DNR FRD Forest Certification - Annual Audits

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) is seeking an accredited Certification Body to conduct third-party Forest Management annual surveillance and re-certification audits on state forest lands to maintain dual certificates with The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) programs. The procurement (RFP #210000000164) covers auditing services for approximately 3.9 million acres of state forest lands from January 2021 to December 2026, with potential contract extension. The successful contractor will be responsible for conducting annual surveillance audits from 2021-2024 and a comprehensive re-certification audit in 2025, with field audits preferably conducted in October, excluding September and early October. Evaluation criteria will assess technical proposals across multiple weighted categories including product quality (10%), general requirements (15%), statement of work (10%), staffing (15%), project management (20%), other requirements (10%), and vendor questions (20%). Proposals must receive a minimum of 80 technical evaluation points to advance to pricing review. Key procurement dates include a pre-proposal meeting on November 12, 2020, a question submission deadline of November 19, 2020, and a proposal submission deadline of December 7, 2020.

The solicitation does not explicitly specify set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The MDNR will evaluate proposals considering overall economic impact, including factors such as principal place of performance, Michigan employment, capital investments, and potential tax revenue implications. The contractor must submit pricing for joint FSC and SFI audits as a fixed price/lump sum for each year's surveillance audit and the 2025 re-certification audit. While specific budget ranges are not detailed in the available documentation, the State retains the discretion to renew the contract for up to five additional one-year periods. The procurement emphasizes the need for an accredited Certification Body with expertise in forest management certification audits, capable of independently assessing the MDNR's forest management practices against FSC and SFI standards. The State is not obligated to accept the lowest price proposal, indicating a focus on comprehensive value and technical capability over cost alone.