professional-services-combined-rfp-solicitation-documents.docx

Department of Natural Resources Forest Certification Auditing and Certification Body Services Request for Proposal No. 210000000164 Solicitation Manager Name: Kip Conley Direct Phone:517-388-5956 Email: conleyk1@michigan.gov

This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) for:

Forest Management annual surveillance and re-certification audits on MDNR administered state forest lands for maintaining dual certificates with The Forest Stewardship Council® and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® RFP Timeline

*A bidder’s proposal received at 9:30:01 a.m. Eastern is late and subject to disqualification.

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

Michigan.gov/MiProcurement

Schedule A – statement of work contract activities proposal instructions

Version 11(5/2020)

Version 12 (10/2020) 2

1. PROPOSAL PREPARATION. The State recommends reading all RFP materials prior to preparing a proposal, particularly these Proposal Instructions and the Vendor Questions Worksheet. Bidders must follow these Proposal Instructions and provide a complete response to the items indicated in the table below. References and links to websites or external sources may not be used in lieu of providing the information requested in the RFP within the proposal. Include the bidder’s company name in the header of all documents submitted with your proposal.

RFP Structure and Documentation

2. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE STATE. The sole point of contact for the State concerning this RFP is listed on the Cover Page. Contacting any other State personnel, agent, consultant, or representative about this RFP may result in bidder disqualification.

3. OPTIONAL PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING.

An optional pre-proposal meeting will be held on November 12, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

Phone: 1-248-509-0316 Conference ID #: 603 142 697#

The purpose of the pre-proposal meeting is to discuss the RFP and the work to be performed, and may include an inspection of the facility to receive the goods or services sought in this RFP. Statements made by the Solicitation Manager or designee at a pre-proposal meeting are not considered modifications to the RFP. If, however, the Solicitation Manager determines modifications to the RFP are warranted after the meeting, modifications will be posted 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. If the pre-proposal meeting is mandatory, a bidder may be disqualified by being late. Subcontractor sign-in is permitted in lieu of the bidder as evidence of attendance. Accessibility requests for reasonable accommodations at the pre-proposal meeting should be made with the Solicitation Manager at least 10 business days before the date of the meeting. Accommodation requests received outside this time period cannot be guaranteed.

4. 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.

5. QUESTIONS. Bidder questions about this RFP must be emailed to the Solicitation Manager no later than the time and date specified on the Cover Page. In the interest of transparency, only written questions are accepted. Answers to questions will be posted on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. Submit questions using the format below; a Microsoft Excel format or similar is suggested.

6. DELIVERY OF PROPOSAL.

Electronic – The bidder must submit its proposal, all attachments, and any modifications or withdrawals electronically through www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. The price proposal should be saved separately from all other proposal documents. The bidder should submit all documents in a modifiable (native) format (examples include but are not limited to Microsoft Word or Excel and Google Docs or Sheets). In addition to submitting documents in a modifiable format, the bidder may also submit copies of documents in PDF. Attachment file size is limited to 6 MB per document. Bidder’s failure to submit a proposal as required may result in disqualification. The proposal and attachments must be fully uploaded and submitted prior to the proposal deadline. Do not wait until the last minute to submit a proposal, as the SIGMA VSS system requires the creation of an account and entry of certain information, in addition to uploading and submitting the materials. The SIGMA VSS system will not allow a proposal to be submitted after the proposal deadline identified in the solicitation Closing On/Closing Date fields (Summary view/Detail view), even if a portion of the proposal has been uploaded.

Questions on how to submit information or how to navigate in the SIGMA VSS system can be answered by calling (517) 284-0540 or (888) 734-9749. The Solicitation Manager will not provide assistance related to the submittal of the proposal and all attachments on the day of the proposal deadline. Responsibility for a complete submission lies with the bidder.

7. EVALUATION PROCESS. The State will evaluate each proposal based on the following factors:

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

The State may utilize all bidder information, without regard to a proposal’s technical score, to determine fair market value for goods or services sought. The State is not obligated to accept the lowest price proposal. If applicable, the State’s evaluation will include consideration of a bidder’s qualified disabled veterans/service-disabled veteran owned business(QDV/SDVOB) status under MCL 18.1261(8). Additional information on the SDVOB preference is available at: Michigan.gov/SDVOB.

