Field Prep, Fertilizing and Planting - Multi-County Area

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued Request for Proposal (RFP) 180000002971 on July 13, 2018, for field preparation, fertilizing, and planting services across five bid areas spanning six northern Michigan counties: Benzie, Manistee, Leelanau, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Wexford. The procurement encompasses a total of 353.8 acres of forest openings requiring disking, fertilizing, and seeding operations to restore wildlife habitat for deer, turkey, and elk. Bid Area #1 comprises 130.8 acres in Benzie, Manistee, and Leelanau Counties; Bid Area #2 contains 73.5 acres in Grand Traverse County; Bid Area #3 covers 56.9 acres in Kalkaska County; Bid Area #4 includes 80.2 acres in Kalkaska County; and Bid Area #5 encompasses 12.4 acres in Wexford County. Contractors must provide pricing on a per-acre basis for each bid area and may bid on any combination of the five areas, with all costs including labor, equipment, materials, mileage, and equipment hauling included in fixed and firm pricing with no additional charges permitted. Work must be completed between August 1 and September 15, 2018, with contractors required to contact the DNR Project Manager 72 hours before commencing work in each block and to submit weekly progress reports. The question deadline was July 20, 2018, with bids due by July 25, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, and the anticipated purchase order issue date is July 27, 2018. Contractors must possess commercial general liability insurance ($1,000,000 each occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), motor vehicle insurance ($1,000,000 per occurrence), and workers' compensation insurance, and must have access to required equipment including a farm tractor, heavy-duty disk, and seed and fertilizer spreader capable of applying 12-12-12 fertilizer at 100 lbs per acre and annual bin run rye seed at 2 bushels per acre.

A qualified disabled veteran business preference of up to 10% is available under Michigan Public Act 431 for eligible contractors. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the solicitation materials provided. Invoices must be submitted by September 20, 2018, and payment is made upon completion, inspection, and acceptance by the DNR through Electronic Funds Transfer only, with specific award values or budget ranges not disclosed in the available documentation. Equipment failure is not an acceptable reason for non-performance, and work not completed by the September 15, 2018, deadline may result in penalties up to forfeiture of payment. While no pre-bid meeting was scheduled, the DNR Project Manager was made available to answer questions regarding field locations and conditions, and bidders were encouraged to visit project sites to assess field conditions prior to submitting proposals.