Notice of Intent to Award RFQ 190000000425 Deer Patches

The State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued Request for Quotes 190000000425 for the procurement of deer patches for the 2019 deer season through its Wildlife Division. This solicitation sought a contractor to provide up to 60,000 deer patches as a one-time purchase, with deliverables required to meet specifications demonstrated through physical sample patches submitted with proposals. The RFQ was posted on SIGMA VSS on May 3, 2019, with a fourteen-day response period and proposals due by May 17, 2019. Five vendors submitted proposals by the deadline: All City Label and Tag Company, Inc.; Award Company of America, LLC; Carolina Emblem Company, Inc.; Nitsom Promotional Manufacturing Corp.; and Rockpoint Apparel Company. The evaluation process assessed proposals based on responsiveness, vendor responsibility, inclusion of required physical sample patches, and pricing within fair market value expectations. Evaluation was conducted by Lisa Crozier-Green, Solicitation Manager, and Holly Vaughn, Wildlife Communications Coordinator from DNR Wildlife Division. The award recommendation was made to Carolina Emblem Company, Inc., based in Compobello, South Carolina, at the lowest overall price of $0.49 per patch.

No Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) set-asides or restrictions on eligible bidder types were applied to this procurement. All five submitted proposals were determined to be acceptable; however, only three bidders—Award Company of America, Nitsom Promotional Manufacturing Corp., and Carolina Emblem Company, Inc.—provided the required physical sample patches as specified in the solicitation requirements. The State determined best value based on meeting all mandatory requirements combined with the lowest overall price. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information was referenced in the solicitation documentation. The total award value was $29,940.00 to Carolina Emblem Company, Inc., representing the cost-effective solution at the per-unit rate of $0.49 per patch. Debriefing sessions were made available to unsuccessful bidders to review the State's rationale for the award recommendation.