The State strongly encourages strict adherence to the Contract Terms. The State reserves the right to deem a bid non-responsive for failure to accept the Contract Terms. Nevertheless, the bidder may submit proposed changes to the Contract Terms in track changes (i.e., visible edits) with an explanation of the bidder’s need for each proposed change. Failure to include track changes with an explanation of the bidder’s need for the proposed change constitutes the bidder’s acceptance of the Contract Terms. General statements, such as that the bidder reserves the right to negotiate the terms and conditions, may be considered non-responsive.

The State may but is not required to conduct an on-site visit to tour and inspect the bidder’s facilities; require an oral presentation of the bidder's proposal; conduct interviews, research, reference checks, and background checks; and request additional price concessions at any point during the evaluation process.

8. NOTICE OF DEFICIENCY. The State reserves the right to issue a Notice of Deficiency to bidders if the State determines after the proposal deadline that a portion of the RFP was deficient, unclear, or ambiguous. Failure to respond to a Notice of Deficiency timely may be cause for disqualification.

9. CLARIFICATION REQUEST. The State reserves the right to issue a Clarification Request to a bidder to clarify its proposal if the State determines the proposal is not clear. Failure to respond to a Clarification Request timely may be cause for disqualification.

10. RESERVATIONS. The State reserves the right to:

a. Disqualify a bidder for failure to follow these instructions.

b. Discontinue the RFP process at any time for any or no reason. The issuance of an RFP, your preparation and submission of a proposal, and the State’s subsequent receipt and evaluation of your proposal does not commit the State to award a contract to you or anyone, even if all the requirements in the RFP are met.

c. Consider late proposals if: (i) no other proposals are received; (ii) no complete proposals are received; (iii) the State received complete proposals, but the proposals did not meet mandatory minimum requirements or technical criteria; or (iv) the award process fails to result in an award.

d. Consider an otherwise disqualified proposal if no other proposals are received.

e. Disqualify a proposal based on: (i) information provided by the bidder in response to this RFP; (2) the bidder’s failure to complete registration on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS ; or (3) if it is determined that a bidder purposely or willfully submitted false or misleading information in response to the RFP.

f. Consider prior performance with the State in making its award decision.

g. Consider overall economic impact to the State when evaluating proposal pricing and in the final award recommendation. This includes but is not limited to: considering principal place of performance, number of Michigan citizens employed or potentially employed, dollars paid to Michigan residents, Michigan capital investments, job creation, tax revenue implications, and economically disadvantaged businesses.

h. Consider total-cost-of-ownership factors (e.g., transition and training costs) when evaluating proposal pricing and in the final award recommendation.

i. Refuse to award a contract to any bidder that has failed to pay State taxes or has outstanding debt with the State.

j. Enter into negotiations with one or more bidders on price, terms, technical requirements, or other deliverables.

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

l. Evaluate the proposal outside the scope identified in the Evaluation Process section of this document if the State receives only one proposal.

11. 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 will be determined by the bidder meeting the minimum point threshold and offering the best combination of the factors stated in the Evaluation Process section of this document, and price, as demonstrated by the proposal. The State will post an Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS.

12. DEBRIEF MEETING AND BID PROTEST. The State will post 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 gyorkosl@michigan.gov no later than 9:00 a.m., 7 calendar days after posting the Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis or by 9:00 a.m. the next business day if that date falls on a state holiday or weekend. The State reserves the right to adjust this timing and will publish any change on the SIGMA VSS system.

Additional information about the protest process is available at www.michigan.gov/micontractconnect under the “Programs and Policies” link.

13. STATE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD. Contracts equal to $250,000 or greater than require approval by the State Administrative Board. The State Administrative Board’s decision is final; however, its approval does not constitute a contract. The award process is not complete until the awarded contractor receives a contract fully executed by all parties.

