Government Contract Bid Protest - Michigan
Bidder Protest of Award Recommendation — Michigan
To: [RECIPIENT SPECIFIED IN SOLICITATION OR CURRENT DTMB INSTRUCTION]
Delivery method: [REQUIRED EMAIL / PORTAL / OTHER METHOD]
Date and time sent: [__/__/____, TIME, TIME ZONE]
Subject: Protest of award recommendation — [SOLICITATION NUMBER AND TITLE]
Protester and Solicitation
Protester: [LEGAL NAME, VENDOR ID, ADDRESS, CONTACT, EMAIL, PHONE]
Authorized representative: [NAME, TITLE, AUTHORITY]
Contracting agency: [AGENCY]
Solicitation: [NUMBER AND TITLE]
Recommended awardee: [NAME]
Award-recommendation notice received: [__/__/____, TIME, METHOD]
Protest receipt deadline stated in solicitation: [__/__/____, TIME, TIME ZONE, SECTION]
Written Protest
[PROTESTER] protests the award recommendation for [SOLICITATION]. MCL 18.1261(2) places discretionary state-contract solicitation, award, amendment, cancellation, and appeal decisions with the Department of Technology, Management and Budget. The following facts and requested action are submitted under DTMB Central Procurement's Bidder Protests policy and the instructions for this solicitation.
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Bidder eligibility. Protester submitted its formal offer on [__/__/____] through [REQUIRED FORUM], receipt [NUMBER]. Its offer met the solicitation's submission requirements because [FACTS AND EVIDENCE]. DTMB's policy limits an award protest to a bidder whose formal offer met those requirements. Any disputed responsiveness finding is addressed here: [ISSUE AND SUPPORT].
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Timely filing. The solicitation [SECTION] sets the protest receipt deadline and destination as [EXACT TEXT OR ATTACHED EXCERPT]. This protest is being transmitted by [REQUIRED METHOD] to [REQUIRED RECIPIENT] on [DATE/TIME], before that deadline. The transmission confirmation will be retained as Exhibit [LETTER].
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Procurement events. The agency issued the solicitation on [DATE]; [RELEVANT ADDENDUM OR Q&A] was issued on [DATE]; Protester submitted its offer on [DATE]; the award recommendation was announced on [DATE]. The significant facts are [CHRONOLOGY WITH DOCUMENT AND PAGE REFERENCES].
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Ground one — [SPECIFIC ERROR]. [IDENTIFY THE SOLICITATION SECTION, PROCUREMENT POLICY, OR ACTUAL MICHIGAN STATUTE]. The award recommendation departed from that requirement by [CONCRETE ACT OR OMISSION]. Exhibits [LETTERS AND PAGES] show [EVIDENCE]. The error affected Protester because [CONCRETE COMPETITIVE EFFECT]. The correction requested is [SPECIFIC ACTION].
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Ground two, if any — [SPECIFIC ERROR]. [REQUIREMENT AND PINPOINT]. [FACTS, EXHIBITS, EFFECT, AND CORRECTION].
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Specification issue, if any. Protester raised the issue during the solicitation's question-and-answer period on [DATE] by [METHOD]; the agency responded [RESPONSE AND ADDENDUM]. If no pre-bid objection was made, explain the timing and why the issue remains reviewable under the applicable DTMB policy: [FACTS].
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Requested decision. Protester requests a written decision that [SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFY ERROR AND REQUEST RE-EVALUATION / CORRECTION / REVISED RECOMMENDATION / OTHER ACTION SUPPORTED BY THE SOLICITATION AND POLICY]. Protester requests that DTMB refrain from finalizing the disputed award during the timely protest process, subject to the policy's documented public-health, safety, welfare, and state-property exception. Protester requests no automatic reimbursement of proposal costs, protest costs, or attorney fees.
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Submitted materials. The attachments below are provided within the protest period. DTMB's policy says the Chief Procurement Officer need not consider material submitted after the deadline. Confidential material, if any, is identified and submitted as the solicitation directs: [METHOD OR “NONE”].
| Exhibit | Description and relevant page |
|---|---|
| A | [SOLICITATION AND PROTEST INSTRUCTIONS] |
| B | [OFFER SUBMISSION RECEIPT / RESPONSIVENESS EVIDENCE] |
| C | [AWARD RECOMMENDATION NOTICE] |
| D | [SPECIFIC ADDENDA, Q&A, EVALUATION, OR CORRESPONDENCE] |
| E | [OTHER EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE STATED GROUNDS] |
Please send the written decision to [CONTACT NAME AND EMAIL/ADDRESS].
Dated: [__/__/____]
Signed: [SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE]
Name and title: [NAME AND TITLE]
Organization: [LEGAL BUSINESS NAME]
Contact: [EMAIL, PHONE, MAILING ADDRESS]
Transmission Record
The protest and Exhibits [LETTERS] were delivered to [ACTUAL POLICY/SOLICITATION RECIPIENT] by [REQUIRED METHOD] on [__/__/____] at [TIME, TIME ZONE]. Delivery or receipt confirmation: [IDENTIFIER]. Copies, if required by the solicitation, were sent to [RECIPIENTS AND METHOD].
Recorded by: [NAME]
About this template
- Last updated
- September 27, 2026
- Citations checked
- September 27, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Michigan
- Category
- Administrative Law
Legal authority
- MCL 18.1261(2), (4) (state procurement decisions and delegated authority)
- DTMB Central Procurement Bidder Protests policy
Administrative law covers how you interact with government agencies, from filing a comment on a proposed rule to appealing a denied license or benefit. Agency processes have their own forms, deadlines, and evidence standards that are different from what courts use. Getting the paperwork wrong usually means missing a deadline or losing the right to appeal, so precision in these documents matters as much as it does in a courtroom filing.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on September 27, 2026.
MCL 18.1261(2), (4) (checked September 27, 2026): "The department shall make all discretionary decisions concerning the solicitation, award, amendment, cancellation, and appeal of state contracts. The department may delegate its procurement authority to other state agencies within dollar limitations and for designated types of procurements."
DTMB Central Procurement Bidder Protests policy (checked September 27, 2026): "Only a bidder on a given solicitation may protest an award decision. A bidder is considered a vendor who has submitted a formal offer that meets all submission requirements and is, therefore, considered responsive."
DTMB Bidder Protests — filing (checked September 27, 2026): "The protest must be received in writing by the date and time identified in the solicitation."
DTMB Bidder Protests — decision and award (checked September 27, 2026): "Until issuing a final decision on a timely protest, DTMB Central Procurement will not finalize an award of a contract or purchase order pursuant to a disputed solicitation. However, if there is a threat to public health, safety, or welfare, or danger of immediate and substantial harm to state property from delay in making an award, the Chief Procurement Officer may proceed with an award and document the justification for such action."
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