751/22278. TAP; Bill Nicholls Trail - Trail Improvements

The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB), State Facilities Administration, Design and Construction Division is issuing a Request for Proposals on behalf of the Department of Natural Resources for professional design services for the Bill Nicholls Trail Improvements project located in Adams Township, Houghton County, Michigan. The procurement seeks qualified architectural and engineering firms to provide Phase 400 (Preliminary Design as needed) and Phase 500 (Final Design) services for a 1.85-mile trail corridor consisting of 22 sites that require replacement of 21 culvert structures, repair of 1 structure, trail surface reconstruction, ditch work, and coordination with the Adams Township municipal water supply line. Deliverables include 50%, 90%, and final bid-ready design documents with cost estimates and schedules at each design phase, as well as weekly progress summaries and a complete electronic project file. The scope requires site-specific design considerations including HY-8 stream flow calculations for 200-year storm events, joint permit applications, easement coordination, aquatic passability requirements, utility coordination, and bank stabilization strategies. Contractors must be licensed to practice in Michigan, provide certification as a Michigan-based business when applicable, and complete responsibility certifications confirming no disqualifying criminal convictions, tax delinquencies, or prior contract terminations for cause within the past three years. Proposals will be evaluated on technical merit (80%) and cost (20%), and must be submitted electronically through the SIGMA VSS system by 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 23, 2023. A mandatory pre-proposal meeting was held on March 9, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time via Microsoft Teams, with written questions due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 16, 2023, and designs required to be substantially complete by July 14, 2023, to meet grant application deadlines for construction funding.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting participation to disadvantaged enterprises; however, firms certifying as Michigan-based businesses receive consideration. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. Compensation will be structured as a not-to-exceed fee arrangement using hourly billable rates for professional staff, with sample billing rates ranging from $35.00 per hour for Technical Support positions to $100.00 per hour for Principals/Project Managers and Senior Architects in 2023, though final hourly rates will be submitted by proposers and approved by the state. Reimbursable expenses include actual costs for printing and reproduction of project deliverables, soil borings, site surveys, laboratory testing, and travel expenses beyond 100 miles one-way at the State of Michigan's established mileage rates, with a maximum 5% markup permitted on reimbursable expenses for services not performed in-house. All other costs including fringe benefits, insurance, travel, overhead, and profit must be included in the hourly billing rates. The contract may be phased to coordinate with the Adams Township water line replacement project, and modification proposals for Phase 600 and 700 construction administration services may be requested after design completion if construction funding becomes available. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the procurement documents.