14. GENERAL CONDITIONS. The State will not be liable for any costs, expenses, or damages incurred by a bidder participating in this solicitation. The bidder agrees that its proposal will be considered an offer to do business with the State in accordance with its proposal, including the Contract Terms, and that its proposal will be irrevocable and binding for a period of [180] calendar days from date of submission. If a contract is awarded to the bidder, the State may, at its option, incorporate any part of the bidder’s proposal into a contract. This RFP is not an offer to enter into a contract. This RFP may not provide a complete statement of the State’s environment or contain all matters upon which agreement must be reached. Other than verified trade secrets, proposals submitted via www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS are the State’s property.

15. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT FORM AND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. 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, some information may be exempt from disclosure. 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” (CT FORM) WITH YOUR BID. Completion and submission of the 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.

Complete and sign Section 1 of the CT Form if the bidder does NOT request confidential treatment of information contained in its proposal; or

i. Complete and sign Section 2 of the CT Form if the bidder requests confidential treatment of certain information. Bidder must also submit a “Public Copy” of the proposal with the trade secret, financial, and proprietary information redacted and clearly labeled as the “Public Copy.”

b. 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.

c. 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.

d. 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.

e. 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.

f. 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.

INSTRUCTIONS. Complete either Section 1 or Section 2 of this CT Form and sign where indicated. This CT Form must be signed by the individual who signed the bidder’s proposal. A completed CT Form must be submitted with your proposal, regardless of whether your proposal contains confidential information.

Failure to submit a completed CT Form with your bid is grounds for rejecting the proposal as non-responsive. See the Confidential Treatment Form and The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) sections of the Proposal Instructions for additional information.

Section 1. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS NOT REQUESTED This section must be completed, signed, and submitted with the proposal if the bidder does not request confidential treatment of any material contained in the proposal.

By signing below, the bidder affirms that confidential treatment of material contained in their proposal is not requested.

RFP Number

RFP Title

Signature

Date

Printed Name, Title, Company confidential treatment form

Section 2. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS REQUESTED This section must be completed, signed, and submitted with the proposal if bidder requests confidential treatment of any material contained in the proposal. Submission of a completed CT Form is required to request confidential treatment.

Provide the information in the table below. Bidder may add rows or additional pages using the same format shown in the table. Bidder must specifically identify the information to be protected as confidential and state the reasons why protection is necessary.

The CT Form will not be considered fully complete unless, for each confidentiality request, the bidder: (1) Identifies the Proposal Page #, Section #, and Paragraph #, (2) Identifies whether the material is a Trade Secret (TS), Proprietary Financial Information (FI), or Proprietary Information (PI), (3) Explains the specific legal grounds that support treatment of the material as TS, FI, or PI. Bidders must provide a complete justification as to how the material falls within the scope of an applicable FOIA Exemption or relevant case law. Bidders must not simply cite to an applicable exemption or case name, and (4) Provides the contact information for the person at Bidder’s organization authorized to respond to inquiries by the State concerning the material.

(1) Proposal Page #, Section #, Paragraph # (2) Material is Trade Secret (TS), Proprietary Financial Information (FI), Proprietary Information (PI) (3) Applicable FOIA Exemption with Written Justification (4) Bidder Contact Information

By signing below, the bidder affirms that confidential treatment of material contained in their proposal is requested and has attached to this form a redacted “Public Copy” of the bidder’s proposal.

RFP Number

RFP Title

Signature

Date

Printed Name, Title, Company confidential treatment form

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

1. Contact Information

Bidder’s sole contact person during the RFP process. Include name, title, address, email, and phone number.

Person authorized to receive and sign a resulting contract. Include name, title, address, email, phone number and vendor customer code in SIGMA VSS.

2. Company Background Information

Legal business name and address. Include business entity designation, e.g., sole proprietor, Inc., LLC, or LLP.

What state was the company formed in?

Phone number.

Website address.

Number of years in business and number of employees.

Legal business name and address of parent company, if any.

