Batteries for Camp Grayling and Ft. Custer Range Operations

The State of Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, on behalf of Crawford County, issued Request for Proposal No. 18000002226 on April 24, 2018, seeking a qualified contractor to supply batteries for target systems at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Grayling, Michigan and Fort Custer Training Center in Augusta, Michigan. The procurement requires delivery of four specific battery types: 12-volt deep-cycle AGM batteries with 115 amp-hour capacity (171 units for Camp Grayling and 40 units for Fort Custer in 2018), Genesis 12-volt 16 amp-hour lead acid batteries (36 units for Camp Grayling in 2018), 8AU1 AGM 12-volt 32.5 amp-hour batteries (17 units for Camp Grayling in 2018), and VB1250 12-volt 5 amp-hour sealed maintenance-free batteries (36 units for Camp Grayling in 2018). All batteries must be new, not used or reconditioned, with delivery required within five business days of order receipt. Qualified contractors must be manufacturers, authorized dealers, or authorized suppliers capable of providing firm, competitive pricing with no minimum order requirements, maintaining toll-free customer service and technical support available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST with one-hour issue resolution or 48-hour on-site service scheduling, and appointing a dedicated sales manager for the State account. The evaluation process awards technical points based on specifications, warranties, core redemption processes, delivery capabilities, authorized dealer status, vendor background, and experience, with proposals achieving 80 or more technical points advancing to price evaluation. The proposal deadline was May 15, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with written questions required by May 1, 2018 and answers posted by May 3, 2018; the contract was anticipated to begin June 1, 2018 with a three-year term and two optional one-year renewals.

The solicitation contains no specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting the types of organizations eligible to respond, though contractors must demonstrate authorization as dealers or retailers of the specified battery products. Contractors are required to maintain commercial general liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate, along with umbrella coverage of $5,000,000, automobile liability insurance, workers' compensation, and employers' liability insurance as specified in the contract. All contractors must comply with environmental standards, provide Material Safety Data Sheets for hazardous chemicals, confirm mercury-free products unless cost-prohibitive alternatives exist, and disclose brominated flame retardant content. No incumbent vendors or existing contractors were identified in the solicitation documents. Payment terms require settlement of all undisputed invoices within 45 days of State receipt through Electronic Funds Transfer exclusively. The State reserved the right to award the contract to multiple vendors based on geographical location and best value determination, with contracts exceeding $500,000 requiring approval by the State Administrative Board. The specific budget or award value was not disclosed in the available solicitation documents.