NIA1-313-260000000501-1 | Notice of Award for RFP 26*1728

The Michigan Department of Education, through its Office of Partnership Districts, awarded Contract NIA1-313-260000000501-1 to the Regents of the University of Michigan following a competitive RFP process under solicitation number 260000001728. The contract, effective May 22, 2026, encompasses a three-year base period with up to five optional one-year renewals, potentially extending performance through May 21, 2034. The scope involves a comprehensive evaluation of Michigan’s Partnership Model across 55 districts, requiring mixed-methods research including surveys, interviews, observations, and data analysis to assess implementation, impact, and cost-effectiveness in alignment with state and federal education research standards. The award was determined using a best-value trade-off method, where the winning bidder was selected not solely on the highest technical score but on the optimal balance between technical merit and price, with the University of Michigan offering the lowest total base cost of $829,345.14 despite a slightly lower technical score than the highest-rated bidder. Performance will occur across various locations in Michigan, with key deliverables including detailed evaluation reports and interactive data dashboards. The evaluation process prioritized requirements compliance at 45%, service requirements at 20%, staffing at 15%, project management at 10%, and responses to the Vendor Questions Worksheet at 10%, with numeric scoring used throughout and no adjectival ratings applied. No formal contract clauses from the Federal Acquisition Regulation were identified, nor were packaging, marking, preservation, or invoicing procedures specified. Payment details, accounting codes, and the identity of the Contracting Officer’s Representative or Procuring Contracting Officer were not provided, though the primary point of contact is Jenny Manar. The contractor must have at least three years of experience conducting policy evaluations for public agencies, with preference given to research-based entities familiar with educational partnership models. No unique entity ID, CAGE code, or socioeconomic certifications were submitted by any offeror, and no security clearances or organizational conflict of interest provisions were required. All proposals were electronically submitted through the SIGMA VSS portal by the April 22, 2026 deadline, with no physical submissions accepted.