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This is the Place RFP

This is a sample RFP, not an actual Request for Proposal


Mission of This Is The Place State Park

A world class, living history, Utah town is in the process of creation. It will showcase Utah's heritage to the world. Visitors will step through a portal back to the streets, sounds, smells, goods, services, and buildings of mid-eighteen hundreds Utah. Millions of dollars are being spent accurately restoring and replicating this scene. Truly, this is a "Living Legacy."

Individuals are being sought who will bring their skills, talents, visions, and proposals to this pre-railroad Utah State Park and who will operate businesses or provide services in an Enterprise Zone located inside the Park.

The goals of the Enterprise Zone include to:

In addition it is hoped that each proposal will achieve the following, if possible:

Request for Proposal (RFP)
By way of this RFP process, the Old Deseret Foundation (ODF), a private nonprofit organization contracted by the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation seeks providers of traditional products, services, and experiences for the Enterprise Zone at This Is The Place State Park. ODF invites you to submit a proposal to provide such products or services, or create such experiences.

The traditional products, services, and experiences made available in the Enterprise Zone must be consistent with the period of the Park (pre-1869 Utah), appropriate to and enhancing of the mission of the Park, and available for purchase by the public at the Park, although they may also be available for purchase at other locations.

The ODF will consider offers which request use of space in existing facilities, require bringing facilities to the Park, require building-to-suit, need open space, or have other reasonable needs. The Park has a number of facilities and amenities, including buildings, electricity, water, vacant land and structures. These facilities and services will be available for inspection by prospective offerors on ________________. General operational conditions at the Park are set forth in Attachment 1, and all proposals should take these into account.

Through this RFP process, ODF may award a contract to the best proposals received, based on evaluation criteria outlined below. Any proposed contract is subject to approval by the ODF. No acceptance of a proposal is binding on the ODF or the successful offeror until such approval is obtained in writing.

All proposals must be in writing - no oral proposal will be considered.

A pre-proposal conference will be held on _______________at _____________to answer questions and assist potential offerors with completing this RFP. Included at this pre-proposal conference will be assistance in completing all parts of the RFP. If you cannot attend, please feel free to submit your proposal in writing, but we do encourage you to attend this important meeting if you have any questions about the RFP process, the Park or its amenities or other related matters.

Administrative Guidance
Offerers are at liberty and are encouraged to be creative and expansive in their proposals to provide traditional products, services, or experiences at the Park to enhance and further its mission and purpose. The historic mission of the Park is paramount in this regard. Offerors should not be discouraged by the RFP process in any way. All interested offerors will be given assistance, as necessary. Further, offerors from individuals of all racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds will be given equal consideration.

Issuing Office and RFP Reference Number
The ODF is the issuing office for this document and all subsequent addenda relating to it. The reference number for the transaction is Requisition No.____________. This number must be referred to on all proposals, correspondence, and documentation relating to the RFP.

Response Date
Four copies of the proposal must be received at the This Is The Place State Park, Old Deseret Foundation, 2601 Sunnyside Avenue, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108, prior to the closing date and time specified. The deadline for receipt of proposal is ____________at____________ o'clock.

Any proposal may be withdrawn or modified prior to acceptance.

Term of Contract
The term of any concession contract awarded based on this RFP may be five (5) years with a five (5) year option at the ODF discretion and by mutual agreement. Due to the unique conditions and missions of the This Is The Place State Park Enterprise, the ODF may negotiate different terms and conditions with some offerors consistent with the proposals it receives.

Sample Contract
The successful offerors will be required to sign a standard contract. Any offeror may obtain a copy of the sample contract from ODF at the above address.

Consideration of Proposals
Each proposal should consider the overall mission of the Park and the offeror's ability to provide a quality product, service, or experience that enhances the Park's mission. In addition to traditional rent or lease payments, the ODF is willing to consider a wide variety of possible financial arrangements for the compensation it receives from offerors depending upon the type of product, service, or experience being proposed. The offeror's proposal should specify what types of financial or beneficial compensation to the ODF it proposes. These might include, but are not limited to, payment to the ODF of a percent of sales, payment of a monthly fee, a lease amount, allowance for equipment use or expertise, rental charge, providing to the ODF a percentage of product produced (which could be sold in the ODF Visitor's Center Bookstore), or any other creative financial or beneficial offer that may enhance the Park. ODF realizes that some offerors may not be able to operate at a profit and therefore will not be able to compensate. ODF recognizes this and encourages these offerors in any case. However, offerors that are able to compensate will be given priority. As the various offers are considered, historical accuracy and interpretive benefit will be given special weight. The ODF may award a contract based on the proposals received without further discussion of such proposal.

