Carl T Johnson Exhibit Design Project - AWARD RECOMMENDATION

Michigan's Department of Natural Resources Procurement Office has recommended awarding the Carl T. Johnson Exhibit Design Project (RFP 260000001267) to Graphite Design + Build Limited of Toledo, Ohio, pending State Administrative Board approval, with a proposal due date of June 3, 2026 for the award recommendation period.

Graphite Design + Build Limited achieved a perfect technical evaluation score of 100 out of 100 points across four equally weighted criteria: Vendor Questions Worksheet, Schedule A Statement of Work, Attachment 1 Qualifications, and Attachment 2 Contractor Experience and Portfolio Examples. The evaluation team, led by Solicitation Manager Lisa Crozier-Green and two DNR Marketing and Outreach Subject Matter Experts, required a minimum threshold of 80 points for pricing consideration. Five vendors submitted proposals by the April 10, 2026 deadline: FireWatch Design, Graphite Design + Build Ltd., Potter-Belmar d/b/a Flutter&Wow, Riggs Ward Design, and Swath Design.

The scope encompasses design, fabrication, and installation of exhibits at the DNR Carl T. Johnson Hunt and Fish Center. The contract term is three years with up to two optional one-year renewal periods.

The award recommendation totals $287,530, structured as Phase I Conceptual/Schematic Design at $28,000, Phase II Design Development at $35,000, Phase III Final Design, Fabrication, and Installation at $220,000, and travel time and expenses at $4,530. Competing proposals ranged from $173,014 (FireWatch Design) to $412,274 (Riggs Ward Design). Neither SDVOB nor GDBE designations were held by any bidders. The award determination prioritized best value to the State of Michigan based on the combination of technical scores and pricing.