In-Depth Cost Analysis of Liquid and Solid Deicing Materials

Location:	Minnesota
Posted:	Aug 12, 2026
Due:	Sep 29, 2026
Agency:	State Government of Minnesota
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	S - Utilities and Training Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Brief Description: MnDOT requests responses for this Clear Roads project to build on existing research on the benefits of incorporating liquids deicers into snow-and-ice operations to establish a tool that calculates and compares the comprehensive costs of applying liquid and solid deicing materials. Whereas related Clear Roads projects 23-02 and 22-04 examined the benefits of snow-and-ice operations, this project will focus on developing an Excel tool to calculate actual costs for liquid and solid deicing materials applied to the roadway on a per unit basis. This would allow transportation agencies that mange winter maintenance to accurately estimate the needed investment and resources for liquid deicing infrastructure to maximize winter maintenance efforts and ensure the cost-effective use of maintenance funds.

Date posted: 08/12/2026
Due date: 09/29/2026

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State of Minnesota

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

PART A: INSTRUCTIONS AND CONTENT

In-Depth Cost Analysis of Liquid and Solid Deicing Materials

MnDOT Contract Number: 1063983

Date Posted: 08/12/2026

1. Responses must be received by MnDOT no later than 2:00 pm Central Time, on 09/29/2026. Late responses will

not be considered.

2. This document is available in alternative formats for persons with disabilities by calling Michael Friberg at 651-

366-4683 or for persons who are hearing, or speech impaired by calling the Minnesota Relay Service at 1-800-

627-3529. For other information on disability rights and protections, contact MnDOT’s Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator.

3. Responder must also complete and submit PART B of this Request for Proposals, posted separately from this

document.

4. As of July 1, 2025, certain terms are unenforceable in state contracts. See Minnesota Statutes §16C.05

subdivision 8.

Minnesota’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

The State of Minnesota is committed to diversity and inclusion in its public procurement process. The goal is to

ensure that those providing goods and services to the State are representative of our Minnesota communities

and include businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and those with substantial physical disabilities.

Creating broader opportunities for historically under-represented groups provides for additional options and

greater competition in the marketplace, creates stronger relationships and engagement within the State’s

communities, and fosters economic development and equality.

To further this commitment, the Department of Administration operates a program for Minnesota-based small

businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and those with substantial physical disabilities. For additional

information on this program, or to determine eligibility, please call 651-296-2600 or go to

www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/mn02001.html.

SPECIAL NOTICE: This is a request for proposal. It does not obligate MnDOT to award a contract or complete the

proposed program, and MnDOT reserves the right to cancel this RFP if it is considered in its best interest.

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Request For Proposal Part A Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDERS

SECTION 2 – SUMMARY OF PROJECT SCOPE

SECTION 3 – PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

SECTION 4 – PROPOSAL CONTENT AND SUBMISSION

SECTION 5 – EVALUATION PROCEDURE AND CRITERIA

SECTION 6 – TERMS AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Request For Proposal Required Forms and Declarations (see PART B, posted seperately):

1. Attachment 1: Responder Declarations & Certifications

2. Attachment 2: Exceptions to MnDOT's Terms and Conditions Form

3. Attachment 3: Responder Forms

a. Workforce and Equal Pay Declaration Form

b. Conflict of Interest Checklist and Disclosure Form

c. Resident Vendor Form

d. Link to the Federal Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying (Standard Form-LLL)

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Steps for

Completing

Your Response

Incomplete

Submittals

How to Ask

Questions

SECTION 1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDERS

Follow the steps below to complete your response to this RFP:

Step 1: Read the solicitation documents and ask questions, if any

Step 2: Write your Proposal and complete the required Forms in Part B of this RFP

Step 3: Submit your Proposal

A Proposal must be submitted along with any required additional documents. Incomplete

Proposals that materially deviate from the required format and content may be rejected.

STEP 1 – READ THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT & ASK QUESTIONS, IF ANY

The Instructions for Questions and Answers section is in this link to Section 3. The contact person

for questions is:

Michael Friberg, Contract Administrator

Michael.friberg@state.mn.us

How to Write

your Response

Use the following as the subject line of your email: MnDOT Contract No. 1063983, In-Depth Cost

Analysis of Liquid and Solid Deicing Materials. Questions must be emailed to the contact person

and received by 2:00 pm Central Time, on 09/15/2026. Other personnel are not authorized to

answer questions regarding this RFP.

STEP 2 – WRITE YOUR RESPONSE

The Proposal Content section is in this link to Section 4. Prepare a written response and supply

all requested content. Proposals must address the requested information and documents

detailed in Section 4 or be disqualified as non-responsive.

All Proposals submitted in response to this RFP will be public information under the Minnesota

Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13 once the evaluation process is

complete.

Where to Send

Your Response

and

Confirmation

Make sure to review and sign your Proposal and include all necessary Part B Attachments.

STEP 3 –SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE

Proposals must be electronically submitted via e-mail to:

Michael Friberg, Contract Administrator

Michael.friberg@state.mn.us

Use the following as the subject line of your email: MnDOT Contract No. 1063983, In-Depth Cost

Analysis of Liquid and Solid Deicing Materials. You must copy:

ProfessionalTechnicalContractForms.dot@state.mn.us on the email.

Proposals must be received by MnDOT no later than 2:00 pm Central Time, on 09/29/2026. Late

responses will not be considered.

You will receive a confirmation email from MnDOT after submission. If you do not, please email

the Contract Administrator above to ensure your response was received.

