Contract Development

The commercial services planning and contract development process is essential to the identification of new service opportunities as well as the management of contracts that are soon to expire. In order to successfully manage this continuous flow, there are myriad steps taken to ensure timeliness and coordination.

Under the 1965 Concessions Policy Act, there was only one "type" of contract. With the adoption of the 1998 Concessions Management Improvement Act, there now exist three distinct contract categories. A Category I contract exists when a concessioner constructs capital improvements on park lands. A Category II contract exists when a concessioner operates on assigned land or in a government building but makes no construction or capital improvements to the property. When the concessioner is assigned neither land nor buildings, it is known as a Category III contract.

The prospectus package is intended to provide critical information regarding the park, operations, resource protection, financial data, and relevant investment requirements. The prospectus also identifies any and all critical components of the concession contract and informs the offerer so that they can understand the opportunity and adjust their offer accordingly.

An overview of the concession contract is outlined through the business opportunity, which is introduced within the prospectus package. The business opportunity defines the vision that the park has for the future of that concession operation, along with the base expectations of the program. In order for the contract process to advance, it must be deemed to represent a necessary and appropriate product or service.

The selection and award process is an important part of the prospectus development process. By law, all contracts are issued through competitive selection. Once offers have been submitted by interested concessioners, an evaluation panel reviews the offers based on weighted principle and secondary selection factors.