Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source Contract for Hockey Sponsorship

Orange County, Florida is seeking a sole source contract for hockey rink sponsorship through solicitation Y26-01-SS, with electronic proposals due by 5:00 PM EST on October 8, 2025, via the OpenGov e-Procurement Platform. The procurement involves sponsorship for refinishing and branding the hockey rink at Barber Park, with the primary objective of securing a hockey industry partner to cover approximately $50,000 in rink refinishing costs. The ideal sponsor must demonstrate experience with hockey facility branding, provide full financial coverage for refinishing, collaborate on community events, and agree to a 5-year revenue recovery arrangement through advertisement placements within the rink space. Required qualifications include the ability to brand the rink's playing surface, mutual approval of advertisement content, and a commitment to community engagement. Respondents are strictly prohibited from hand-delivering, mailing, telephoning, faxing, or emailing offers, and must submit all materials electronically through the designated procurement platform.

The solicitation appears to have a potential default sponsor, the Solar Bears Ice Hockey Franchise, who will be awarded the contract on a sole source basis if no qualified responses are received by the deadline. No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are mentioned in the documentation. The sponsorship agreement includes a revenue recovery mechanism through advertising, though the county explicitly notes that full cost offset is not guaranteed. The total project value is approximately $50,000, with a proposed 5-year sponsorship term. The procurement is being managed by Orange County's Procurement Division, led by Carrie Mathes, with technical support available through the OpenGov platform via chat, email (support@procurenow.com), or phone (1-855-680-4747) during business hours. Respondents must ensure electronic files are in standard formats like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or PDF, with scanned documents requiring a minimum 150 dpi resolution.