RFP for Water Quality Monitoring Services

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) issued a Request for Proposal for Water Quality Monitoring Services on July 23, 2024, with a submission deadline of September 9, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, and a question deadline of August 9, 2024, with responses posted by August 19, 2024. This solicitation encompasses Grand Traverse County and multiple jurisdictions within Lansing City and seeks comprehensive technical support for the State's water quality monitoring program. The contractor must provide sample collection services for water, sediment, fish tissue, and biological community samples; conduct laboratory analyses; perform data analysis; prepare reports; and manage data systems. Deliverables include timely submission of work products meeting established quality standards, with service-level agreements holding the contractor accountable for performance. The evaluation criteria include Statement of Work requirements weighted at 25%, staffing requirements weighted at 40%, and a Vendor Questions Worksheet weighted at 35%, with pricing evaluated only for proposals scoring 80 or more points. The contract will begin January 1, 2025, with an initial six-year term through December 31, 2030, renewable for up to two additional one-year periods at the State's discretion. Bidders must submit detailed staffing plans identifying all direct employees and subcontractors, propose hourly rates for specified personnel classifications (Clerical through P-4 staff), and provide itemized costs by category including labor, travel, equipment, supplies, and subcontractor services within established maximums.

The RFP does not indicate specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or organizational restrictions. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. The contract is firm-fixed-price with no allowance for annual escalation, and pricing adjustments are permitted only for documented changes in actual contractor costs negotiated between the parties. The contract is subject to State Administrative Board approval as it is anticipated to exceed $250,000 in value. Funding is provided through Renew Michigan legislative appropriations and federal grant funds, requiring compliance with federal provisions including the Clean Air Act, Federal Water Pollution Control Act, debarment and suspension requirements, Byrd Anti-Lobbying Certification, and domestic preference provisions. Liquidated damages of $5,000 plus $100 per day are assessed for late or improper completion of contract activities, with service-level agreement credits of $100 for the first five non-compliance occurrences annually and $500 for subsequent occurrences in any calendar year.