and documentation must be provided as requested. Contractor is responsible for all costs associated with the requested background checks. The State, in its sole discretion, may also perform background checks.

Assignment.

Contractor may not assign this Contract to any other party without the prior approval of the State. Upon notice to Contractor, the State, in its sole discretion, may assign in whole or in part, its rights or responsibilities under this Contract to any other party. If the State determines that a novation of the Contract to a third party is necessary, Contractor will agree to the novation and provide all necessary documentation and signatures.

Change of Control.

Contractor will notify the State, within 30 days of any public announcement or otherwise once legally permitted to do so, of a change in Contractor’s organizational structure or ownership. For purposes of this Contract, a change in control means any of the following: (a) a sale of more than 50% of Contractor’s stock; (b) a sale of substantially all of Contractor’s assets; (c) a change in a majority of Contractor’s board members; (d) consummation of a merger or consolidation of Contractor with any other entity; (e) a change in ownership through a transaction or series of transactions; (f) or the board (or the stockholders) approves a plan of complete liquidation. A change of control does not include any consolidation or merger effected exclusively to change the domicile of Contractor, or any transaction or series of transactions principally for bona fide equity financing purposes.

In the event of a change of control, Contractor must require the successor to assume this Contract and all of its obligations under this Contract.

Ordering.

Contractor is not authorized to begin performance until receipt of authorization as identified in a Statement of Work.

Acceptance.

Contract Activities are subject to inspection and testing by the State within 30 calendar days of the State’s receipt of them (“State Review Period”), unless otherwise provided in a Statement of Work. If the Contract Activities are not fully accepted by the State, the State will notify Contractor by the end of the State Review Period that either: (a) the Contract Activities are accepted but noted deficiencies must be corrected; or (b) the Contract Activities are rejected. If the State finds material deficiencies, it may: (i) reject the Contract Activities without performing any further inspections; (ii) demand performance at no additional cost; or (iii) terminate this Contract in accordance with Section 24, Termination for Cause.

Within 10 business days from the date of Contractor’s receipt of notification of acceptance with deficiencies or rejection of any Contract Activities, Contractor must cure, at no additional cost, the deficiency and deliver unequivocally acceptable Contract Activities to the State. If acceptance with deficiencies or rejection of the Contract Activities impacts the content or delivery of other non-completed Contract Activities, the parties’ respective Program Managers must determine an agreed to number of days for re-submission that minimizes the overall impact to the Contract. However, nothing herein affects, alters, or relieves Contractor of its obligations to correct deficiencies in accordance with the time response standards set forth in this Contract.

If Contractor is unable or refuses to correct the deficiency within the time response standards set forth in this Contract, the State may cancel the order in whole or in part. The State, or a third party identified by the State, may perform the Contract Activities and recover the difference between the cost to cure and the Contract price plus an additional 10% administrative fee.

RESERVED.

RESERVED.

Warranty Period.

The warranty period, if applicable, for Contract Activities is a fixed period commencing on the date specified in a Statement of Work. If the Contract Activities do not function as warranted during the warranty period, the State may return such non-conforming Contract Activities to the Contractor for a full refund.

Invoices and Payment.

Invoices must conform to the requirements communicated from time-to-time by the State. All undisputed amounts are payable within 45 days of the State’s receipt. Contractor may only charge for Contract Activities provided as specified in a Statement of Work. Invoices must include an itemized statement of all charges. The State is exempt from federal excise tax, state, and local sales taxes, and use taxes if the Contract Activities purchased under this Contract are for the State’s exclusive use. Contractor will not include the collection of taxes for which the State is exempt in any invoices or payments related to this Contract. The State is not responsible for taxes imposed or assessed on Contractor.

The State has the right to withhold payment of any disputed amounts until the parties agree as to the validity of the disputed amount. The State will notify Contractor of any dispute within a reasonable time. Payment by the State will not constitute a waiver of any rights as to Contractor’s continuing obligations, including claims for deficiencies or substandard Contract Activities. Contractor’s acceptance of final payment by the State constitutes a waiver of all claims by Contractor against the State for payment under this Contract, other than those claims previously filed in writing on a timely basis and still disputed.

The State will only disburse payments under this Contract through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Contractor must register with the State at http://www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS to receive electronic fund transfer payments. If Contractor does not register, the State is not liable for failure to provide payment. Without prejudice to any other right or remedy it may have, the State reserves the right to set off at any time any amount then due and owing to it by Contractor against any amount payable by the State to Contractor under this Contract.

Excluding federal government charges and terms, Contractor warrants and agrees that each of the fees, economic or product terms or warranties granted pursuant to this Contract are comparable to or better than the equivalent fees, economic or product term or warranty being offered to any commercial or government customer (including any public educational institution within the State of Michigan) of Contractor. If Contractor enters into any arrangements with another customer of Contractor to provide the products or services, available under this Contract, under more favorable prices, as the prices may be indicated on Contractor’s current U.S. and International price list or comparable document, then this Contract will be deemed amended as of the date of such other arrangements to incorporate those more favorable prices, and Contractor will immediately notify the State of such fee and formally memorialize the new pricing in a change notice.

