Mackinac County Roadside Mowing

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for roadside mowing services in Mackinac County, specifically within the Superior Region's Engadine and St. Ignace Garage jurisdictional areas. The procurement seeks a single contractor to perform mowing operations on six state trunklines (I-75, US-2, M-123, M-117, M-129, and M-134) totaling 597 acres per cycle during the primary mowing season, with an optional secondary cycle covering 65 acres for clear vision areas only, plus optional brush mowing services at 250 hours per cycle. The contractor must maintain herbaceous vegetation at 18 inches with cuts no less than 5 inches from the ground between May 1 and October 1 annually, then 12 inches minimum thereafter, with all mowing cycles to be completed within 20 calendar days (excluding Sundays) of notification. The contract term spans three years from May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2027, with the possibility of two additional one-year renewal periods at the State's discretion. Required qualifications include ownership of all equipment at the contract start date (minimum 55-horsepower tractors with 12-foot cutting widths for flat area mowing and 30-horsepower trim mowers with 5-foot cutting widths), proof of commercial general liability insurance ($1,000,000 per occurrence), umbrella or excess liability coverage ($5,000,000), automobile liability insurance ($1,000,000 per accident), and workers' compensation insurance. Proposals will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis regarding completion of required forms and agreement with standard contract terms, with award going to the responsive and responsible bidder with the lowest price. Critical deadlines include a mandatory pre-proposal meeting on February 8, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern via Microsoft Teams (limited to two persons per bidder), a question submission deadline of 3:00 p.m. Eastern on February 13, 2024, and a proposal deadline of 3:00 p.m. Eastern on February 16, 2024, with all submissions required through the Michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS electronic portal.

The solicitation does not specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though the State reserves the right to consider qualified disabled veteran-owned business (QDV/SDVOB) status as a factor in award decisions. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is identified in the procurement documents. Bidders must submit pricing schedules detailing their per-acre rate for the first mowing cycle, pricing for the optional second cycle, and hourly rates for brush mowing services; pricing must be firm for the entire three-year contract duration with adjustments permitted only upon documented evidence of changes in actual contractor costs subject to negotiation. The contract incorporates liquidated damages provisions of $5,000 plus $100 per day for late or improper completion, $1,000 per individual per day for unauthorized key personnel removal, and $1,000 per individual per day for unapproved or untrained personnel replacements. Payment will be made via Electronic Funds Transfer within 45 days of invoice receipt (or net 30 days from the later of invoice date or Program Manager certification of satisfactory completion). While specific budget values are not disclosed in the RFP documents, the total contract value will be determined by the bidder's pricing submission multiplied across approximately 597 acres for the primary mowing cycle, any optional secondary cycles, and optional brush mowing hours over the three-year contract period.