Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Artifact Conservation Services —Vendor Pool
National Archives and Records Administration · Sol. 88310327Q00008
Due in 11 days
Track this notice by email. We'll email you if it's amended or awarded, and a week and two days before responses are due.
AI summary Beta
The National Archives (NARA) wants to build a pool of artifact conservators who can later bid on individual jobs treating museum items (objects, furniture, paintings, sculpture, textiles) held at its 16 Presidential Libraries and Museums. The pool covers 3 years and is worth about $1.5 million in total. Joining the pool is a light, pass/fail application with no pricing; quotes are due October 22, 2026 by email.
Watch out for
- No guaranteed work. Being in the pool does not promise any orders, so you could spend effort applying and then win nothing.
does not guarantee that any Pool member will receive any order
- Full liability for irreplaceable artifacts. You take on all responsibility for the items while they are in your custody, which affects insurance costs and risk.
The Contractor assumes full responsibility and liability for such property from the moment of transfer of custody until return
- Credentialed Lead Conservator required. Admission depends on a qualified conservator with AIC status or a graduate degree plus experience, so firms without one cannot qualify.
Each proposed Lead Conservator holds AIC Professional Member or Fellow status
- Work depends on transferred funds. Projects are funded through an interagency agreement with the National Endowment for the Humanities, and no work can start until funds are confirmed.
NARA will not issue an order, and the Contractor shall not perform work, until the Contracting Officer confirms in writing that funds are available.
- Email-only submission, late quotes risky. Hard copy and hand delivery are not accepted, and late quotes may not be considered.
quoters should not rely on this discretion
- Details differ between notice and solicitation. SAM.gov says about 3.5 years and lists NAICS 541990, while the solicitation says a 3-year pool and lists NAICS 711510 and 541990, so confirm with the contracting officer.
This Vendor Pool will cover a period of 3-years.
Read from the notice and 2 attachments.
- 88310327Q000008 RFQ PL Artifact Conservation DN.docx
- 883310327Q00008 Additional Terms and Conditions.docx
Full brief
What they want
- Join a vendor pool by specialty: Objects, Paintings, Textiles, Furniture, Works on Paper (survey only), Architectural Elements
- Later project work: assess condition of artifacts and write treatment proposals
- Stabilize and conserve artifacts to American Institute for Conservation (AIC) ethics and practice standards
- Document treatment in writing and archival-quality photos before, during and after
- Support exhibitions and loans (mounts, housings, handling advice)
- Secure packing and transport between libraries and your studio when studio treatment is needed
- Work on-site at the libraries or in your own studio, depending on the project
- Contract type
- Vendor pool of agreements; individual orders will be competed among pool members (commercial services under FAR Part 12). Notional line items cover assessment, treatment, documentation, packing/transport, travel and storage mounts, with quantity and price set per project.
- Period of performance
- 3 years for the pool (the SAM.gov summary says about 3.5 years and an estimated 60 projects)
- Place of performance
- Nationwide: 16 Presidential Libraries and Museums (IA, NY, MO, KS, MA, TX, CA, MI, GA, AR, MD) or the contractor's studio. Notice lists College Park, MD.
- Estimated value
- About $1,500,000 total across the pool (estimate only, no guaranteed minimum); individual projects expected under $350,000
- How they'll choose
- Pass/fail acceptability for pool admission, per specialty area. No price at this stage and no ranking; price and best value are decided on each order.
- Offers due
- October 22, 2026, 2:00 PM Eastern Time (questions due October 15, 2026, 2:00 PM Eastern)
- How to submit
- Email only to damon.nevils@nara.gov, subject line 'RFQ 88310327Q00008 Artifact Conservation Pool — [Quoter Name]'
- Page limits
- No minimum page count. Recommended about 3-8 pages for experience and about 2-6 pages for key personnel; cover sheet is 1 page. PDF attachments, 25 MB max per email.
What they'll judge offers on
- Factor 1: Recent experience (at least 3 similar conservation projects in the past 5 years)
- Factor 2: Past performance (no record of unsatisfactory performance)
- Factor 3: Certifications and qualifications of Lead Conservators (AIC status or equivalent)
What to include when you submit
- Component 1: 1-page cover sheet (Attachment A) with business info, UEI, specialty areas sought, service area, studio vs. on-site, and agreement to terms
- Component 2: describe 3 to 5 similar conservation projects from the past 5 years, with client contact, dates, approximate value, artifact types and a short narrative
- Component 3: for each Lead Conservator, AIC status evidence (or graduate degree plus experience), a 1-3 page CV, and a statement of adherence to the AIC Code of Ethics
- Do not send pricing or labor rates, treatment proposals, marketing material, financial statements or insurance certificates
- Send questions in writing to the contracting officer by October 15; answers will be posted as a SAM.gov amendment
- Large submissions may be split across emails numbered '1 of 2' etc.
You must have
- Active SAM.gov registration with a Unique Entity ID (required at the time of each order; confirmed before awards)
Quoters must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM)
- Lead Conservators must be AIC Professional Members or Fellows, or have a graduate conservation credential plus qualifying experience
Lead Conservators must hold AIC Professional Member or Fellow status, or an equivalency consisting of a graduate conservation credential
- At least 3 similar conservation projects completed in the past 5 years in the specialty you apply for
The quoter has completed at least three (3) conservation projects within the past five (5) years
- All work must follow the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice
All conservation work must adhere to the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.
- Fine-arts (all-risk, wall-to-wall) insurance before the first project, plus standard liability coverage (e.g., $1,000,000 general liability); proof is not needed with the quote
Pool members will be required to carry, or to obtain prior to the first Project, fine-arts insurance
- Open competition (not a small business set-aside), but small businesses, independent practitioners and nonprofit conservation centers are encouraged
This acquisition is not set-aside for small business concerns.
- Contractor staff working on-site may need a background screening and badge
which may include a background screening (e.g., NACI or equivalent) and issuance of a visitor or contractor badge
Not in the notice text
- Price, schedule and scope for each project (set only when individual project RFQs are issued)
- Insurance limits for fine-arts coverage (to be set per project)
- Chain-of-custody and security requirements for studios (set per project)
- Contents of Attachment B (library site contacts), provided only to pool members after selection
- Exact on-site background screening requirements
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Key facts
- Response due
- Oct 22, 2026, 6:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Oct 8, 2026
- Notice type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- Solicitation
- 88310327Q00008
- Agency
- National Archives and Records Administration
- Office
- Nara Contracting Office
- Set-aside
- No Set aside used
- NAICS
- 541990
- Product/service code
- R499
- Business type
- Consulting & professional services
- Place of performance
- College Park, MD, 20740
- Contracting contact
- Damon Nevilsdamon.nevils@nara.gov301-641-8204
What similar contracts paid
5 contracts at this agency under the same NAICS code had activity in the last 5 years, according to USAspending.gov. Small businesses won 99% of the dollars in this market over the last 3 fiscal years.
Typical contract$12.1KMiddle half: $4.1K to $40.9K
Typical per year$12.2KValue divided by years of performance
Before you respond
Full notice text from SAM.gov
This request for quote seeks to establish a vendor Pool of conservation specialists to support the National Archives and Records Administration and NARA's Presidential Libraries. The vendor pool will provide professional artifact conservation services to assess, stabilize, treat, and document highly significant, measurably fragile museum artifacts held across NARA's sixteen (16) Presidential Libraries and Museums (PLs). NARA will award an estimated 60 conservation projects over about 3.5 years.
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