2020 Herbicide Contract for MDOT facilities

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) issued Request for Proposal No. 200000001428, Amendment 2, seeking herbicide products and related services for highway right-of-way vegetation management across MDOT facilities statewide. The procurement encompasses 29 line items including pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicide formulations, selective and non-selective weed killers, adjuvants, custom-blended mixtures, and applicator accessories, with quantities ranging from 6 units to 20,000 gallons. The selected contractor must provide technical support with issue resolution within 24 hours or on-site service within 4 business days, and deliver all products within 14 calendar days of order placement to multiple MDOT locations. A mandatory pre-proposal teleconference meeting was conducted on March 26, 2020, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with the written question deadline set for March 31, 2020, and answers posted by April 1, 2020. Proposals were due by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on April 3, 2020. The State's evaluation will be based on product quality (10 points), service levels and staffing (25 points), service and delivery capabilities (10 points), vendor experience and background (35 points), and pricing (20 points), with a mandatory minimum score of 80 points required to proceed to price evaluation. The anticipated contract effective date was July 22, 2020, with an initial three-year term through October 1, 2023, and the option for up to four additional one-year renewal periods at the State's discretion, with pricing held firm for 365 days from the effective date.

While no specific set-aside designations are noted in the solicitation summary, the State will evaluate proposals for overall economic impact to Michigan, including consideration of the principal place of performance, number of Michigan employees, and qualified disabled veteran-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned business status as evaluation factors. The contractor must maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence with a $2,000,000 aggregate, automobile liability insurance of $1,000,000 per accident, and appropriate workers' compensation coverage. All invoices must be submitted electronically with payment made via Electronic Funds Transfer within 45 days of invoice receipt. The State reserves the right to award multiple contracts, conduct facility inspections, request oral presentations, and negotiate terms with bidders. No incumbent vendor information or specific budget range was provided in the solicitation documents, though the scope of the procurement across 29 line items and multiple statewide locations suggests a substantial contract value.