Michigan’s Set Aside Law, most recently amended in  2010, establishes the Committee on the Purchase of Goods and Services from Community Rehabilitation Organizations.  The Act states: “To advance the employment of people with disabilities, community rehabilitation organizations shall have preferred status for the purposes of procurement in accord with the provisions of this section. The department’s procurements of goods and services from community rehabilitation organizations are exempt from other competitive procurement requirements of this act and, to the extent possible, exempt from other competitive procurement statutes and executive orders. This subsection does not prohibit the department from applying competitive bid requirements to select among community rehabilitation organizations for the purchase of goods and services.”

Program Impact, FY 2023

In fiscal year 2023, eight nonprofit community rehabilitation organizations participated in the Set Aside program; janitorial services were provided at locations throughout Michigan, and goods produced included trash can liners and onsite drug test kits.

Providing goods and services to the state through the Set Aside program resulted in

• 85 full time and 185 part time jobs for people with disabilities.
• Total wages of over $3.6 million paid to people with disabilities.

Relative to competitive bid requirements, the Michigan Department of Technology Management and Budget (DTMB) has recorded a webinar, hosted by Incompass Michigan, which walks through the process of registering with the State of Michigan as a vendor, and some key points to look out for when submitting a bid.  Click here to view this webinar.

DTMB Resources for businesses:https://www.michigan.gov/dtmb/procurement/contractconnect/lets-do-business