Notice of Intent to Award for RFP 1800000011116.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued RFP 1800000011116 for the procurement of bundled, bulk, and artificial firewood for resale at Michigan campgrounds and recreation areas across Ingham County. The solicitation was posted on February 9, 2018, with proposals due on March 9, 2018. The procurement required vendors to supply heat-treated wood meeting USDA/APHIS standards as the priority category, followed by non-heat-treated wood and artificial firewood options. A Joint Evaluation Committee consisting of the Solicitation Manager and a Parks and Recreation Division Subject Matter Expert evaluated fifteen submitted proposals using a tiered 100-point technical evaluation scale that assessed the Vendor Questions Worksheet (50 points) and Schedule A Statement of Work (50 points), with bonus points awarded for kiln certification. Contract awards were structured with base terms ranging from one to five years and renewal options ranging from two to five years. The evaluation methodology prioritized quality and compliance with federal wood treatment standards while ensuring fair market pricing determinations through best value analysis.

The procurement included a 10% price preference for bidders claiming Qualified Disabled Veteran status. Split awards were recommended to eight contractors based on their technical merits and pricing competitiveness. The State awarded the largest contract to Michigan Fuelwood Products, LLC for $3,664,595 for heat-treated bundled firewood across 25 locations, followed by Rock River Timber at $534,400 for heat-treated bundles across 11 locations, and Kleinhardt Wood Supply at $390,500 for non-heat-treated bundles across eight locations. Additional awards were distributed to Beaver Creek Firewood Products ($337,608), Splittin' Me Timbers ($213,000), Hauger Forest Products ($110,000), ATF Firewood Products ($68,800), and Pesola Logging ($29,000), totaling approximately $5.4 million in contract value. All recommendations exceeding $500,000 were subject to State Administrative Board approval, and one bidder's award was subsequently withdrawn due to bid error.