Solicitation for a Concessions Business Opportunity for Guided Horseback Rides, Wagon and/or Carriage Rides, Vending, Firewood and Ice, Camper Convenience Items, Souvenirs, and Souvenir Photography, Smokemont Riding Stables within Great Smoky Mountains NP
Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- CC-GRSM007-27
- Agency
-
National Park Service
Department of the Interior
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 713990 All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
- Place of performance
- Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738, United States
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The National Park Service is procuring a 10-year concession contract to operate guided horseback rides, wagon and carriage rides, vending (firewood, ice, camper convenience items), souvenirs, and souvenir photography at Smokemont Riding Stables within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with proposals due September 30, 2026. This is not a qualified concession contract; no preferred offeror exists, opening the opportunity to all qualified offerors.
Place of performance is Smokemont Riding Stables in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee), with operational use of five major horse trails totaling approximately 11,896 linear feet and assigned developed facilities including a comfort station (452 square feet, built 1983). The concessioner will maintain up to 35 horses and operate the minimum season April 1–October 31, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., with extended summer hours (vending 24 hours; firewood and ice 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. June–August).
Required services include minimum offerings of 1-hour, 2.5-hour, and 4-hour guided horseback rides at walking pace (maximum 15 riders plus guides); wagon and carriage rides of 30–45 minutes on Oconaluftee River Road (maximum three units daily); vending of soft drinks, water, and juices; firewood and ice sales (minimum 30 bags ice available); camper convenience items (packaged, non-food primary); and souvenir sales reflecting park themes. Souvenir photography is authorized but not required. The concessioner must develop a comprehensive Environmental Management Program within 60 days, maintain a Computerized Maintenance Management System, and comply with nondiscrimination laws and paid sick leave requirements (Executive Orders 13706 and 13496).
The estimated initial investment is $488,800, including $412,800 for personal property (horses and tack), $50,000 for property improvements, $16,000 for startup costs, and $10,000 inventory and working capital. Historical annual revenues (2021–2024) ranged from $807,882 to $900,784; projected 2027–2029 revenues are $951,917 to $1,000,108. The concessioner shall pay a minimum franchise fee of 4.8% of gross receipts monthly and establish a Component Renewal Reserve funded at 1% of monthly gross receipts. Commercial General Liability insurance must meet $2,000,000 per occurrence; $3,000,000 general aggregate limits. Annual gross receipts are not anticipated to exceed $5,000,000, so congressional notification is not required.
Evaluation employs five principal selection factors (0–5 points each; franchise fee 0–4 points) covering resource protection, visitor services quality, offeror experience and past performance, financial capability, and proposed franchise fee percentage, plus one secondary factor (0–3 points) addressing environmental management. Proposal submission is electronic via Microsoft Teams; original signed transmittal letters must be mailed separately to NPS Concessions Office, 100 Alabama Street, N.W., Building 1924, 6th Floor, Mailroom, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Questions were due July 17, 2026; notification of intent to propose was due July 27, 2026. Amendment 1 (September 16, 2026) clarified that the Towstring pasture is unavailable, barn structures cannot be concreted, rate approval uses Competitive Market Declaration methodology, and no preferred offeror exists. Contact: William Gordon, Jr., Commercial Services Specialist, william_gordon@nps.gov, (470) 445-0625.
Notice text
3 versions
Update #3 · Latest ·
Amendment 1
The NPS amends this solicitation and provides responses to questions received. Amendment 1 will be available at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/concessions/prospectuses.htm.
The NPS amends this solicitation as follows:
The Proposal Instructions to the Preferred Offeror Determinations section, Section 9 is updated as follows:
Removed “Under the provisions of 36 C.F.R. Part 51, Subparts E and F, the Service has determined that this is a qualified concession contract and a preferred offeror exists for this contract”
Replaced with “Under the provisions of 36 C.F.R. Part 51, Subparts E and F, the Service has determined that this is not a qualified concession contract, and, therefore, no preferred offeror for this contract exists.”
____________________________
Inside Cover is amended as follows:
The “Proposals Due” date was updated from August 26, 2026, to September 30, 2026.
