Electrofishing boat-custom built with twin outboards, trailer

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) on March 28, 2018, for the procurement of a specialized electrofishing boat package to support invasive species research and removal efforts, particularly targeting Asian grass carp in the Great Lakes Basin. The procurement encompasses a comprehensive integrated vessel system including a 21-foot all-welded aluminum USCG-approved boat, an Infinity Control Box Electro-Fishing Unit with proprietary waveform control technology, Hummingbird Helix 10 sonar equipment, a 7KW Honda generator with inverter technology, two Mercury 90 HP outboard engines, two collapsible anode arrays, two pivot/swing electrofishing booms, a galvanized tandem axle trailer, and all associated operational controls and equipment. The primary objective is to standardize equipment across collaborative federal and state partners, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alpena Office and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, to effectively manage grass carp populations across varying water conductivity environments in Lake Erie and connected waterways. A mandatory minimum requirement specifies that the contractor must be the manufacturer or authorized dealer/distributor of the Infinity Control Electro-Fishing Systems, as MDNR determined this is the only system capable of outputting both continuous and pulsed DC and AC current with one-unit increment waveform adjustments. The intended single-provider source is Midwest Lake Management, Inc., located in Polo, Missouri, based on a quotation dated January 23, 2018. The response deadline was April 4, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, with written questions accepted through April 2, 2018, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.

This procurement was structured as a single-provider negotiation with Midwest Lake Management, Inc., indicating restricted bidding opportunity based on the unique technological requirements and manufacturer specifications of the Infinity Control Box system. The procurement justification is grounded in the state's nearly one-million-dollar investment in grass carp removal and the need for equipment compatibility with existing federal and state collaborative systems already in place. Vendors responding to this ITN must comply with the State of Michigan's Standard Contract Terms, which establish comprehensive conditions regarding delivery, inspection, payment procedures, warranties, intellectual property rights, and compliance obligations. The contract requires final inspection within 30 calendar days of delivery, with vendors responsible for correcting defects or replacing non-conforming deliverables within 10 calendar days or face rejection and potential State correction at vendor expense plus a 10 percent administrative fee. Payment terms require submission of itemized invoices, with undisputed amounts payable within 45 calendar days of the State's receipt of the invoice or final acceptance of deliverables, whichever is later, and vendors must register with the Michigan SIGMA VSS system for Electronic Funds Transfer payments. While a specific contract value is not disclosed in the documentation, the procurement reflects a substantial capital investment aligned with the state's multi-million-dollar grass carp management initiative and standardization requirements with federal partners.