Travel administrator services statewide

The Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget's Procurement Office issued RFP #190000002051 on April 26, 2019, seeking a statewide professional travel agency services contractor to provide comprehensive domestic and international travel accommodations and reservation services. The procurement encompasses lodging and travel accommodations by air, car, and rail services, along with reservation system capabilities to support state employee travel needs across all Michigan agencies. The RFP required bidders to demonstrate technical competency through proposal evaluation scored on a 100-point scale, with a minimum threshold of 80 points required to advance to pricing consideration. The evaluation criteria assessed bidders' ability to deliver responsive and responsible service offerings, system integration capabilities, and overall value proposition to the state. Proposals were due on June 6, 2019, providing interested vendors with 42 days from the RFP posting date to prepare and submit their bids. The resulting contract term spans three years with up to two additional one-year renewal options, subject to State Administrative Board approval.

Two bidders submitted proposals by the June 6, 2019 deadline: Conlin Travel Inc. of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Dumonde Group (DBA Dumonde Travel) of Miami, Florida. Conlin Travel Inc. achieved a technical score of 89 points and was deemed responsive and responsible, meeting all minimum technical requirements for pricing evaluation, while Dumonde Group scored 57 points and failed to meet minimum technical qualifications. The award recommendation of $450,000.00 was made to Conlin Travel Inc., which submitted a tiered transaction fee structure ranging from $0 for online car-only reservations to $20.00 for agent-supported reservations. Following one round of pricing negotiations, the state secured annual hard savings of $2,800.00 through transaction fee reductions in online air-only reservations, online combined reservations, and international agent-supported air reservations. No set-aside designations or organizational restrictions were identified in the procurement materials provided. The contract represents the state's effort to consolidate travel administration services under a single statewide vendor to streamline operations and reduce overall travel program costs.