wood crane mats - statewide

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Forest Resources Division, issued a Request for Proposals for the procurement of 100 new treated hardwood crane mats on a statewide basis, with delivery locations in Crawford County and Marquette County. The solicitation sought 50 units for delivery to the DNR Grayling Field Office in Grayling, Michigan, and 50 units for delivery to the DNR Marquette Repair Shop in Marquette, Michigan. The mats are used to provide access for timber sales, cultivation work, and harvesting operations in sensitive and wetland areas on state lands. Each mat must measure 4 feet by 18 feet by 8 inches in thickness and be constructed from treated oak or mixed hardwoods with rot-protected ends, steel 1-1/4 inch rods on 4-foot centers, and exposed lifting bolts on each end. All mats must be new with no damage, missing timbers, or structural defects. Bids were due on Friday, March 13, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with bidder questions accepted until Monday, March 10, 2020, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Delivery was required as soon as reasonably possible but no later than June 15, 2020, with potential delays due to spring highway load limits. Pricing was to be submitted on a per-unit basis for each delivery location, with vendors invoicing upon DNR acceptance and payment due net 45 days unless a quick payment discount was offered.

All vendors were required to register through the State of Michigan's SIGMA VSS bidding website and submit completed worksheets with their bid submissions, with failure to include both worksheets resulting in bid rejection. The solicitation included a Vendor Questionnaire Worksheet requiring bidders to provide comprehensive information including contact information, company background, organizational history, litigation or debarment history, and qualified disabled veteran-owned business status with supporting documentation. Bidders were required to disclose any participation in RFP development or evaluation, provide relevant experience from the past five to ten years with detailed project information, and affirm agreement with standard contract terms. All vendors had to certify compliance with various state requirements including Michigan business tax compliance, environmental citizenship, convict labor compliance, and State of Michigan debt obligations. The state reserved the right to accept or reject any alternate products proposed and to reject any bids that did not meet all stated specifications, with the sole point of contact being Patrick Avendt, DNR Buyer, and contact with any other state personnel potentially resulting in disqualification. No incumbent vendors, set-aside designations, budget ranges, or award values were identified in the solicitation documents.