Tourism Development Act Applicant Financial Reviews

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet is seeking qualified consulting firms through a Request for Proposal to provide personal service contracts for evaluating applications under the Kentucky Tourism Development Act (KTDA). Up to three contracts will be awarded to vendors capable of conducting comprehensive economic and fiscal impact analyses on proposed tourism development projects. The scope of services includes reviewing applicant submissions, analyzing project eligibility against statutory requirements, conducting market analysis, preparing demand and revenue projections, performing site visits for new projects, meeting with applicants and Cabinet staff, and issuing detailed written reports with findings presented at public meetings of the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority. Offerors must demonstrate significant expertise in economic and fiscal impact analysis, financial analysis, and the tourism industry. Technical proposals will be evaluated on a maximum of 200 points, assessing vendor qualifications and relevant experience (25 points), previous experience and sample reports (40 points), work plan and methodology (100 points), and budget detail (35 points), with oral presentations potentially required for top-ranked vendors worth up to 50 additional points. Key deadlines include written questions due March 4, 2026, an offerors' conference scheduled for March 26, 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern via Zoom, and technical proposals due by 3:30 PM Eastern on April 22, 2026. The initial contract term runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, with renewal options available for up to two additional two-year periods at the Commonwealth's discretion.

There are no identified set-aside designations or restrictions limiting the types of organizations eligible to respond to this procurement. The incumbent contractor is Hunden Strategic Partners. Vendors must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, along with Professional Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per claim. Notably, this procurement operates under a unique funding structure wherein the Commonwealth does not establish pricing for consultant services; instead, costs are the responsibility of KTDA applicants and are charged directly to them, with funds transferred to the Cabinet as a pass-through mechanism per Kentucky Revised Statute 148.855. Reimbursable expenses, including travel costs for required site visits and data collection, are covered on an out-of-pocket basis only with supporting documentation. All offerors must register with the Commonwealth's eProcurement System (Vendor Self Service) prior to submission and comply with Kentucky procurement statutes, nondiscrimination requirements, and conflict-of-interest laws. Specific award values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the RFP, as final compensation will be negotiated between Cabinet staff, the applicant, and the selected vendor based on project complexity and timing.