Solicitation
Construct North Unit Visitor Center at BADL
Department of the Interior · National Park Service · Sol. 140PS126B0010
Due in 7 days
AI summary Beta
Some details weren't available to this summary, so it may miss requirements. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The National Park Service wants a contractor to build a new one-story, 16,700 square foot North Unit (Cedar Pass) Visitor Center at Badlands National Park near Interior, South Dakota. It is a sealed-bid (IFB) firm-fixed-price construction job estimated at $10M to $20M, with three small options (two shade structures and a monument sign). The solicitation text says 730 days to build, but the specifications say 640 days.
Watch out for
- Set-aside conflict. The SAM.gov summary says no set-aside, but the solicitation says 100 percent small business, so a large business would be rejected and a small business should confirm with the contracting officer.
This construction requirement is set aside for 100% Small Business under NAICS 236220
- Large bid bond. A bid bond of 20 percent of the price (up to $3M) must be in the bid, and a bid with an unclear seal or Power of Attorney seal is rejected as non-responsive, so you need strong surety support.
(c) The amount of the bid guarantee shall be 20 percent of the bid price.
- Time zone confusion on the due time. The important dates say bids due 11:59 AM Central with opening at 12:00 PM Central, but the bid opening section says 12:00 PM Eastern (one hour earlier), so submit well before 11:00 AM Central.
Bid Opening Date/Time: Thursday, 10/15/2026 @ 12:00PM ET
- Email-only submission with required confirmation. A bid you cannot prove was received on time can be rejected, and one paragraph lists the contracting officer's email as ios.gov instead of ios.doi.gov, so double-check the address.
4. It is mandatory that you confirm the government has received your bid. If you do not receive a
- Performance time conflict. The solicitation form says 730 days but the specifications say 640 days, and the shorter number affects your schedule and liquidated-damages risk.
E. Period of performance: Work shall be completed within 640 calendar days of the start date
- Swelling clay soils. The 2023 geotechnical report calls the claystone moderately to highly expansive and recommends drilled piers and 4 feet of imported fill under slabs, which adds cost and weather-sensitive earthwork.
Therefore, we recommend the structure be founded on a reinforced concrete drilled pier
- Limitations on subcontracting. Your own forces must do at least 15 percent of the work (excluding materials), and you must submit a compliance worksheet with the bid.
Bidder must submit a completed Limitations in Subcontracting Report worksheet with the bid, outlining
- Archaeological and park restrictions. Ground disturbance may be monitored by a government archaeologist, finds can halt work, and disturbance limits and public-use rules apply inside a national park.
may have oversite by an Owner provided Archeologist. Coordinate schedules as required.
- Site visit and questions already past. The virtual site visit (9/10) and the question deadline (9/17) are over, and no formal on-site visit will occur, so rely on the slides, geotechnical report and your own visit to public areas.
A FORMAL ON-SITE VISIT WILL NOT TAKE PLACE FOR
Read from the notice and 7 attachments. 3 not read in full.
- Sol_140PS126B0010_Amd_0001.pdf
- Sol_140PS126B0010.pdf
- Attachment_1_-_Specifications_-_1262.pdf
- Attachment_4_-_Subcontracting_Worksheet.docx
- Attachment_7_-_Geotechnical_Report_-_Cedar_Pass_Visitor_Center_0001.pdf
- Attachment_8_-_Photo_Slides_0001.pdf
- Attachment_3_-_DBA_WD_SD20260022_5_18_2026.pdf
- Attachment_6_-_Virtual_Site_Visit_Sign-In_Sheet_0001.xlsx: spreadsheet: not read yet
- Attachment_5_-_Q_A_Document.xlsx: spreadsheet: not read yet
- Attachment_2_-_Drawings_-_134.pdf: too large
Full brief
What they want
- Build a one-story, 16,700 sq ft visitor center with a tall entry atrium, exhibit spaces, gift shop, administrative offices, educational spaces and public restrooms
- Site work and utilities, including parking and circulation
- Option 1: East Shade Structure
- Option 2: West Shade Structure
- Option 3: Concrete monument sign at the East Entry Drive
- Full building trades per the specifications: concrete, steel, doors and windows, finishes, fire sprinklers, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, communications, security and fire alarm systems
- Work in a national park: protect cultural and archaeological resources, utilities and landscape, and follow park rules
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price construction contract, sealed bid (Invitation for Bid), lump-sum pricing
- Period of performance
- Solicitation says 730 days after Notice to Proceed (11/02/2026 to 11/01/2028). The specifications say 640 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed start date. Anticipated award 11/2/2026.
