News Release

Solicitation for Concession Contract to Provide Ferry/Tourboat Service

Date: August 28, 2018

The National Park Service (NPS) has issued a prospectus soliciting proposals for the award of a concession contract to provide ferry/tourboat services at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore). The new concession contract will be for a term of 10 years, beginning on its effective date, which is estimated to be January 1, 2019.

This business opportunity is a summer operation for a ferry/tourboat service from Leland, Michigan to North Manitou Island and South Manitou Island. The concessioner will also be authorized to provide motorized vehicle tours on South Manitou Island, sales of limited snacks and beverages, and transportation of kayaks, canoes, and standup paddleboards. The operating season is mid-May through early-November. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is located on the northwestern shore of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan’s west border along Lake Michigan, approximately 23 miles west of Traverse City, Michigan. The Manitou Islands are located northwest of the mainland portion of the National Lakeshore, approximately 12 to 17 miles west of Leland, Michigan. The average annual visitation to the park is approximately 1.6 million recreational visitors annually and the ferry boat transports about 11,000 people a year to the islands. Additional information about the park can be viewed at the following website: http://www.nps.gov/slbe.

Copies of the concession prospectus are available for downloading at https://nps.gov/subjects/concessions/prospectuses.htm. If you obtain a prospectus through the website and you plan to submit a proposal, the NPS recommends that you contact Kelly Kager at the above-mentioned contact information to be included on the NPS contact list, and receive notification of any additional information or updates to the prospectus that may be released.

Hardcopies will be available upon request for a printing cost recovery charge. The fee is $35 per copy to be delivered via express delivery or $30 per copy if picked up in person. Checks or money orders (no cash or credit accepted) must be payable to the National Park Service. Send requests to Concessions Management Specialist Kelly Kager, Midwest Region, National Park Service, 601 Riverfront Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68102, or at the above-mentioned contact information, during business hours of 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Any proposal, including that of the existing concessioner, must be received by Concessions Specialist Kelly Kager, Midwest Region, National Park Service, 601 Riverfront Drive, Omaha, Nebraska 68102 by 4:00 p.m. Central Time on October 30, 2018, in order to be evaluated and considered for award of the concession contract.