Has there been a recent change in organizational structure (e.g., management team) or control (e.g., merger or acquisition) of your company? If the answer is yes: (a) explain why the change occurred and (b) how this change has affected your company.

Discuss your company’s history. Has growth been organic, through mergers and acquisitions, or both?

Has bidder ever been debarred, suspended, or disqualified from bidding or contracting with any entity, including the State of Michigan? If yes, provide the date, the entity, and details about the situation.

Has your company been a party to litigation against the State of Michigan? If the answer is yes, then state the date of initial filing, case name and court number, and jurisdiction.

Within the last 5 years, has your company or any of its related business entities defaulted on a contract or had a contract terminated for cause? If yes, provide the date, contracting entity, type of contract, and details about the termination or default.

State your gross annual sales for each of the last 5 years.

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.

Describe partnerships and strategic relationships you think will bring significant value to the State.

State the physical address of the place of business that would have primary responsibility for this account if bidder is awarded a contract under this RFP.

3. 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 names of documents submitted with your proposal to demonstrate status as a qualified disabled veteran.

4. 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.

5. State of Michigan Experience and Prior Experience

Does your company have experience working with the State of Michigan? If so, please provide a list (including the contract number) of the contracts you hold or have held with the State for the last 10 years.

Describe at least [3]relevant experiences from the last [5] years supporting your ability to successfully manage a contract of similar size and scope for the work described in this RFP.

Experience 1

Company name.

Contact name.

Contact role at time of project.

Contact phone.

Contact email.

City.

State.

Zip.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

2. What role did your company play?

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

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

Experience 2

Company name.

Contact role at time of project.

City.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

Experience 3

Company name.

Contact role at time of project.

City.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

6. Standard Contract Terms

Bidder must affirm agreement with the attached Contract Terms. If not in agreement, written exceptions in accordance with the Evaluation Process section of the Proposal Instructions must be provided with Bidder’s proposal.

7. Michigan Economic Impact

Number of employees currently employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Number of additional employees to be employed at locations within the State of Michigan if awarded this Contract (if any)

Minimum wage paid to employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Average wage paid to employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Percentage of employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan that are covered by employer-provided health insurance.

8. Other

vendor questions worksheet

Contractor must enter company name here.

Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 210000000164 Forest Certification Auditing and Certification Body Services This schedule identifies the anticipated requirements of any Contract resulting from this RFP. The term “Contractor” in this document refers to a bidder responding to this RFP, as well as the Contractor who is awarded the contract. The term “bidder” is used to identify where specific responses to the RFP are required.

The Contractor must respond to each requirement or question and explain how it will fulfill each requirement. Attach any supplemental information and appropriately reference within your response.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO CONTRACTORS/BIDDERS: There are specific requirements for which acceptance must be simply acknowledged through a checkbox(es), and others that require further explanation. Click one checkbox and complete the entries as identified.

BACKGROUND

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) is seeking the services of an accredited Certification Body to conduct third-party Forest Management annual surveillance and re-certification audits on MDNR administered state forest lands for maintaining dual certificates with The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) programs. This project will involve maintenance of FSC certificate #SCS-FM/COC-090N and SFI certificate number #NSF-SFI-FM-5Y031 for the period January 2021 to December 2026 with a possibility for extension after 2026. These services will be provided through a single vendor contract.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Forest Resources Division (MDNR-FRD), Wildlife Division (WD), and parks and Recreation Division (PRD) co-manage 3.9 million of the 21 million acres of forested land in the state of Michigan. Authorizing legislation found in Part 5 of Public Act 451 of 1994, as amended, details various aspects of this management. Michigan State Forest lands have historically been managed for multiple uses including aesthetics, recreation, timber, wildlife, soil and water conservation, biodiversity preservation and restoration, and minerals. Many management operations depend on the revenues from products sold from commercial operations on these lands. Major users of some forest products will only purchase products from lands that are certified as practicing sustainable forest management under a third-party standard.

The State of Michigan sought and attained certification of its State Forest System in December 2005 under FSC and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) forest management standards and has since maintained continuous dual certification. The expiration date for FSC Certification is December 31, 2020, and for SFI Certification is January 21, 2021, as of the date of this RFP.