Liquidated Damages.

Liquidated damages, if applicable, will be assessed as described in a Statement of Work. The parties understand and agree that any liquidated damages (which includes but is not limited to applicable credits) set forth in this Contract are reasonable estimates of the State’s damages in accordance with applicable law. The parties acknowledge and agree that Contractor could incur liquidated damages for more than 1 event. The assessment of liquidated damages will not constitute a waiver or release of any other remedy the State may have under this Contract for Contractor’s breach of this Contract, including without limitation, the State’s right to terminate this Contract for cause under Section 24 and the State will be entitled in its discretion to recover actual damages caused by Contractor’s failure to perform its obligations under this Contract. However, the State will reduce such actual damages by the amounts of liquidated damages received for the same events causing the actual damages. Amounts due the State as liquidated damages may be set off against any fees payable to Contractor under this Contract, or the State may bill Contractor as a separate item and Contractor will promptly make payments on such bills.

Stop Work Order.

The State may suspend any or all activities under the Contract at any time. The State will provide Contractor a written stop work order detailing the suspension. Contractor must comply with the stop work order upon receipt. Within 90 calendar days, or any longer period agreed to by Contractor, the State will either: (a) issue a notice authorizing Contractor to resume work, or (b) terminate the Contract or delivery order. The State will not pay for Contract Activities, Contractor’s lost profits, or any additional compensation during a stop work period.

Termination for Cause.

(a) The State may terminate this Contract for cause, in whole or in part, if Contractor, as determined by the State: (i) endangers the value, integrity, or security of any facility, data, or personnel; (ii) becomes insolvent, petitions for bankruptcy court proceedings, or has an involuntary bankruptcy proceeding filed against it by any creditor; (iii) engages in any conduct that may expose the State to liability; (iv) breaches any of its material duties or obligations under this Contract; or (v) fails to cure a breach within the time stated by the State in a notice of breach, if in its sole discretion the State has chosen to provide a time to cure. Any reference to specific breaches being material breaches within this Contract will not be construed to mean that other breaches are not material.

(b) If the State terminates this Contract under this Section, the State will issue a termination notice specifying whether Contractor must: (i) cease performance immediately. Contractor must submit all invoices for Contract Activities accepted by the State within 30 days of the date of termination. Failure to submit an invoice within that timeframe will constitute a waiver by Contractor for any amounts due to Contractor for Contract Activities accepted by the State under this Contract or (ii) continue to perform for a specified period. If it is later determined that Contractor was not in breach of the Contract, the termination will be deemed to have been a Termination for Convenience, effective as of the same date, and the rights and obligations of the parties will be limited to those provided in Section 25, Termination for Convenience.

The State will only pay for amounts due to Contractor for Contract Activities accepted by the State on or before the date of termination, subject to the State’s right to set off any amounts owed by the Contractor for the State’s reasonable costs in terminating this Contract. Contractor must promptly reimburse to the State any fees prepaid by the State prorated to the date of such termination, including any prepaid fees. The Contractor must pay all reasonable costs incurred by the State in terminating this Contract for cause, including administrative costs, attorneys’ fees, court costs, transition costs, and any costs the State incurs to procure the Contract Activities from other sources.

Termination for Convenience.

The State may immediately terminate this Contract in whole or in part without penalty and for any reason or no reason, including but not limited to, appropriation or budget shortfalls. The termination notice will specify whether Contractor must: (a) cease performance of the Contract Activities immediately. Contractor must submit all invoices for Contract Activities accepted by the State within 30 days of the date of termination. Failure to submit an invoice within that timeframe will constitute a waiver by Contractor for any amounts due Contractor for Contract Activities accepted by the State under this Contract, or (b) continue to perform the Contract Activities in accordance with Section 26, Transition Responsibilities. If the State terminates this Contract for convenience, the State will pay all reasonable costs, as determined by the State, for State approved Transition Responsibilities to the extent the funds are available.

Transition Responsibilities.

Upon termination or expiration of this Contract for any reason, Contractor must, for a period of time specified by the State (not to exceed 90 calendar days), provide all reasonable transition assistance requested by the State, to allow for the expired or terminated portion of the Contract Activities to continue without interruption or adverse effect, and to facilitate the orderly transfer of such Contract Activities to the State or its designees. Such transition assistance may include, but is not limited to: (a) continuing to perform the Contract Activities at the established Contract rates; (b) taking all reasonable and necessary measures to transition performance of the work, including all applicable Contract Activities, training, equipment, software, leases, reports and other documentation, to the State or the State’s designee; (c) transferring title in and delivering to the State, at the State’s discretion, all completed or partially completed deliverables prepared under this Contract as of the Contract termination date; and (d) preparing an accurate accounting from which the State and Contractor may reconcile all outstanding accounts (collectively, “Transition Responsibilities”). This Contract will automatically be extended through the end of the transition period.

