FY24- ODS - Treas - RFP - Auctioneering Services

The Michigan Department of Treasury has issued Request for Proposal 240000002823 for professional auctioneering services to dispose of unclaimed and abandoned personal property, including jewelry, collectible coins and currency, stamps, and sports memorabilia through public auction. The State seeks qualified contractors to provide both online and live auction services, with the contractor responsible for cataloging, photographing, advertising, conducting auctions, managing bidder registration, collecting payments, and remitting proceeds to the State. Mandatory qualification requirements include Michigan Auctioneers Association certification with proof of certification required upon proposal submission. The RFP was issued on August 1, 2024, with bidders' questions due by August 9, 2024, and State responses posted by August 14, 2024; proposals are due by August 30, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with an anticipated contract start date of October 29, 2024, extending through December 31, 2027, plus renewal options for up to two additional one-year periods at the State's discretion. Technical evaluation criteria include statement of work compliance (35 points), auction management capabilities (15 points), staffing qualifications (20 points), and responses to vendor questions (30 points), with a minimum score of 80 points required for pricing evaluation. The contractor will be compensated through buyer's premium commissions charged to the highest bidder based on gross sale amounts, with separate pricing submitted for online and live auctions involving estimated annual sales of $300,000, and all out-of-pocket expenses including auctioneer transportation, advertising (minimum $4,000 per live auction), equipment rental, and facility costs are the contractor's responsibility unless pre-approved in writing.

The RFP documentation does not indicate specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions on organizational types; however, the mandatory Michigan Auctioneers Association certification requirement effectively limits qualified bidders to licensed auctioneers in the State. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is referenced in the procurement documents. The contractor must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including commercial general liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence), umbrella liability ($5,000,000), automobile liability ($1,000,000), workers' compensation, employers' liability, cyber liability ($1,000,000), crime/fidelity insurance ($1,000,000), professional liability ($3,000,000), and property insurance ($2,000,000). Service-level agreements include penalties for website downtime ($100 per hour beyond two hours), failure to maintain auctioneer certification ($25 per day), and late submission of final auction reports ($25 per day after five business days). The State does not obligate itself to any minimum frequency, volume, or monetary proceeds and retains the right to conduct up to three unscheduled auctions per year with at least one month's advance notice. No specific budget or award value is disclosed in the procurement materials, as compensation is structured as commission-based on actual auction proceeds rather than a fixed contract value.