Western UP ORV Trail Dust Control Contract-Revised Quant V3

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources issued Request for Proposal #190000001931 for dust control services on Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) trails and railroad grades in the Western Upper Peninsula, specifically targeting Iron, Gogebic, and Houghton counties. The procurement seeks application of approved dust control agents to 6.34 miles of designated ORV routes annually over a three-year contract period with two one-year renewal options. Contractors must apply one of three approved chemical treatments—Calcium Chloride (35% solution at 176 gallons per 0.1 mile), Penetrating Emulsion Prime (PEP) (218 gallons per 0.1 mile), or Magnesium Chloride (30% solution at 293 gallons per 0.1 mile)—across fourteen treatment sites located in communities including Watersmeet, Marenisco, Twin Lakes, Calumet, Iron River, Caspian, Crystal Falls, and others. Minimum annual application requirements total between 10,454 and 17,405 gallons depending on the chemical selection, with three-year contract totals ranging from 33,475.20 to 55,728.60 gallons. Critical qualifications include valid Michigan Commercial Driver's Licenses for all application vehicle operators, submission of material safety data sheets and application rates with proposals, and development of a detailed project plan addressing work activities, equipment, transportation, phasing, weather provisions, and reapplication criteria. Work must be completed, inspected, and accepted between the last full week of May and the first full week of June of each contract year. Proposals were due May 8, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time through the SIGMA VSS electronic submission system, with a bidder question deadline of May 2, 2019 and anticipated answers posted by May 6, 2019. Evaluation criteria included pass/fail technical assessment of the Vendor Questions Worksheet, contract activities, CDL requirements, project planning, and acceptance of standard contract terms, with pricing evaluation only for technically qualified proposals and award based on best value to the State.

The procurement did not specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though the State reserved consideration of Qualified Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (QVDOB) status as a best value factor alongside prior performance, economic impact to Michigan, and total cost of ownership. No incumbent contractor information was provided in the solicitation documents. The State required all contractors to maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and Workers' Compensation Insurance with the State named as additional insured, and prohibited subcontracting without prior written State approval provided at least 90 days in advance. Contractors were classified as independent contractors and subject to all applicable Michigan nondiscrimination laws, ethics standards, and federal, state, and local regulations. The solicitation did not disclose a specific award value or budget range; however, pricing would be calculated based on the contractor's unit rates for the selected dust control agent multiplied by the three-year quantity requirements (ranging from approximately 33,475 to 55,729 gallons) plus application labor and equipment costs at 19.02 miles over the contract period. All inquiries were directed to solicitation manager Patrick Avendt at (517) 284-5922 or avendtp@michigan.gov, while the DNR project manager was identified as Jeff Kakuk at (906) 753-6317.