Solicitation
Signage Project for Garnet Hill Recreation Area
Department of the Interior · Bureau of Land Management
AI summaryThe Bureau of Land Management's Nevada State Office, for its Bristlecone Field Office in Ely, wants a business to write, design, make and deliver interpretive signs and kiosk panels for the Garnet Hill Recreation Area. It is a total small business set-aside, with one firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price, whatever the work ends up costing) award planned. The response due date is October 30, 2026, 5:00 PM Pacific; work runs January 4 to October 4, 2027, mostly from the contractor's office. More in the summary
AI summary Beta
The notice looks incomplete: Attached but not readable: the wage determination file (B03_Wage_Determination.pdf) came through as unreadable characters, so its rates and county are unknown. Check it on SAM.gov. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The Bureau of Land Management's Nevada State Office, for its Bristlecone Field Office in Ely, wants a business to write, design, make and deliver interpretive signs and kiosk panels for the Garnet Hill Recreation Area. It is a total small business set-aside, with one firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price, whatever the work ends up costing) award planned. The response due date is October 30, 2026, 5:00 PM Pacific; work runs January 4 to October 4, 2027, mostly from the contractor's office.
Who can bid
- Small business under NAICS 541430 (Graphic Design Services), size standard $9 million. The buy is a 100% total small business set-aside.
- Active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM), kept current.
How to submit: Email to Matthew Merritt at Matthew_Merritt@ios.doi.gov. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (8)
From the version posted Oct 15, 2026.
- Serious: Total small business set-aside. Only businesses that are small under the $9 million size standard for NAICS 541430 can win, so larger firms cannot bid.
- Worth checking: Three recent, similar past projects needed. Quotes need at least 3 relevant projects from the past 5 years, and past performance and technical together count much more than price. A business with fewer will score poorly.
- Worth checking: Contractor pays for fabrication, bases and outside images. The contractor makes 16 laminate signs and buys 16 aluminum exhibit bases, and pays for any photos or illustrations bought from outside sources. That is real up-front cost.
Show all 8Show fewer
- Worth checking: Payment is tied to Government approvals. Payment comes in four parts of 20%, 20%, 20% and 40%, each only after BLM approves the drafts or the delivery. Delays in review delay cash.
- Worth checking: Service Contract Act wage rule applies; wage file unreadable. The Service Contract Labor Standards clause is included, and a wage determination is attached. Its text couldn't be read here, so check the rates on SAM.gov before pricing.
- Minor: Price section mentions a Bid Schedule and option years not shown. The price factor asks for an attached Bid Schedule with option year pricing. No Bid Schedule or option periods appear in the documents read, so ask the contracting officer.
- Minor: Government review periods affect the timeline. BLM takes up to 14 days to review each draft round, and the schedule must fit within January 4 to October 4, 2027.
- Minor: Task number mismatch for the exhibit bases. Task 4 says the 16 bases are for panels made in Task 2, but the 16 fabricated panels are in Task 3 (Task 2 panels are not fabricated). Confirm the count with the contracting officer.
Read from the notice and 3 attachments. Show which files.
- Sol_140LL027Q0005.pdf (read)
- A04_SOW.docx (read)
- B03_Wage_Determination.pdf (read)
Full summary
What they want
- Task 1: Write the content for two 48 x 48 inch panels for one double-panel kiosk at the Egan Crest Trailhead, in the BLM look (black topographic background, color bar, BLM logo)
- Task 2: Create final artwork for 15 small overlay panels (about 6 x 18 inches) with fee-site 'scan and pay' instructions. These are not made, only designed; the QR code area stays blank
- Task 3: Write, design, fabricate and deliver 16 interpretive panels on 1/8 inch custom high-pressure laminate (CHPL, a tough layered sign material), mostly about 24 x 36 inches, some already partly drafted by BLM
- Task 4: Buy and deliver 16 National Park Service (NPS) style exhibit bases: all aluminum, 45 degree angle, in-ground mount, powder coated dark brown
- Task 5: Work with BLM specialists through up to two drafts and one final draft, each with up to 14 days of BLM review; BLM approves each sign in writing
- Deliver final files for each sign: production PDF, reduced-size PDF and an editable Adobe Illustrator file with 0.25 inch bleed
- Join a kickoff meeting within 15 business days of award and monthly status meetings; most meetings are expected to be virtual
- Email the contracting officer, the contracting officer's representative (COR, the Government's technical monitor) and points of contact when each phase is done and when drafts are shared
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price (FFP): one set price, whatever the work ends up costing. Request for quote (RFQ) under FAR Part 12 (commercial products and services); the Government anticipates a single award
- Period of performance
- 01/04/2027 to 10/04/2027 (January 4, 2027 to October 4, 2027). No option periods are stated in the SOW
- Place of performance
- SAM.gov leaves it blank. The statement of work says work is done primarily at the contractor's office. Items are delivered to BLM Ely Field Office, 702 N Industrial Way, Ely, NV 89301
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- How they'll choose
- Best value trade-off: the Government compares quotes side by side, with no formal scoring. It may pick a higher-priced quote if it is stronger on technical capability or past performance.
