Analysis of Wildlife Vehicle Collisions on MI Trunklines

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), has issued Request for Proposal No. 260000001301 to procure comprehensive analysis services for wildlife-vehicle collisions on Michigan's trunkline system. The contractor will execute six primary tasks: identify and model wildlife-vehicle collision (WVC) occurrences using existing data; model wildlife habitats and corridors for eight focal species intersecting trunklines; create a GIS-based hotspot mapping tool; conduct in-person field visits to the top 20 identified collision hotspots across all regions; develop decision support tools with cost-benefit analysis capabilities; and participate in seven public outreach meetings (one per MDOT region). Deliverables include the GIS-based hotspot mapping tool, underlying data in standardized Excel format, and comprehensive analysis documentation, all of which become the exclusive property of the State of Michigan. The evaluation criteria are weighted entirely on technical merit (100 points maximum), comprised of prior experience (10 points), general requirements and scope of work (40 points), data functionality requirements (5 points), staffing qualifications (20 points), and project plan quality (25 points); proposals scoring 80 or more technical points will advance to price evaluation. The question submission deadline was March 16, 2026, with the proposal deadline set for April 3, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and the anticipated contract commencement date is May 1, 2026, extending through September 30, 2028.

Both universities and private consulting firms are eligible to respond as lead organizations, with universities permitted to apply without requiring a consultant partner and allowed to enter "N/A" for standard vendor questions not applicable to their organizational structure. No set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are specified in the RFP documentation. The contract is funded through a Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program grant totaling $467,376 awarded to MDOT, with proposers instructed to submit reasonable and appropriate pricing for completing the defined scope of work; Cost Plus Fixed Fee pricing is not permitted, and proposers must develop their own pay items with specified units (per hour, lump sum, each, etc.) and total prices. Contractors must maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, umbrella coverage of $5,000,000, and automobile liability of $1,000,000, with the State of Michigan named as an additional insured. Liquidated damages of $5,000 plus $100 per day apply for late or improper completion of contract activities. Relevant experience may include out-of-state and federal projects, with additional data sources for focal herptile species particularly valued given data limitations for these species in WVC analysis.