DNR FRD Forest Certification - Annual Audits

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued a Request for Proposal on November 6, 2020, seeking a certified forest certification body to conduct third-party annual surveillance and re-certification audits on state-administered forest lands across approximately 3.9 million acres encompassing 15 Forest Management Units. The procurement requires the selected vendor to maintain dual Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certifications and perform joint surveillance audits in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, with a combined recertification audit required by December 1, 2025. Deliverables include draft surveillance reports due within 30 days of field completion and final reports within 90 days, with field audits to be scheduled in October or outside the September and first week of October timeframe. The State evaluated proposals based entirely on technical factors weighted at 100 points, assessing product quality, general requirements, staffing qualifications, project management capabilities, and vendor experience; pricing was considered only for proposals scoring 80 or more points. Required qualifications include proof of FSC and SFI certification body status, a unified audit team using coordinated protocols, and professional liability insurance of $3,000,000, commercial general liability of $1,000,000, and automobile liability of $1,000,000. The pre-proposal meeting was held on November 12, 2020, the deadline for bidder questions was November 19, 2020, with answers posted by November 24, 2020, and proposals were due December 7, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, with an anticipated contract begin date of January 5, 2021.

The RFP documents do not indicate specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting eligible respondents to particular organization types. The solicitation is subject to Michigan's Freedom of Information Act requirements and Standard Contract Terms, which include provisions for performance guarantees, background checks, and compliance with applicable federal and state laws. The contract structure provides for a five-year initial period through January 4, 2026, with the possibility of up to five additional one-year renewal periods at the State's sole discretion, though specific budget figures or award values are not disclosed in the available documentation. The State will not reimburse overtime, holiday pay, or travel expenses, and payments will be made by electronic funds transfer. Liquidated damages of $5,000 plus $100 per day apply for late or improper completion of audit deliverables.