MSI janitorial soap pellets

This is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the State of Michigan Department of Corrections, Michigan State Industries (MSI), on behalf of Ingham County and the City of Lansing, seeking market information regarding soap flakes or pellets for manufacturing soap at correctional facilities. The procurement calls for vendors to provide detailed information on soap products meeting specific chemical and physical specifications, including soap base composition of 80-85 percent tallow and 15-20 percent coconut oil, acid value of fatty acids between 214-218, moisture content of 10-15 percent, and minimum anhydrous soap content of 79 percent. Vendors are encouraged to submit product samples and may propose multiple options with detailed specifications, along with information on industry standards, testing methods, quality control procedures, and product validation approaches. The State has established a structured timeline for vendor engagement: questions from interested vendors must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. EDT on August 17, 2020; the State will post answers to all questions on August 18, 2020; vendor responses to the RFI are due by 3:00 p.m. EDT on August 21, 2020; and follow-up discussions with selected vendors may occur by September 4, 2020. The State reserves the right to invite selected vendors for oral presentations and indicates that a subsequent Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued based on the market information gathered. All vendor responses become the property of the State and are subject to disclosure under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act.

The RFI document does not identify any set-aside designations, restrictions on organization types, incumbent vendors, or current contractors. No information is provided regarding disadvantaged enterprise preferences, local business requirements, or existing infrastructure or technology that would require vendor integration. Similarly, the procurement documentation does not specify an award value, budget range, or contract value for this opportunity. The RFI explicitly states that the State will not incur costs for vendor response preparation or delivery, and clarifies that this RFI does not constitute an offer to enter into a contract, indicating that this is a preliminary market research phase to inform a future formal procurement process.