Los Portales Museum and Visitor Center Operations and Management for the El Paso County, Texas

The County of El Paso is soliciting proposals under RFP 26-015 Addendum 2 for the operations and management of the Los Portales Museum and Visitor Center, with all responses due by June 25, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Proposals must be submitted either through the Ion Wave e-Bid platform or as a hard copy delivered to the El Paso County Purchasing Department, and must include mandatory documents such as a W-9 form, Code of Ethics Training certification, Conflict of Interest Questionnaire, Non-Collusion Affidavit, Business Relationship Affidavit, Firearms Non-Discrimination Affidavit, Safety Questionnaire, and Health Insurance Benefits documentation. All submissions require an original and an identical electronic copy on CD, DVD, or flash drive, and must be in PDF or Word format; faxed, handwritten, or non-compliant submissions will be rejected without exception. Questions must be submitted by June 4, 2026, and all addenda, responses, and updates will be posted exclusively on Ion Wave, making it the respondent’s responsibility to check for revisions prior to submission. The contract emphasizes historic preservation and cultural stewardship, requiring full compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Texas Historical Commission guidelines, as well as American Alliance of Museums best practices. Performance is evaluated on a 100-point scale across ten factors, with the highest weight given to historic preservation, visitor engagement, exhibit quality, performance measurement, accessibility, community programming, partnerships, oral history and digital access, references, and employee health insurance. The evaluation is based on a trade-off methodology, not lowest price, and no specific pricing factor is used for award selection. The base performance period begins upon contract execution, with options for two additional one-year extensions, potentially spanning from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. The contractor must provide all personnel with proper training and certification—especially for tree trimming near high-voltage lines—carry photo identification, maintain insurance coverage of $2 million general liability and $500,000 employer’s liability, secure performance and payment bonds, and submit various affidavits affirming non-discrimination, non-collusion, and ethical conduct. Deliverables include monthly public programs, annual performance reports, attendance and demographic tracking, volunteer management, community partnerships, and digitized oral histories, all conducted within El Paso County with full