Return of State Property.

Upon termination or expiration of this Contract for any reason, Contractor must take all necessary and appropriate steps, or such other action as the State may direct, to preserve, maintain, protect, or return to the State all materials, data, property, and confidential information provided directly or indirectly to the Contractor by any entity, agent, vendor, or employee of the State.

Indemnification.

Contractor must defend, indemnify and hold the State, its departments, divisions, agencies, offices, commissions, officers, and employees harmless, without limitation, from and against any and 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: (a) any breach by Contractor (or any of Contractor’s employees, agents, subcontractors, or by anyone else for whose acts any of them may be liable) of any of the promises, agreements, representations, warranties, or insurance requirements contained in this Contract; (b) any infringement, misappropriation, or other violation of any intellectual property right or other right of any third party; (c) any bodily injury, death, or damage to real or tangible personal property occurring wholly or in part due to action or inaction by Contractor (or any of Contractor’s employees, agents, subcontractors, or by anyone else for whose acts any of them may be liable); and (d) any acts or omissions of Contractor (or any of Contractor’s employees, agents, subcontractors, or by anyone else for whose acts any of them may be liable).

The State will notify Contractor in writing if indemnification is sought; however, failure to do so will not relieve Contractor, except to the extent that Contractor is materially prejudiced. Contractor must, to the satisfaction of the State, demonstrate its financial ability to carry out these obligations.

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, at its own cost and expense, if the State deems necessary. Contractor will not, without the State’s prior 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.

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.

The State is constitutionally prohibited from indemnifying Contractor or any third parties.

Infringement Remedies.

If, in either party’s opinion, any piece of equipment, software, commodity, or service supplied by Contractor or its subcontractors, or its operation, use or reproduction, is likely to become the subject of a copyright, patent, trademark, or trade secret infringement claim, Contractor must, at its expense: (a) procure for the State the right to continue using the equipment, software, commodity, or service, or if this option is not reasonably available to Contractor, (b) replace or modify the same so that it becomes non-infringing; or (c) accept its return by the State with appropriate credits to the State against Contractor’s charges and reimburse the State for any losses or costs incurred as a consequence of the State ceasing its use and returning it.

Limitation of Liability and Disclaimer of Damages.

IN NO EVENT WILL THE STATE’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO CONTRACTOR UNDER THIS CONTRACT, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR BY STATUTE OR OTHERWISE, FOR ANY CLAIM RELATED TO OR ARISING UNDER THIS CONTRACT, EXCEED THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FEES PAYABLE UNDER THIS CONTRACT. The State is not liable for consequential, incidental, indirect, or special damages, regardless of the nature of the action.

Disclosure of Litigation, or Other Proceeding.

Contractor must notify the State within 14 calendar days of receiving notice of any litigation, investigation, arbitration, or other proceeding (collectively, “Proceeding”) involving Contractor, a subcontractor, or an officer or director of Contractor or subcontractor, that arises during the term of the Contract, including: (a) a criminal Proceeding; (b) a parole or probation Proceeding; (c) a Proceeding under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; (d) a civil Proceeding involving: (1) a claim that might reasonably be expected to adversely affect Contractor’s viability or financial stability; or (2) a governmental or public entity’s claim or written allegation of fraud; or (3) any complaint filed in a legal or administrative proceeding alleging the Contractor or its subcontractors discriminated against its employees, subcontractors, vendors, or suppliers during the term of this Contract; or (e) a Proceeding involving any license that Contractor is required to possess in order to perform under this Contract.

State Data.

All data and information provided to Contractor by or on behalf of the State, and all data and information derived therefrom, is the exclusive property of the State (“State Data”); this definition is to be construed as broadly as possible. Upon request, Contractor must provide to the State, or a third party designated by the State, all State Data within 10 calendar days of the request and in the format requested by the State. Contractor will assume all costs incurred in compiling and supplying State Data. No State Data may be used for any marketing or commercial purposes.

RESERVED.

Non-Disclosure of Confidential Information.

The parties acknowledge that each party may be exposed to or acquire communication or data of the other party that is confidential, privileged communication not intended to be disclosed to third parties.

Meaning of Confidential Information. For the purposes of this Contract, the term “Confidential Information” means all information and documentation of a party that: (a) has been marked “confidential” or with words of similar meaning, at the time of disclosure by such party; (b) if disclosed orally or not marked “confidential” or with words of similar meaning, was subsequently summarized in writing by the disclosing party and marked “confidential” or with words of similar meaning; or, (c) should reasonably be recognized as confidential information of the disclosing party.