RFP for Legal Notice Postings *** SEE ATTACHED PDF ***

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority issued a Request for Proposals seeking a media placement services provider authorized to conduct business in Michigan to purchase media placement services for legal notice postings in various publications throughout the state. The contractor must provide comprehensive preparatory services including ad creation, proofing, editing, and formatting; placement services across multiple publications statewide; and verification services including tear sheets and affidavits of publication. The Authority anticipates utilizing these services across at least four divisions regularly, with additional requests from other departments as needed, estimating approximately 100 legal notices to be published over a twelve-month period, though this volume may vary. Bidders must submit a final price for posting a sample legal notice in the City of Marquette and the Detroit News as part of their proposal. The evaluation criteria allocate 20 points for previous media placement experience, 10 points for published legal notice samples, 25 points for communication plan effectiveness, 25 points for proposed methodology and staffing, and 20 points for fee reasonableness, with a minimum score of 80 points required for award consideration. Pricing must be submitted as a firm fixed price for the entire contract duration with no price adjustments permitted. The deadline for submitting questions is May 27, 2021 at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, with answers anticipated on May 31, 2021, and proposals are due June 17, 2021 at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. The anticipated contract begin date is October 1, 2021, with the Authority anticipating awarding a minimum three-year contract and selection notification expected around August 1, 2021, contingent upon Michigan Civil Service Commission and Authority Board approval.

Michigan law provides a 10 percent pricing preference to qualified service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, giving these entities a competitive advantage in the evaluation process. Sole proprietors are not eligible to submit proposals; bidders must be Michigan entities or foreign entities authorized to conduct business in Michigan. The contractor must maintain general liability insurance of $1,000,000, errors and omissions insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and worker's compensation insurance as required by state law, with the Authority named as additional insured on all liability policies. No incumbent vendors or specific budget range was identified in the available documentation; however, the contract scope—involving media placement services for approximately 100 legal notices annually across multiple statewide publications—suggests a significant value opportunity. The specific award value or budget ceiling was not disclosed in the RFP summary, making the final contract value contingent upon the bidders' proposed pricing and the Authority's selection decision.