Doing Business With The Park

Dramatic skies over the Scenic Drive.

NPS/ Chris Roundtree

Under the Department of the Interior (DOI) the National Park Service (NPS) spends approximately $300-$400 million annually for goods and services acquired under contract. The Department of the Interior awarded over 50% of these contracts to small businesses in 2019, and received an A on the FY 2019 Federal Procurement Scorecard. The majority of the procurement dollars is spent in the area of construction. The remainder is spent for information technology hardware, software and services; maintenance services; professional services (including architect and engineer services); and heavy equipment and various other supply type items.

Contracting and Procurement

National parks have buildings to construct, roads to pave, wastewater treatment plants to operate, and leaky roofs to repair. NPS offices purchase furniture, vehicles, office equipment and a host of other products. The National Park Service issues all bids and requests for proposals through the federal government's electronic business portals. Current contracting opportunities are posted on the Contracting Opportunities website. Capitol Reef National Park contracts for supplies, services, and construction.

Commercial Use Authorization (CUA)

Tour operators who engage in interpretive tours, bicycle tours, motorcycle tours, photography workshops, and certain other commercial services are required to obtain a CUA prior to visiting Capitol Reef National Park.

Special Use Permits (SUP)

The Special Use Permit (SUP) authorizes activities that benefit an individual, group or organization, rather than the public at large. This requires written authorization and management control in order to protect park resources and the public interest.