Status of Planning State forest lands are co-managed by the Forest Resources, Wildlife, and Parks and Recreation Divisions. Management for these lands is within 15 Forest Management Units.

(https://midnr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=43579d040c7d4860b125e405f531d465)

The DNR uses a 3-tiered planning structure for the management of Michigan’s State Forest resources; statewide, regional and unit levels. The Michigan State Forest Management Plan (approved April 10, 2008) and the four Regional State Forest Management Plans (approved in 2013 and currently under revision) provide landscape-level analyses and direction to assist tactical decisions for management of forest stands and compartments at the unit level. Michigan’s State Forests have well-established tactical planning called Compartment Review which is conducted at the Forest Management Unit level and which generates an Annual Plan of Work.

The Annual Plan of Work is derived from the 10-year planning cycle for forest compartments. The Annual plan of work is operationally implemented with the Michigan Forest Inventory (MiFI) system and MDNR and FRD Policies and Procedures. Annual compartment reviews by year of entry are conducted at the Forest Management Unit level, and the aggregate of all forest prescriptions from compartment reviews are contained in an Annual Plan of Work, which is the result of tactical level of planning for State Forest operations.

The DNR has many other plans that are related to specific program areas, including the Michigan’s Wildlife Action Plan, the Michigan Off-Road Vehicle Plan, the Michigan State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, Natural River plans, and others.

Policy & Procedures Formal policies and procedures exist and are documented in policy manuals for MDNR, FRD, WD, and PRD.

Forest Certification Work Instructions Work instructions are new or updated MDNR operational procedures initially developed in 2005 that ensure operational compliance with all indicators in the forest certification standards.

Work instruction implementation is an important focus of the DNR’s management review system and is an important focus of DNR internal audits. The work instructions make forest certification more manageable for Department staff and they are refined as needed in order to maintain conformance with forest certification standards.

SCOPE

State owned lands that are part of the State Forest system will be included in this work. In terms of forest operations, this means that all lands which currently are inventoried under the MiFI system, are identified in a state forest compartment, and go through the compartment review process are included under current certification certificates.

MDNR intends to select a single contractor to perform both audits (joint SFI and FSC evaluation) and consult on needed preparations or remedies. The contractor selected by the agency will depend upon the contractor’s qualifications and accreditation relative to the FSC and SFI systems, cost effectiveness, time efficiency, and other factors listed in the evaluation criteria section of the RFP. The audits and other related work as contracted, must comply with the protocols for FSC/SFI forest certification.

The contractor conducting the joint FSC and SFI Recertification Evaluation and Annual Surveillance Audits shall use the same audit team and a coordinated auditing protocol, including:

· Unified audit team

· Coordinated document request

· Joint On-Site Readiness Review and Audit Planning

· Integrated opening and closing Meetings and daily meetings

· Overlapping use of audit evidence

· Coordination of FSC stakeholder process with relevant SFI performance measures.

Contractors must bid on a package as listed below.

1. Conduct an FSC re-certification audit and annual surveillance audits according to, and in conformance with, FSC standards:

· Field audits will be based on a mutually acceptable timeline. Field audits shall not occur in the month of September or first week of October. Conducting field audits in the month of October is preferred.

· Annual Surveillance audits will be conducted in conformance with FSC Standards.

2. Conduct an SFI re-certification audit and annual surveillance audits according to, and in conformance with, SFI standards:

· Field audits will be based on a mutually acceptable timeline. Field audits shall not occur in the month of September or first month of October. Conducting field audits in the month of October is preferred.

· Annual Surveillance audits will be conducted in conformance with SFI Standards.

The re-certification process for both systems must be completed by 12/1/2025 in order to continue an unbroken chain of certification for the Michigan State Forest system. The anticipated audit schedule is as follows:

This contract is seeking an accredited Certification Body to conduct independent third-party audits to enable the Michigan State Forests to maintain sustainable forestry certification under the SFI and FSC Standards.

Out of Scope MDNR staff will be available for collaboration and coordination with subcontractors if needed.

