Design Fabrication & Install - History Museum Exhibit - RtS

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet and the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS), is issuing a Request for Proposals for design, fabrication, and installation services for a temporary museum exhibit titled "From Revolution to Statehood: Kentucky's Founding in Myth and Memory" to be displayed in the Keeneland Gallery at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort, Kentucky. The exhibit will occupy 2,250 to 2,750 square feet within the 4,500 square-foot Keeneland Changing Exhibit Gallery and will explore Kentucky's transition from frontier wilderness to statehood between 1774 and 1792, emphasizing themes of myth, memory, and storytelling through artifacts, documents, and interpretive content. The selected contractor must conduct a minimum of two site visits and will be responsible for designing the exhibit concept, developing interpretive copy based on KHS-provided preliminary content, producing graphics and interactive elements (including three required interactive components), fabricating exhibit components, managing installation, and providing native graphic files, while KHS retains responsibility for content research, artifact acquisition, base wall construction, painting, and installation of original artifacts. The proposal evaluation utilizes a 1,005-point maximum scoring system consisting of 850 technical points addressing design intent and process (250 points), portfolio demonstrating similar expertise with three client references (250 points), design and installation capabilities (200 points), and corporate background and experience (150 points), plus 150 cost proposal points based on lump-sum pricing with the lowest bid receiving maximum points. The initial contract term commences August 25, 2025, and extends through June 30, 2026, with the Commonwealth reserving the right to renew for one additional one-year period subject to approval from the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and the Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee, and the exhibit is anticipated to open in April 2026 and operate for 16 to 22 months. The revised proposal submission deadline is August 18, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. EST, with written questions having been due by July 24, 2025, and no offerors' conference scheduled. Proposals must be submitted in hard copy format with one original and two electronic copies each of technical and cost proposals under separate sealed covers, along with required affidavits and certifications.

Kentucky resident bidders and qualified bidders (including nonprofits serving individuals with severe disabilities and Kentucky Correctional Industries) are eligible to receive reciprocal preferences of 10 and 15 percent of maximum points respectively, with Kentucky Correctional Industries receiving a 20 percent preference. The solicitation does not identify an incumbent contractor, and no specific funding sources or budget range have been disclosed by the Commonwealth. Contractors will work collaboratively with KHS staff under the direction of a project manager and must integrate with existing exhibit resources available at the Kentucky Historical Society, including wall-mounted acrylic display cases (34 units), pedestal cases (51 units), specialty costume and flag cases (8 units), adjustable label and document easels, display stands, temporary wall systems (Mila Wall Series 100 components), and platform systems, as well as a professional-grade lighting grid system specified for the Keeneland Gallery space. The exhibit will draw from the KHS collection of over 150 historical artifacts and 57 preliminary archival items spanning from 1763 to 2000, with the majority of materials concentrated in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, including manuscripts, letters, land documents, military records, maps, books, photographs, and artifacts related to Kentucky frontier history, Revolutionary War figures, and state founding. The Commonwealth reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, request best and final offers, conduct oral presentations with top-ranked vendors if deemed necessary, and negotiate fair and reasonable compensation based on submitted pricing, with all awards subject to compliance with KRS 45A and KRS 12.210.