Paddle Sport Concessionaire - Horsetooth Reservoir

Location:	Colorado
Posted:	Mar 4, 2026
Due:	Apr 2, 2026
Agency:	Larimer County
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	23 - Ground Effect Vehicles, Motor Vehicles, Trailers, and Cycles
Solicitation No:	P26-05
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

RFP #P26-05

RFP SUMMARY:

Larimer County intends to enter into a contract with up to two (2) qualified paddle sport concessionaires to

operate and provide kayak and paddleboard rentals and lessons at Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins, CO

at two locations; South Bay and Satanka Cove. The vendor must provide a variety of rental recreational

equipment, including but not limited to paddleboards and kayaks, and all necessary supplies to safely

operate the equipment.

QUESTION DEADLINE: March 19, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m. (MT)

All questions regarding this solicitation must be emailed to the Contact Person identified below. If you do not

receive a confirmation email of receipt, please call the Contact Person to verify receipt of your questions. No

questions will be accepted after the date and time referenced above. All questions received will be answered

via Addendum only.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTALS: April 2, 2026 @ 2:00 p.m. (MT)

The Board of Larimer County Commissioners will only be accepting proposals electronically submitted via the

Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (BidNet, BidNet Direct) portal, up to the date and time referenced

above, at which time they will be recorded, but not publicly opened on behalf of the Natural Resources

Department.

BIDNET PORTAL / RFP OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

To submit your proposal and view official solicitation documents and addenda only available on the BidNet

portal, use the following link: https://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/larimer-county/

CONTACT PERSON:

Purchasing Agent Karen Schaefer, schaefka@co.larimer.co.us, 970-498-5936

NOTE: Unauthorized contact with a County employee other than the Contact Person listed above or

Purchasing Manager regarding this RFP may result in disqualification of your Proposal.

1. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPOSERS:

1.1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Disclosure:

Portions of this solicitation may have been prepared or modified with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

technologies. All such content has been reviewed, verified, and approved for accuracy and compliance by the

Purchasing Agent prior to issuance.

1.2 Cooperative Use

Other governmental entities may piggyback on the award of this solicitation, assuming the award vendor is

amenable, and should contact Larimer County Purchasing for any necessary procurement documents. The

entity will deal directly with the award vendor concerning the placement of Purchase Orders, freight charges,

contracting and disputes, invoicing, and payment. Larimer County will not be held liable or responsible for any

liability, claims, costs, damages, demands, actions, losses, judgments or expenses incurred by the vendor or

any government entity relating to such use.

1.3 Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) / Disadvantaged Business Opportunities:

Larimer County, in accordance with Federal and State laws, is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not

discriminate. Larimer County strongly encourages the use of small and minority firms, women's business

enterprises, and labor surplus area firm services.

Larimer County hereby notifies all Proposers they will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit a Proposal

in response to this RFP and they will not be discriminated against on the basis of age 40 and over, race, sex

(including pregnancy), color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender

identity, gender expression, military or veteran status, or any other applicable status protected by Federal,

State, or local law in consideration for award.

1.4 Payment:

Payment for work performed or goods sold to Larimer County can be expected within 30 days after receipt of

the invoice and satisfactory acceptance by the Department receiving the service or goods (unless otherwise

stated and agreed to by County).

1.5 Proposal Consideration:

Larimer County reserves the right to reject any and or all proposals, to further negotiate with any and/or all

qualified proposers and to waive informalities and irregularities in proposals received, and to accept any

portion of the proposal if deemed to be in the best interest of Larimer County to do so. If, in the sole judgment

of the Board of County Commissioners, the proposals are substantially equal, the Board may grant the contract

to companies located in Larimer County, however this is not applicable in the case that Federal funds are

used.

1.6 Proposal Preparation:

Proposers will not be compensated for generating, producing, or duplicating any proposal materials associated

with this RFP. Proposals must be furnished exclusive of any Federal, State, or Local taxes; Larimer County is

tax exempt.

1.7 Proposal Submission:

Proposers must be registered with BidNet in order to submit a proposal; registration is free. Larimer County

strongly recommends proposers register well in advance of the submittal deadline to ensure they have

adequate time to upload and submit their proposal.

It is the sole responsibility of the Proposer to ensure all required Proposal documents are submitted through

BidNet by the submission deadline. Proposals will be time-stamped by BidNet upon receipt; BidNet does not

allow for uploading or submitting Proposal documents after the Proposal submittals deadline has passed, so

allow adequate time to upload and submit your Proposal prior to the deadline. Larimer County will not accept

uploads that are “saved” but not “submitted”. To verify that a Proposal has been submitted successfully,

Proposers may contact BidNet Support, or verify, via the Proposal Management tab in the Proposer’s account,

that the documents are not in “Draft” status.

