DNR cedar sign posts

The State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued a Request for Proposal (RFP 190000000745) on January 16, 2019, to procure natural cedar sign posts for use along Michigan's snowmobile trails. The contractor must furnish and deliver debarked, dried, round cedar posts measuring a minimum of two inches in diameter at the top and maximum of five inches in diameter at both ends, with a length of eight feet; no wood preservatives or stains are permitted. The estimated three-year contract volume is 30,000 posts, with anticipated annual orders of approximately 10,000 posts to be delivered to four locations: Sault Ste. Marie and Baraga in the Upper Peninsula, and Kalkaska and Atlanta in the Lower Peninsula. The contractor must warrant the cedar posts against severe splitting, rotting, and warpage for two years when stored outdoors or installed to approximately 25 percent of their length, and must conduct quality assurance through random sampling and inspection of one percent of each shipping lot while maintaining comprehensive production records including lumber source location, stand age and diameter, and stand condition. Pricing must be firm for the three-year period with F.O.B. Delivered terms, meaning all transportation and palletizing costs must be prepaid and included in the unit price, and payment will be made via Electronic Funds Transfer on Net 45 terms. The deadline for submitting questions is 3:00 p.m. Eastern on January 24, 2019, with answers posted by January 28, 2019, and proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. Eastern on January 30, 2019, with an anticipated contract begin date of February 13, 2019.

The contract contains an initial one-year term with the possibility of renewal for up to three additional one-year periods by written mutual agreement. No set-aside restrictions apply to small or disadvantaged businesses; however, qualified disabled veteran (QDV) status under Michigan law may be considered in the evaluation process. The RFP indicates no listed incumbent vendors or current contractors, and no pre-proposal meeting is scheduled, though the State reserves the right to conduct facility tours and inspections as part of the evaluation process. The contract is subject to standard Michigan contract terms and federal provisions, including compliance with the Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment certification if the contract exceeds $100,000. While the RFP does not specify an award value or budget range, the estimated procurement of 30,000 cedar posts over three years suggests a substantial contract opportunity for qualified suppliers capable of meeting the State's quality, delivery, and documentation requirements.