- Offers due
- October 30, 2026, 5:00 PM Pacific
- How to submit
- Email to Matthew Merritt at Matthew_Merritt@ios.doi.gov
What they'll judge offers on
- Technical Capability: (a) technical approach to the tasks, (b) quality control plan, (c) key personnel and their relevant experience, (d) proposed timeline finishing by the statement of work dates
- Relevant Experience (Past Performance): at least 3 recent and relevant experiences, in size and scope, within the past 5 years
- Price: total evaluated price, which must include all costs of the project; option prices, if any, are added to the base price
What to include when you submit
- Send the completed Standard Form 1449 (SF 1449: the form you sign and return as your offer) and acknowledge all amendments, if any.
- Send two separate parts, each complete on its own: (1) Technical and Past Performance, with no price information; (2) Price, on the SF 1449.
- Technical part: your technical approach, a quality control plan (QCP) with methods to check work such as self-monitoring, key personnel and their relevant experience, and a proposed timeline that finishes by the statement of work dates.
- Include examples from previous projects or proposed examples, and only information relevant to this project.
- Past performance: give at least 3 recent and relevant experiences in size and scope within the past 5 years.
- For each past performance reference give: project name and location, contract number, period of performance, total cost, agency or entity, point of contact with phone and fax, and a full description of services.
- Price part: complete the SF 1449 and the attached Bid Schedule in full, with pricing for all option years, covering all costs of the statement of work.
- If field trips to the recreation area or the field office may be needed, build the travel cost into the price.
- If you cannot use the Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) for invoices, send a written waiver request to the contracting officer with the quote.
- Send all questions about the solicitation in writing to Matthew_Merritt@ios.doi.gov.
After award, you must have
- Enroll in the Treasury's Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) to be paid; enrollment instructions are emailed within 3 to 5 business days of award. From Sol_140LL027Q0005.pdf:
Payment requests must be submitted electronically through the U. S. Department of the Treasury's Invoice…
Not in the notice text
- Attached but not readable: the wage determination file (B03_Wage_Determination.pdf) came through as unreadable characters, so its rates and county are unknown. Check it on SAM.gov.
- The deadline for questions is not given; questions go in writing to Matthew_Merritt@ios.doi.gov.
- The Bid Schedule named in the price instructions is not among the documents, and no option periods are described.
- It is not clear whether the Task 1 kiosk panels are fabricated by the contractor or only designed; the SOW says content for the panels, while Phase IV covers delivery of fabricated signs.
- The SF 1449's quantity and unit boxes for line 00010 were hard to read; check the form on SAM.gov.
- No site visit is scheduled. The site visit provision (FAR 52.237-1) is listed by reference, and the SOW says contractor site visits are optional if needed.
- No Government estimate or contract value is given.
Eligibility and how to respond
- Set aside for small businesses: only a business that counts as small under this notice's NAICS code can bid as the prime contractor. More open small business set-asides under NAICS 541430
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Email to Matthew Merritt at Matthew_Merritt@ios.doi.gov. Check it in the notice before you send anything.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 15, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Office
- Nevada State Office, Reno, NV
- Product/service code
- 9905 · Signs, Advertising Displays, and Identification Plates
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 541430)
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
- How to respond to a solicitation (8 steps)
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
- Set-aside contracts explained
Terms on this notice: Solicitation, Set-aside
Full notice text from SAM.gov
This acquisition is for development of interpretive and informational signage and associated kiosks. Important aspects of the project will be public education on natural and cultural resources, and general rules and regulations.
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