- Place of performance
- Badlands National Park, 25216 SD-240, Interior, SD 57750 (Jackson County, South Dakota)
- Estimated value
- Estimated magnitude of construction $10M to $20M
- How they'll choose
- Sealed bidding: award to the responsible bidder with the lowest price whose bid conforms to the solicitation. The base price and all option prices are added together for evaluation.
- Offers due
- October 15, 2026. Bids due 11:59 AM Central Time with public virtual bid opening at 12:00 PM Central per the important dates list, but the bid opening instructions say 12:00 PM Eastern (the SAM.gov notice lists 12:00 PM Eastern).
- How to submit
- Email a single PDF to the Contracting Officer (Cole_Johnson@ios.doi.gov) and the Bid Recorder (Stephen_Loftus@ios.doi.gov). Fax, mail and any other method are not accepted. You must get an emailed confirmation of receipt.
- Page limits
- No page limit stated. 8.5 x 11 inch pages (foldouts up to 11 x 17); each email with attachments must be under 25MB, split across several emails if needed.
What they'll judge offers on
- Lowest total price (base plus all options)
- Bid conforms to the solicitation
- Bidder is determined to be responsible
What to include when you submit
- Name the file 'BID PACKAGE' (PDF format), one electronic copy, no hard copies
- Email subject line: Bid Submission for 140PS126B0010 - Construct North Unit Visitor Center - email 1 of X
- Complete SF 1442 blocks 14 through 20c, with your SAM UEI in block 14 and the lump-sum total in block 17
- Fill in the Section B bid schedule (base CLIN 0010 and option CLINs 0020, 0030, 0040), rounded to the nearest dollar; the total must match block 17
- Include an SF 24 bid guarantee of at least 20 percent of the bid price (not more than $3M), signed and stamped, with a visible seal and visible Power of Attorney seal
- Include the completed Limitations on Subcontracting worksheet (Attachment 4 or your own format)
- Acknowledge Amendment 0001 (and any later ones) in block 19 or with a signed statement
- Original signatures of authorized individuals (electronic copies of originals are acceptable)
- Password protecting the bid is recommended; send the password to both email addresses
- No alternate bids or alternate pricing
- Questions were due 9/17/2026 on the Q&A document
You must have
- Total small business set-aside under NAICS 236220 (size standard $45 million average annual receipts). Note the SAM.gov summary says no set-aside, so confirm.
This construction requirement is set aside for 100% Small Business under NAICS 236220
- Bid guarantee of 20 percent of the bid price (capped at $3M) submitted with the bid.
(c) The amount of the bid guarantee shall be 20 percent of the bid price.
- Performance and payment bonds for the awarded contract (the clause is listed in the solicitation; confirm amounts in the full text).
52.228-15 Performance and Payment Bonds- Construction (Jun 2020)
- Active SAM.gov registration with a UEI at bid close, at award and throughout performance; must be small under the NAICS size standard.
- Comply with the limitation on subcontracting: the prime (or similarly situated entities) must perform at least 15 percent of the work, excluding materials.
Bidder must submit a completed Limitations in Subcontracting Report worksheet with the bid, outlining
- Be a construction contractor with a place of business (or have arranged personnel, equipment and licenses); may be asked for experience and financial resources before award.
- Firms that helped design or write the specifications for this project cannot bid or be part of a bidding team.
In accordance with FAR 36.201-1, all firms, prime contractors or subconsultants, involved in developing the
- Pay Davis-Bacon prevailing wages for Jackson County (wage determination SD20260022).
LABOR REQUIREMENTS: Davis Bacon Wage Determination(s) for Jackson County, apply.
Not in the notice text
- Drawings (Attachment 2) were too large to read, so the full scope is not visible
- Q&A document (Attachment 5) and virtual site visit sign-in sheet (Attachment 6) were not read; answers there may change requirements
- About 68,000 characters in the middle of the solicitation and about 967,000 characters of the specifications were left out, including most clauses, Section H special requirements and technical sections
- Whether performance and payment bonds are required and for what amount (the SF 1442 box was not readable)
- Liquidated damages rate and any other delay penalties
- Whether the options will be exercised at award or later (the government says it may award some, none or all)
- Exact bid due time zone (Central versus Eastern)
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Key facts
- Response due
- Oct 15, 2026, 4:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Sep 10, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Solicitation
- 140PS126B0010
- Agency
- Department of the Interior · National Park Service
- Office
- Doi, NPS Conops Strategic
- NAICS
- 236220
- Product/service code
- Y1AZ
- Business type
- Construction & renovation
- Contracting contact
- Johnson, Colecole_johnson@ios.doi.gov2673210342
Full notice text from SAM.gov
Construct North Unit Visitor Center at BADL
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