Freedom Stage and Dakotaland Stage Sound and Lighting

The South Dakota State Fair, through the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, is seeking sound, lighting, and stage management services for the Freedom and Dakotaland Stages during the annual state fair for five consecutive years (2026-2030). The procurement involves comprehensive technical services for two distinct stages, with specific equipment requirements including a three-way speaker system for the Freedom Stage capable of producing 110 decibels, a Midas M-32 mixing console, iPad-controlled monitor system, lighting equipment with moving LED and wash lights, and thirty Shure microphones. The Dakotaland Stage requires a 4,000-watt system with digital mixer, subwoofers, monitor cabinets, and eight SM-58 microphones. Proposal submissions are due by 5 PM Central Time on January 5, 2026, with questions accepted until December 12, 2025. The evaluation criteria, ranked in order of importance, include familiarity with the project locale, available resources, cost, specialized expertise, technical competence, past performance, project management techniques, availability, and ability to handle special project constraints. The anticipated award decision and contract negotiation is scheduled for January 12, 2026, with the contract term running from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030.

Contractors must maintain specific insurance requirements, including $1,000,000 in commercial general liability insurance, $1,000,000 in business automobile liability insurance, and workers' compensation insurance as mandated by South Dakota law. The State Fair will provide event schedules, vehicle passes, gate admission for personnel, and potentially one complimentary camping location with electrical service. Proposals must be submitted in original and one identical copy, with an additional electronic copy in Microsoft Word or PDF format. The State reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and negotiate with the highest-ranked offeror. Contractors must comply with South Dakota debarment certifications, non-discrimination requirements, and restrictions on entities controlled by foreign governments. While no specific set-aside designations are mentioned, the comprehensive technical requirements suggest a need for experienced sound and lighting production companies with specialized equipment and technical expertise. The RFP does not specify a precise budget range, but contractors are required to include all costs for services, travel, equipment, and associated expenses in their per-year cost proposal.