Sponsorship - 41st Annual Salt Festival

The Kentucky Department of Parks has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for sponsorship of the 41st Annual Salt Festival, which will be held at Big Bone Lick State Historic Site in Boone County during October 17-19, 2025. The procurement seeks monetary donations from sponsors to purchase specific festival items, including 4 bulk bins of small pumpkins, paint supplies, 15 round haybales, skid steerer rental, and fall decorative elements like specialty squash, corn stalk bundles, and mums. Sponsors will be evaluated on three key criteria: responsiveness to the solicitation (20 points), sponsor background (20 points), and sponsorship response (60 points), with a total possible score of 100 points. The solicitation was released on September 25, 2025, with responses due by October 2, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Sponsorship will provide recognition through company name/logo placement on festival advertisements, parks social media accounts, sponsorship boards, and signs near items purchased with sponsor donations.

The sponsorship opportunity appears to be open to all potential sponsors, with no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types noted in the documentation. Sponsors must comply with various state laws and regulations, including non-discrimination requirements and mandatory representations regarding tax compliance, boycott provisions, and lobbying prohibitions. The Kentucky Department of Parks reserves the right to use the full amount of any monetary sponsorship for festival expenses, and sponsors are explicitly prohibited from claiming to be an "official sponsor" due to governmental regulations. While a specific sponsorship value is not explicitly stated, the procurement seeks monetary donations to support specific festival procurement needs. The sponsorship is not considered an official endorsement, and potential sponsors should carefully review all compliance requirements before submitting their proposal.