Scope of Concession Services
It is the ODF's intent to solicit the best and widest range of proposals for providing products, services, or experiences which will enhance and further the mission of the Park, be most appropriate in the Enterprise Zone, and provide stability and growth for the Park and the concessionaire. ODF may request proposals on more than one occasion. ODF will not know how many offers it will accept until the first group of proposals are received and evaluated.

Proposal Format
All proposals must be in writing and signed by the offeror. They must include the name, address, and telephone number of the person to be contacted in connection with the proposal, along with others who are authorized to represent the offeror in connection with the RFP. At a minimum, the proposal should include what the offeror intends to provide by way of product, service, or experience together with the offeror's proposal to compensate the Park:

A. The offer should contain a brief statement of the production methods and/or ways in which the products, services, or experiences will be offered and how this will enhance the Park's mission. This should include a discussion of public access and participation in providing the product, service or experience.

B. The offeror should state its past history in providing the product, service, or experience, any special skills in marketing, and whether the product, service, or experience is being marketed or being made available at locations other than the Park.

C. The proposal shall state how the offeror will supply the product, service, or experience, including what resources are needed from the Park and what resources the offeror will bring to the Park. The offeror should provide information on past sales history, if it exists, and other information about selling and/or marketing that may demonstrate the feasibility of making available the product, service, or experience at the Park.

D. The offer shall include a statement of proposed compensation terms between the offeror and the ODF in addition or as an alternative to traditional lease or rental payments. These terms may include creative arrangements mutually agreeable to the parties as described above.

E. Each offeror shall provide the following information to the extent possible. Assistance will be provided at a pre-proposal conference.

CLEAR IDENTIFICATION OF THE OFFEROR, I.E., AN EXISTING COMPANY, A NEW COMPANY, AN INDIVIDUAL, A PARTNERSHIP, ETC.

A COMPLETED PERSONAL AND BUSINESS HISTORY FORM TO THE EXTENT THEY ARE APPLICABLE TO YOU (SEE EXHIBIT A).

F. The offeror must indicate his/her ability to comply with the Standard Terms and Conditions of a contract. However, the terms of that contract may be negotiable depending upon circumstances. The offeror shall specify which contractual provisions are unacceptable and why.

G. The offeror must indicate his/her willingness and ability to follow Park standards, including those relating to appropriate dress and presentation, operational guidelines, and hours and days of operation. (See attachment one)

H. The offeror shall provide a sample of the proposed product, service or experience by the most appropriate means, such as by example, photograph, video recording, audio recording, or other method. When feasible, an example should be included.

Evaluation Criteria
EACH OFFEROR SHOULD MEET THE MISSION OF THE PARK IN TERMS OF HISTORIC ACCURACY OF PRODUCT, SERVICE, OR EXPERIENCE AND SHOULD MEET THE OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS OF THE PARK. THE OFFEROR SHOULD BE REASONABLY FINANCIALLY SOUND. IN ADDITION, EACH OFFER WILL BE RANKED ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

____% Benefit to the overall interpretive plan of the Park.

____% Financial benefit to the Park: What the offeror proposes to give to the ODF in terms of a fee, rent, exchange of goods, etc.?

____% Demonstrated ability (or potential) to provide thr product, service, or experience.

____% Value of the product, service, or experience with respect to the visitor or interaction and participation.

____% Fiscal feasibility of the offer and financial soundness of the offeror and its principles.

____% Interpersonal capabilities of the offeror: Is he or she easy to work with? Does his or her interpersonal skill provide a sound opportunity for a quality relationship with the Park and other vendors.

____% Values of the offer to the operational conditions of the Park: Does it contain elements to provide additional services, living history, or educational benefits to the Park.

100%

ODF ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THERE MAY BE SOME SUBJECTIVITY IN EVALUATION OF THE LISTED CRITERIA. EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE BY ODF, OR ANY PANEL OF JUDGES IT USES, TO BE IMPARTIAL AND FAIR IN THE EVALUATION PROCESS.