Proposers are required to submit one (1) non-redacted proposal. All parts of the proposal should be

combined and submitted as one (1) single .pdf file; proposals comprised of multiple separate files are

not acceptable and your proposal may be rejected.

By submitting a proposal, the proposer agrees they may not rescind their proposal on or after the closing date

and time identified in the RFP or as modified by addendum. No delivery will become due or be accepted until

an agreement has been completed either in the form of a formal executed contract, or a purchase order issued

by the Purchasing Manager of Larimer County. Prices and terms will remain in effect until a contract has

been executed.

1.8 Public Records:

Proposers are required to also provide one (1) redacted .pdf proposal (as one single file), excluding any

information that is not subject to disclosure under the Colorado Open Records Act (“CORA”), such as trade

secrets, privileged information and confidential commercial, financial, geological or geophysical data exempt

from public disclosure under C.R.S. §§ 24-72-204(3)(a)(IV). Statements that the entire proposal is confidential

will not be honored. After the Notice of Award has been issued, all information submitted in response to this

request for proposal (RFP) may be publicly disclosed if required under the CORA. If provided, the redacted

electronic copy will be used to satisfy CORA requests. Proposers that do not provide a redacted electronic

copy will have their non-redacted electronic copy used to satisfy CORA requests. Larimer County will

endeavor to keep the non-redacted proposal, separate and apart from the redacted proposal subject to the

provisions of CORA or Order of Court.

1.9 Reasonable Accommodations:

Per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Larimer County will provide reasonable accommodation to

qualified individuals with a disability who need assistance. Services can be arranged with at least seven (7)

business days’ notice. Please email the Contact Person listed on the page 1 or call Relay Colorado 711.

“Walk-in” requests for auxiliary aids and services will be honored to the extent possible but may be unavailable

if advance notice is not provided.

1.10 Regulatory and Legal Compliance Requirements:

No vendor awarded a solicitation will be federally debarred. Such debarment will be checked through the

System for Award Management, at www.sam.gov.

All businesses, organizations, and individuals contracting with Larimer County must comply with Title II of the

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. For more information on these requirements and to read

the full Title II text, please go to the following web page: https://www.ada.gov/ada_title_II.htm.

The Proposer certifies that by submitting an offer, neither the contractor nor subcontractors, the organization

nor its principals are suspended or debarred or otherwise excluded from procurement by the Federal

government and do not appear on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) maintained by the General

Services Administration (GSA).

2. PROJECT OVERVIEW:

Larimer County intends to enter into a contract with up to two (2) qualified paddle sport concessionaires to

operate and provide kayak and paddleboard rentals and lessons at Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins, CO,

at two locations; South Bay and Satanka Cove (see Attachment B- Locations). The vendor(s) must provide a

variety of rental recreational equipment, including but not limited to paddleboards and kayaks, and all

necessary supplies to safely operate the equipment.

Vendors may choose to submit a proposal for one (1) or both South Bay and Satanka Cove locations. A

maximum of two (2) contracts will be awarded for paddle sport concessions at Horsetooth Reservoir, with only

one (1) concessionaire per location.

3. ROLES:

Larimer County: Larimer County will act as the contracting party for the paddle sport concessionaire contract.

Paddle sport Concessionaire (concessionaire / contractor / vendor (known throughout as "vendor"): The

vendor must provide a variety of rental recreational equipment, including but not limited to paddleboards and

kayaks, and all necessary supplies to safely operate the equipment.

The vendor shall have no authority to employ any person as agent or employee for, or on behalf of, Larimer

County for any purpose, and neither the vendor nor any other person performing any duties or engaging in any

work at the request of the vendor shall be deemed to be an employee of Larimer County.

4. QUALIFICATIONS:

Qualifications, at a minimum, include the following minimum (pass/fail) item. Proposals must clearly document

(with dates/details) explicitly how this qualification has been met; proposals that do not meet this requirement

will be deemed NONRESPONSIVE and rejected.

1. Minimum of two (2) years’ experience as licensed paddle sport business.

5. SCOPE OF WORK:

The vendor must, at a minimum, provide, perform, and/or furnish the following:

1. Establish a partnering relationship with Larimer County

1.1. Larimer County expects an environment of trust and teamwork to prevent disputes, foster a

cooperative bond to everyone’s benefit, and facilitate a successful paddle sport concession.

Adversarial relationships between the vendor and Larimer County will not be tolerated.

1.2. Commit key staff members to manage a quality and safe paddle sport concession throughout

the contract.

1.3. Obtain written approval from Larimer County for access locations, business appearance, location

of the business’ designated space, and location of all equipment.

