FRD Social Survey Invasive Species

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) are jointly issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) for professional services to develop, deliver, analyze, and report on pre- and post-project attitude and opinion surveys regarding a voluntary invasive-species-free certification program for producers and consumers of mulch, compost, gravel, fill, and firewood products. The project requires two distinct survey instruments: one targeting producers, vendors, and distributors (minimum 100 responses per product category) and another targeting Michigan consumers including gardeners, landscapers, builders, and campers (minimum 2,000 total responses with 1,000 each for pre- and post-surveys across all five product categories). Key deliverables include raw datasets, cleaned data with metadata, summary reports, and in-person presentations to Michigan Invasive Species Program staff. The contractor must appoint a dedicated Project Manager and Lead Researcher, implement quality assurance and control procedures, and maintain comprehensive data management capabilities allowing the State to retain, retrieve, delete, and transfer all project data. Pre-implementation producer surveys must begin in the fourth quarter of 2024, consumer surveys by the end of the first quarter of 2025, post-implementation surveys must be initiated and completed by September 30, 2026, and final survey analysis and reporting must be completed by November 13, 2026. An optional pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for July 29, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, with a bidder question deadline of August 5, 2024, and proposals due August 16, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern. Proposals will be evaluated on technical criteria worth 100 points, with only proposals receiving 80 or more points eligible for pricing consideration, and the anticipated contract begin date is August 30, 2024.

The RFP document does not specify any set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendor information. No existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements are identified in the solicitation materials. The contract structure includes a one-year initial term with the possibility of renewal for one additional one-year period at the State's discretion. Contractor pricing must be comprehensive and firm for the entire contract duration, with payment structured in four installments: 20 percent upon completion of pre-implementation surveys, 20 percent upon completion of consumer surveys, 20 percent upon completion of post-implementation surveys, and 40 percent upon final survey analysis completion. While a specific budget range or award value is not explicitly stated in the available documentation, the payment structure suggests the contract value will be substantial enough to justify four major deliverable milestones. Undisputed invoices will be payable within 45 days of receipt via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), and late or improper completion of contract activities will result in liquidated damages of $2,500 plus $100 per day for each day the contractor fails to remedy deficiencies.