State-owned lands that are not part of the State Forest system will not be included in this work. The following DNR properties are explicitly excluded from the certification project:

· Lands under long term military lease to the Michigan National Guard

· Lands leased to Luce County

· Excised lands planted to GMO corn or soybeans

· Lands included in contingency adulticide treatment as part of Midland County Mosquito Control Program

· State Fish Hatcheries

· State Forest Nurseries (intensive non-forest use)

· Administrative Office and facilities

Contractor will not be required to produce or provide written policies or procedures for MDNR, although they may be asked to advise and comment on MDNR’s, or an MDNR sub-contractor’s work in preparation of such documents.

Requirements

1.1. General Requirements and Timeframes

Contractor must provide Deliverables/Services and staff, and otherwise do all things necessary for or incidental to the performance of work, as set forth below:

The following is a preliminary analysis of the major tasks involved for developing the end product of this project. The Contractor is not, however, constrained from supplementing this listing with additional steps, sub tasks or elements deemed necessary to permit the development of alternative approaches or the application of proprietary analytical techniques.

FSC Re-certification and Surveillance Audits

Evaluate Michigan’s State Forest system to determine if management policies, practices, procedures and monitoring processes conform with the standards for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. The review shall include an analysis and subsequent report to:

1. Identify elements where conformance with current forest certification standards is acceptable.

2. Identify specific certification standards with which current policies, practices, procedures and monitoring processes do not conform, or where conformance is incomplete.

3. In the case of deficiencies, details should be provided.

Deliverable: Annual Surveillance Audit reports due in conformance with the FSC Standard detailing any conditions for maintaining FSC Certification. Draft surveillance audit reports shall be due within 30 days of completion of field portion of the surveillance audit. MI DNR shall be allowed a minimum of 30 days to review, comment, and approve draft reports before they are finalized. Final surveillance audit reports shall be completed within 90 days of completion of the field portion of the audit. Final re-certification audit report detailing FSC certification along with any conditions for MDNR State Forests shall be due 30 day prior to expiration of FSC Certification Certificate (presently estimated as 11/30/2025). MI DNR shall be allowed a minimum of 30 days to review, comment, and approve draft recertification audit report before they are finalized. Field audits shall not occur in the month of September or first week of October. Conducting field audits in the month of October is preferred.

SFI Re-certification and Surveillance Audits

Evaluate Michigan’s State Forest system to determine if management policies, practices, procedures and monitoring processes conform with the standards for Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification. The review shall include an analysis and subsequent report to:

1. Identify elements where conformance with current forest certification standards is acceptable.

2. Identify specific certification standards with which current policies, practices, procedures and monitoring processes do not conform or where conformance is incomplete.

3. In the case of deficiencies, details should be provided.

Deliverable: Annual Surveillance Audit reports due in conformance with the SFI Standard detailing any conditions for maintaining SFI Certification. Draft surveillance audit reports shall be due within 30 days of completion of field portion of the surveillance audit. MI DNR shall be allowed a minimum of 30 days to review, comment, and approve draft reports before they are finalized. Final surveillance audit reports shall be completed within 90 days of completion of the field portion of the audit. Final re-certification audit report detailing SFI certification along with any conditions for MDNR State Forests shall be due 30 day prior to expiration of SFI Certificate of Registration (presently estimated as 12/21/2025). MI DNR shall be allowed a minimum of 30 days to review, comment, and approve draft recertification audit report before they are finalized. Field audits shall not occur in the month of September or first week of October. Conducting field audits in the month of October is preferred.

Timeline for completion of project by due date will be monitored by the MDNR project manager on a monthly and quarterly basis. Failure to meet project deadline will result in the State’s forests not meeting the re-certification deadline of December 1, 2025.

In addition, as MDNR’s Certification Body, contractor, through MDNR Certification Coordinator, will assist the department in navigating, interpreting, and understanding the requirements of the FSC and SFI Standards and associated policies as needed.

All Contract Activities must be delivered within the timeframe outlined above. The receipt of order date is pursuant to the Notices section of the Standard Contract Terms.

