MSI janitorial kitchen concentrates

The State of Michigan Department of Corrections issued a Request for Information (RFI) on February 4, 2019, seeking market information on kitchen cleaning products for use in correctional facilities. The procurement encompasses seven categories of kitchen cleaners: automatic dishwashing detergent, pot and pan liquid detergent, heavy duty degreaser, kitchen quarry tile cleaner, concentrated citrus/peroxide cleaner, and concentrated freezer cleaner. Most products are requested in 330-gallon concentrated palletized totes capable of producing a minimum of 660 gallons of diluted finished product, while freezer cleaner is requested in 4 one-gallon cases in ready-to-use formulation. Required specifications include a minimum two-year shelf life, freedom from sediment or foreign matter, Certificates of Analysis and Safety Data Sheets for both undiluted and diluted products, and preferably NFPA ratings of 2 or less. The State provided reference products from Arrow Chemical Products Inc. as benchmarks for comparison and encouraged vendors to propose alternative products with detailed explanations of equivalency or superiority. The deadline for vendor questions was February 7, 2019, with responses due by February 19, 2019. The State reserves the right to invite selected vendors for oral presentations and indicated plans to potentially issue a future Request for Proposal based on information gathered.

The RFI document does not specify any set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations eligible to respond. Arrow Chemical Products Inc. is identified as the reference vendor providing benchmark products for comparison purposes, though the State explicitly encourages vendors to propose alternative products and specifications. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. The State reserves all vendor responses as its property, subject to disclosure under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. No budget range or award value is specified in the RFI, and the State clarified that no costs incurred by vendors in preparing responses or participating in follow-up discussions will be the responsibility of the State. Any future procurement actions will be determined at the State's sole discretion regarding which products and specifications are incorporated into subsequent bid documents.