____________________________
The National Park Service (NPS) will issue a prospectus for the solicitation of offers for a 10-year concession contract to provide for guided horseback rides, wagon and/or carriage rides, vending, firewood and ice, camper convenience items, souvenirs, and souvenir photography at Smokemont Riding Stables within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
All offers must be received by the NPS by the date listed on the inside front cover of the prospectus which is August 26, 2026 no later than 12:00 p.m. in order to be evaluated and considered for an award of a concession contract. The prospectus describes the business opportunity and includes the terms and conditions under which the NPS will award the concession contract.
Questions are due July 17, 2026, and Notification of Intent to Propose must be received by July 27, 2026, via email by the National Park Service no later than 12:00 P.M. ET on the due dates listed on the cover page which is to William Gordon, Jr., Commercial Services Specialist, at william_gordon@nps.gov
The website below includes a number of helpful links and information including tips for submitting a competitive proposal that addresses due diligence, proposal content, and the presentation of your proposal. This presentation can be found at: www.nps.gov/subjects/concessions/prospectuses.htm
Proposals to include the original signed transmittal letters must be received via the process explained in the Proposal Instructions no later than 12:00 pm ET on the due which is August 26, 2026, to National Park Service, Concessions Office, 100 Alabama Street, N.W., Bldg 1924, 6th Floor, Mailroom, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Please note that the original signed transmittal letters must be mailed. The remaining portion of the proposal will only be accepted electronically via the process explained in the Proposal Instructions.
Update #2 ·
Inside Cover is amended as follows:
The “Proposals Due” date was updated from August 26, 2026, to September 30, 2026.
____________________________
The National Park Service (NPS) will issue a prospectus for the solicitation of offers for a 10-year concession contract to provide for guided horseback rides, wagon and/or carriage rides, vending, firewood and ice, camper convenience items, souvenirs, and souvenir photography at Smokemont Riding Stables within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
All offers must be received by the NPS by the date listed on the inside front cover of the prospectus which is August 26, 2026 no later than 12:00 p.m. in order to be evaluated and considered for an award of a concession contract. The prospectus describes the business opportunity and includes the terms and conditions under which the NPS will award the concession contract.
Questions are due July 17, 2026, and Notification of Intent to Propose must be received by July 27, 2026, via email by the National Park Service no later than 12:00 P.M. ET on the due dates listed on the cover page which is to William Gordon, Jr., Commercial Services Specialist, at william_gordon@nps.gov
The website below includes a number of helpful links and information including tips for submitting a competitive proposal that addresses due diligence, proposal content, and the presentation of your proposal. This presentation can be found at: www.nps.gov/subjects/concessions/prospectuses.htm
Proposals to include the original signed transmittal letters must be received via the process explained in the Proposal Instructions no later than 12:00 pm ET on the due which is August 26, 2026, to National Park Service, Concessions Office, 100 Alabama Street, N.W., Bldg 1924, 6th Floor, Mailroom, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Please note that the original signed transmittal letters must be mailed. The remaining portion of the proposal will only be accepted electronically via the process explained in the Proposal Instructions.
Update #1 ·
The National Park Service (NPS) will issue a prospectus for the solicitation of offers for a 10-year concession contract to provide for guided horseback rides, wagon and/or carriage rides, vending, firewood and ice, camper convenience items, souvenirs, and souvenir photography at Smokemont Riding Stables within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
All offers must be received by the NPS by the date listed on the inside front cover of the prospectus which is August 26, 2026 no later than 12:00 p.m. in order to be evaluated and considered for an award of a concession contract. The prospectus describes the business opportunity and includes the terms and conditions under which the NPS will award the concession contract.
Questions are due July 17, 2026, and Notification of Intent to Propose must be received by July 27, 2026, via email by the National Park Service no later than 12:00 P.M. ET on the due dates listed on the cover page which is to William Gordon, Jr., Commercial Services Specialist, at william_gordon@nps.gov
The website below includes a number of helpful links and information including tips for submitting a competitive proposal that addresses due diligence, proposal content, and the presentation of your proposal. This presentation can be found at: www.nps.gov/subjects/concessions/prospectuses.htm
Proposals to include the original signed transmittal letters must be received via the process explained in the Proposal Instructions no later than 12:00 pm ET on the due which is August 26, 2026, to National Park Service, Concessions Office, 100 Alabama Street, N.W., Bldg 1924, 6th Floor, Mailroom, Atlanta, Georgia 30303. Please note that the original signed transmittal letters must be mailed. The remaining portion of the proposal will only be accepted electronically via the process explained in the Proposal Instructions.
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