List all exception(s):

Bidder must describe how they comply with the above requirement(s):

2. Acceptance

2.1. Acceptance, Inspection, and Testing

The State will use the following criteria to determine acceptance of the Contract Activities:

FSC Audit Annual surveillance audit reports and re-certification audit report (due by 12/1/2025) , must include a full report of the audit. Details of all findings, conditions, etc., must be included.

SFI Audit Annual surveillance audit reports and re-certification audit report (due by 12/21/2025) must include a full report of the audit. Details of all findings, conditions, etc. must be included.

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2.2. Final Acceptance

Final acceptance of project will be upon receipt and acceptance by MDNR Forest Resources Division of the final report for each phase of the project summarizing the entire work done in that phase.

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3. Staffing

3.1. Contractor Representative

The Contractor must appoint a Contract Manager specifically assigned to State of Michigan accounts, who will respond to State inquiries regarding the Contract Activities, answer questions related to ordering and delivery, etc. (the “Contractor Representative”).

The Contractor must notify the Contract Administrator at least 14 calendar days before removing or assigning a new Contractor Representative.

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Bidder must identify its Contractor Representative:

3.2. Customer Service Toll-Free Number

The Contractor must specify its toll-free number for the State to make contact with the Contractor Representative. The Contractor Representative must be available for calls during the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST.

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Bidder must identify its Customer Service Toll-Free Number:

3.3. Work Hours

The Contractor must provide Contract Activities during the State’s normal working hours Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST and possible night and weekend hours depending on the requirements of the project.

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3.4. Organizational Chart

The Contractor must provide an overall organizational chart that details staff members, by name and title, and subcontractors.

Bidder must provide detailed information as required above – either in this response box or identified here as an attachment to this RFP labelled as Organizational Chart.

3.5. Disclosure of Subcontractors

If the Contractor intends to utilize subcontractors, the Contractor must disclose the following:

· The legal business name; address; telephone number; a description of subcontractor’s organization and the services it will provide; and information concerning subcontractor’s ability to provide the Contract Activities.

· The relationship of the subcontractor to the Contractor.

· Whether the Contractor has a previous working experience with the subcontractor. If yes, provide the details of that previous relationship.

· A complete description of the Contract Activities that will be performed or provided by the subcontractor.

Bidder must provide detailed information as requested in the above requirement(s).

The legal business name, address, telephone number of the subcontractor(s).

A description of subcontractor’s organization and the services it will provide and information concerning subcontractor’s ability to provide the Contract Activities.

The relationship of the subcontractor to the Bidder.

Whether the Bidder has a previous working experience with the subcontractor.

If yes, provide the details of that previous relationship.

A complete description of the Contract Activities that will be performed or provided by the subcontractor.

Of the total bid, the price of the subcontractor’s work.

3.6. Security

The Contractor must explain any additional security measures in place to ensure the security of State facilities. The State may require the Contractor’s personnel to wear State issued identification badges.

The Contractor’s staff may be required to make deliveries to or enter State facilities. The Contractor must: (a) explain how it intends to ensure the security of State facilities, (b) whether it uses uniforms and ID badges, etc., (c) identify the company that will perform background checks, and (d) the scope of the background checks.

List all exception(s):

Bidder must explain any additional security measures in place to ensure the security of the State and its facilities:

4. Project Management

4.1. Project Plan

Bidders must provide a project plan as part of their response to the RFP. The bidder must clearly explain in detail how it will accomplish the project incorporating all of the deliverables. Provide a timeline for work on the project, including any preliminary reviews, pre-assessment findings, documentation submittals, surveys, public meetings, field audits, exit reviews, draft reports/responses, final report, etc. Indicate whether team members will review documentation and reports before arriving on-site for the field review. Provide a general field audit agenda including the types and numbers of properties that will be visited. Describe the supporting material, services and staff availability (or practical limits on the number of field audit participants) you expect from the Department. Indicate what information you will require from the Department for annual reporting.

The bidder must provide a detailed description of the audit…