By signing and submitting a Proposal, you are making a binding legal offer for the period of time

listed here. This Condition of Offer is discussed in more detail in the Terms & General

Requirements section of this RFP, Section 6.

(CSS/CM Last Updated: 06/09/2026)

SECTION 2 –SUMMARY OF PROJECT SCOPE

1. Project Overview and Goals

This project has been developed by Clear Roads. Clear Roads is an ongoing pooled fund research project aimed at

rigorous testing of winter maintenance materials, equipment and methods for use by highway maintenance crews. Clear

Roads will fund and oversee the contract for this project in coordination with MnDOT. For more information, visit

www.clearroads.org.

MnDOT requests responses for this Clear Roads project to build on existing research on the benefits of incorporating

liquids deicers into snow-and-ice operations to establish a tool that calculates and compares the comprehensive costs of

applying liquid and solid deicing materials. Whereas related Clear Roads projects 23-02 and 22-04 examined the benefits

of snow-and-ice operations, this project will focus on developing an Excel tool to calculate actual costs for liquid and

solid deicing materials applied to the roadway on a per unit basis. This would allow transportation agencies that mange

winter maintenance to accurately estimate the needed investment and resources for liquid deicing infrastructure to

maximize winter maintenance efforts and ensure the cost-effective use of maintenance funds.

The tool should account for all associated costs of applying liquid and solid deicing materials including raw material

costs, labor (administrative and operations), facility construction and operations, brine production, application

equipment, loading equipment, maintenance, etc.

Project Goal

The primary goal of this project is to enable agencies to calculate and document the comprehensive costs associated

with applying liquid and solid deicing materials by developing an Excel spreadsheet that would enable a state to input

costs to calculate costs associated with solid and liquid material applications on a per unit basis. The results should

provide DOTs with accurate estimates and comparisons in their efforts to make thoughtful and appropriate investments

into liquid deicing infrastructure and maximize the expenditure of maintenance funds to achieve the safety and

operational mission of snow-and-ice operations.

2. Scope of Work and Deliverables

The selected vendor is expected to thoroughly review current literature and industry practices, survey and interview

Clear Roads members and work with the Clear Roads subcommittee overseeing the project to incorporate feedback and

suggestions that maximize the usefulness and convenience of the cost-calculating Excel tool.

Investigators will develop an Excel spreadsheet tool that calculates the comprehensive costs of applying liquid and solid

deicing materials based on the user input of state or district-level costs.

Investigators will also create a one-page Fact Sheet that illustrates and promotes the functionality of the tool, such as

comparing the costs of using liquid deicers versus salt.

To create the tool, investigators will:

1. Conduct an extensive literature / industry review, distribute a survey and conduct interviews to identify and

document all cost items associated with applying liquid and solid deicing materials.

2. Develop a methodology, to be used to insert formulas and functions into Excel spreadsheet cells, to quantify

costs on a per unit basis (such as per gallon, per ton, etc.). These materials are often applied together, and the

methodology should account for the likely use of both.

3. Make recommendations that clearly identify the costs that will be included and calculated in the Excel tool.

4. Incorporate feedback and suggested revisions into a final version of the cost-calculating Excel tool and

accompanying user’s guide.

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Tasks

Responders should detail their approach to this project and outline the steps they would take to achieve the project’s

goals and anticipated deliverables.

Anticipated Deliverables

The following is a list of deliverables expected to be provided by the successful responder:

1. Kick-off teleconference at the start of the project to review project tasks and goals and discuss the plans for all

of the tasks.

2. Check-in teleconferences with Clear Roads to review deliverables as appropriate.

3. Identification of cost items. Literature and industry reviews, survey of Clear Roads member states and follow-up

interviews to identify the comprehensive costs transportation agencies incur with the use and application of

liquid and solid deicing materials. The task deliverable will be a set of draft survey questions and a memo

summarizing findings, including the cost items to be included in the Excel Tool.

4. Develop a methodology. Based on the identified cost items to include in the Excel tool, develop a methodology

for calculating costs using formulas and functions for use in within the Excel spreadsheet to quantify costs on a

per unit basis(such as per gallon, per ton, etc.). The task deliverable will be a draft memo that summarizes the

proposed structure and functionality of the Excel tool.

5. Excel tool and user’s guide. Develop a Beta version of the cost-calculating Excel tool and user’s guide for testing

by Clear Roads member states. Collect feedback and make suggested revisions to the tool and user’s guide. The

task deliverable will be a Beta and final version of the Excel tool and user’s guide and a memorandum

summarizing the subcommittees suggested revisions and how those changes were made to the tool and user’s

guide.

6. Fact Sheet. The task deliverable will be a fact sheet that illustrates and promotes the functionality of the tool.

7. Final report. Document the research methodology and findings. The report will include an executive summary

and details of each task.

8. PowerPoint file to support presentations at conferences or national and regional meetings by Clear Roads

members regarding the use and benefits of the cost-calculating Excel tool.

9. Virtual webinar to present project findings including a demonstration of the tool to show a cost comparison

using example price data.

10. Quarterly Reports that provide documentation of progress should be submitted to the Clear Roads Technical

Advisory Committee (TAC) at the end of each quarter of the year (March 31, June 30, September 30, December

31) for the duration of the contract.

3. Additional Tasks or Activities.

Responders are encouraged to propose additional tasks or activities if they will substantially improve the results of

this Project. These items must be separated from the required items on the cost proposal required under this RFP.

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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

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In-Depth Cost Analysis of Liquid and Solid Deicing Materials

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See also