Award Recommendation - LED WUP ONLY Emergency Lighting

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Procurement Office issued RFP 26-1646 on March 30, 2026, for LED emergency lighting packages and installation services supporting the DNR Law Enforcement Division in the Western Upper Peninsula. The procurement seeks emergency lighting installations for various law enforcement vessels and equipment, including boats, mud boats, snowmobiles, off-road vehicles, dirt bikes/motorcycles, and personal watercraft, with estimated annual quantities ranging from zero to four units depending on equipment type. The solicitation required responsive proposals by April 17, 2026, with a contract term of five years and up to five optional renewal periods. The evaluation process assessed vendor proposals based on technical criteria including vendor questions worksheets, statements of work, and product specifications, with all bidders required to achieve perfect scores of 100 points across evaluation categories. Both bidders received equal technical ratings, making best value determination the deciding factor in the award recommendation. Site visits and bidders' meetings were not specified in the procurement timeline.

FirstResponse Systems of Calumet, Michigan, received the award recommendation with a five-year contract value of $145,175.00 and an estimated annual cost of $29,035.00, selected based on its superior geographic positioning within the Western Upper Peninsula, which provides significantly greater accessibility to DNR Conservation Officers stationed in the area compared to the competing bidder, Arrowhead Upfitters, which submitted a lower proposal of $100,545.00 for the five-year term. Neither bidder qualified as a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business or a Geographically Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, indicating no applicable set-aside designations were present in this solicitation. The procurement was restricted to responsive vendors meeting technical specifications and statement of work requirements with no specific incumbent vendor or technology integration requirements noted. The award recommendation reflects a best value determination favoring local vendor accessibility despite the higher contract cost.