Indigenous Historian - Consultant

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan History Center, is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP 26-0221) to procure consulting services from an Indigenous Historian to support multiple museum and educational initiatives over a two-year period. The consultant will be responsible for developing permanent museum exhibits, educational materials, and public programs focused on Michigan Native American history and historic resources. Primary deliverables include developing permanent exhibits for the Michigan History Museum covering 1815-1865 (800 hours), creating permanent exhibitions for the Hartwick Pines Visitor Center (80 hours), developing the Gchi Mshiikenh Deh Minising/Heart of the Great Turtle Island exhibits (1,400 hours), contributing to other museum exhibits (120 hours), producing K-12 digital education resources (800 hours), and supporting public history initiatives (130 hours), totaling approximately 3,330 hours. The ideal candidate must demonstrate expertise in Michigan Native American history research, knowledge of non-traditional Indigenous history materials, museum exhibit development experience, teaching experience with school groups, classroom materials development, knowledge of Michigan learning standards, publication writing experience, and public presentation capabilities. Evaluation will be conducted on a pass/fail basis for mandatory criteria including completion of required documents and demonstration of the aforementioned qualifications, with contract award based on best value. The RFP was issued October 31, 2025, with questions due November 7, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. EST, answers posted November 11, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST, and proposals due November 14, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. EST. The contract is anticipated to commence November 24, 2025, and extend through September 30, 2027, with up to two optional one-year renewal periods at the State's discretion.

There are no identified set-asides or restrictions limiting eligibility based on business type or disadvantaged enterprise status. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. Bidders must propose an hourly rate for each project category, with all costs included in pricing; travel expenses will be reimbursed according to Michigan Department of Natural Resources rates, including lodging reimbursement at $98.00 per night for select Michigan cities, meal allowances ranging from $12.00 to $31.00 depending on location and meal type, mileage reimbursement at $0.47 to $0.70 per mile, and incidental costs at $5.00 per overnight stay. No specific budget range or award value is published in the RFP documents. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the SIGMA VSS system, and the State reserves the right to conduct clarification requests, issue notices of deficiency, and negotiate on price and terms with bidders throughout the evaluation process.