1.4. Only perform, or allow, activities covered by the specifications described in the Professional

Services Agreement; any changes in activities must be approved in writing, in the form of an

Amendment to the Contract, prior to implementation of the change.

1.5. Comply with and adhere to all Larimer County and Bureau of Reclamation regulations and

policies and any/all other applicable federal, county, and state laws pertaining to the operation

of the concession.

1.6. Vendor is required to pay a minimum of 10% of their gross revenue to Larimer County, and

may propose a higher percentage in their proposal.

1.7. The vendor must submit in their proposal how they will provide proof of annual gross sales

receipt. The method of proof will be approved by Larimer County. A full report of revenue must

be provided to Larimer County by December 16, 2026 for the first year of the contract.

1.8. The vendor must provide with their proposal a complete list of all equipment the vendor will

provide the customer.

2. Public Use of Launch Areas

2.1. Larimer County’s park amenities (i.e. launch areas) are for the enjoyment of the public; the

vendor does not have exclusive use of the launch areas, and must not turn the public away.

2.1.1 Visitors may arrive at the launch area with their own equipment and are not required to

use the vendor’s services.

2.2. All parking areas, launch areas, and water areas are used on a first come, first served basis by

all visitors; the vendor cannot reserve any parking areas, launch areas or water areas.

2.2.1.If a customer is not at the launch area on time for an appointment and someone from

the public comes to use the area, the vendor must not reserve an area for a customer.

3. Vendor’s Designated Space

3.1. The vendor will have designated areas to operate at the South Bay, and/or Satanka Cove; these

designated areas will be for the sole use of the vendor and will be approved by Larimer County.

3.2. The vendor must not install any improvements or other property without express written approval

from Larimer County.

3.3. The vendor may provide a small temporary tent with roll down sides, equipment racks, and/or a

storage container for use on site as long as everything fits within the space designated by Larimer

County.

3.4. Electricity and water are not available at the designated paddle sport rental sites.

3.5. The vendor must abide by any environmental rules governing site improvements, temporary

structures, or related items.

4. Paddle Sport Rental Hours of Operation and General Operations

4.1. Operations will typically take place between Memorial Day and Labor Day, depending on

weather conditions.

4.2. All classes, rentals, and concessions must be completed no later than 7:00 p.m.

4.3. The vendor must cease rental operations in a timely manner so that customers are off the water

and all paddle sport equipment is returned and secured in the storage area by 7:00 p.m.

4.4. If, for some reason, Larimer County or the vendor feels a suspension of activities is necessary

during periods of inclement weather or other events, rentals will be prohibited until the

suspension is lifted.

4.5. Any closure of the concession site during the Hours of Operation must be approved by Larimer

County.

4.6. The vendor is authorized to have any quantity of kayaks/paddleboards/equipment that they feel

necessary as long as all equipment fits into the designated space approved by Larimer County.

4.7. Larimer County encourages the vendor to propose other varieties of recreational equipment (and

necessary supplies to safely operate the equipment) that would enhance visitors' experience at

Horsetooth Reservoir (i.e. canoes, beach chairs, umbrellas). Vendor must include all equipment

that they would like to utilize in their proposal. If Larimer County agrees to incorporate the

equipment, it will be included into the Professional Services Agreement.

4.8. Except for approved equipment, other materials, supplies, or equipment will not be stored or

sold on Larimer County property without prior written approval by Larimer County.

4.9. The vendor is authorized to have motorized access to their designated space.

4.10. Vehicles or trailers must not be parked unattended and must be moved out of the corridor as

soon as equipment is dropped off or picked up.

4.11. When water levels are low and equipment must be transported from the storage site to the

launch area this will be done by foot or other non-motorized means.

4.12. The vendor and all vendor employees and sub-contractors of vendor will not consume alcohol

or drugs of any kind in any capacity while conducting business on Larimer County property.

Vendor and employees will comply and adhere to all Larimer County and Bureau of Reclamation

regulations and policies and all other applicable federal, county, and state laws pertaining to the

operation of the concession.

5. End of Season

5.1. Vendor must return their designated space to original condition and remove all personal property

from the area at the end of the rental season, or upon the termination of the contract.

6. Staffing

6.1. The vendor must provide a minimum of one (1) trained staff member that remains at each rental

area at all times when the concession is open.

6.2. The vendor must provide proof that all on site staff members at each location are CPR/First Aid

certified.

6.3. A copy of all certifications must be made available to Larimer County before services with the

award vendor begin.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Due Date	Number	Title	Documents	Contact
2026-04-02	P26-05	Paddle Sport Concessionaire - Horsetooth Reservoir	Bid Doc	Karen Schaefer, Purchasing Agent schaefka@co.larimer.co.us 970-498-5936

Paddle Sport Concessionaire - Horsetooth Reservoir

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See also