Salt Lake City Corporation Department of Airports Bond Underwriting Services

Salt Lake City Corporation Department of Airports is requesting proposals to establish a pool of bond underwriting firms for Salt Lake City International Airport, with proposals due October 30, 2026 at 2 p.m. Mountain Time and questions due October 19, 2026.

Respondents must meet minimum qualifications: either senior managing underwriter on at least one long-term fixed-rate airport financing of $300 million or greater within the past three years, or senior managing underwriter or co-managing underwriter on at least three airport financings of $100 million or greater since January 1, 2023. No guaranteed transaction assignments exist; the City will assign firms as Book-Running Senior Manager, co-Senior Manager, or co-Manager at sole discretion for each bond issuance.

The selected pool will operate for three years beginning November 1, 2026, with options for the City to extend for additional one-year periods or issue a new RFP. SLCDA currently holds approximately $3.8 billion of General Airport Revenue Bonds (GARBs) outstanding and anticipates a planned 2027 refunding bond issuance using firms from the selected pool. Proposals must include fee proposals based on a hypothetical $500 million issue and demonstrate experience with airport financings.

Evaluation criteria are weighted: Qualifications of Respondent (40%), Qualifications of Individuals Assigned to the Engagement (35%), and Understanding of Key Financing Issues Related to GARB (25%). A 0–5 scoring scale applies, with technical scoring available only after proposals satisfy mandatory pass/fail thresholds. Proposals are limited to 13 pages and must be submitted via the Utah Public Procurement Place Portal (U3P).

Respondents must submit a signed GRAMA affirmation confirming understanding of Utah Government Records Access and Management Act requirements and confidentiality claim procedures. Compliance with employment verification requirements and Salt Lake City Code ethical standards is required.