Invitation to Negotiate - MDE/OCTE AFNRE Consultant

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE), issued an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN 260000000023) on May 15, 2026, for an Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Education (AFNRE) Consultant. This single-source procurement seeks a qualified consultant to fulfill monitoring requirements mandated by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins V). The consultant will be responsible for monitoring all AFNRE programs throughout Michigan and working collaboratively with the MDE to ensure compliance and program quality across the state's institutions. Key qualifications and deliverables include comprehensive knowledge of AFNRE educator-preparation programs, including bachelor's degree programs, teacher certification and endorsements, and master's level instruction. Written questions regarding the solicitation must be submitted through www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS no later than April 22, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. EST, while responses to the solicitation must be submitted by May 22, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. EST. Respondents are required to describe any equivalent products or services that challenge the identified sole source justification in their proposals.

The procurement is structured as a sole-source award, with Michigan State University (MSU) identified as the intended source at Hannah Administration Building, 426 Auditorium Road, Room 2, East Lansing, Michigan 48824. The MDE justifies the single-source award based on market research demonstrating that MSU is the only Michigan institution offering a comprehensive, integrated AFNRE educator-preparation pipeline, including a Bachelor of Science in AFNRE, teacher certification and endorsements, and a Master of Arts in AFNRE, supported by MSU's designation as Michigan's land grant institution with exclusive access to federal land and funding. While other institutions such as Eastern Michigan University and Central Michigan University offer AFNRE bachelor's degrees, and regional colleges provide limited certificates or endorsements through MSU's extension program, none provide the complete integrated program structure required. The contract is funded through federal support under Perkins V and classified under commodity code 91838, though no specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the solicitation documents.