Audit services for RESTART contract

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is soliciting proposals for forensic accounting and audit services covering RESTART Program contract invoices under RFP No. 270000000008, with written questions due November 5, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern and proposals due November 17, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. The selected contractor will receive a Contract Change Notice or Delivery Order governed by pre-qualified master contracts.

The audit covers invoice eligibility and compliance for September 1, 2022 through June 30, 2026, and EGLE estimates 350 to 400 hours of work. The RESTART Program provides energy efficiency, sustainability, and pollution prevention technical assistance to Michigan businesses with 500 or fewer employees through retired professionals. Required deliverables include a project plan within 14 calendar days of the effective date, monthly progress reports, and a final engagement report with findings and recommendations, with the final report due within six weeks of order receipt. The contractor must designate a Contractor Representative and provide Key Personnel with relevant audit experience. A 100 percent service level agreement applies to timely final-report delivery, with service credits of $100 per occurrence for the first five instances of non-compliance in a calendar year and $500 for each occurrence thereafter.

Pricing must include hourly rates for all staff levels, from senior managers and directors through entry-level staff and specialty providers such as cyber engineers and subject matter experts. Rates are not-to-exceed, cannot exceed the master contract's Schedule B rates, and must remain firm for the entire engagement. Overtime, holiday pay, and travel are not reimbursed. Pricing is uploaded separately from technical proposal documents, and the Schedule B form must be submitted in a modifiable format, with PDF optional.

Evaluation uses a 100-point technical scale: Statement of Work Section 1 Requirements (20 points), Key Personnel (40 points), and Project Plan (40 points). Only proposals scoring 80 or more points have pricing evaluated. The state may conduct on-site visits, request oral presentations, perform reference checks, and negotiate pricing or terms, and it is not obligated to accept the lowest price. Contracts of $250,000 or more require State Administrative Board approval. Award recommendations will be posted on the SIGMA VSS website, and bidders have five business days to file written protests.

Proposals must be submitted electronically through SIGMA VSS in Microsoft Word or Excel formats, with individual files not exceeding 30 MB. Late submissions are disqualified. Bidders must include a completed Confidential Treatment Form and a public copy with trade secrets and proprietary information redacted. EGLE will post answers to questions by November 10, 2026, and Lisa VanOstran is the solicitation manager.