Project Information

Bid Title

Visitor Services

Issuing Agency

Mariposa County

Location

California

Published Date

Jan 16, 2026

Closing Date

Feb 27, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	Visitor Services
Category:	Professional Services
Status:	Open

Description: The County of Mariposa invites proposals to provide visitor services within the town of Mariposa and online that represent the entire County. The purpose of an Agreement for these services is to welcome, orient, and inform visitors and promote County businesses and experiences. The term of the Agreement will be for a period of two years beginning on July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. All communications concerning this RFP shall be electronic and directed to: Assistant County Administrative Officer Attn: Leigh Westerlund For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address. Publication Date/Time: 1/16/2026 12:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 2/27/2026 5:00 PM Contact Person: Assistant County Administrative Officer Attn: Leigh Westerlund lwesterlund@mariposacounty.gov Related Documents: FY27-28 VS RFP 01-16-2026

Attachment Preview

Mariposa Visitor Services

RFP July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028

Request for Proposals (RFP)

for

Visitor Services

Mariposa, California

RFP Issued January 16, 2026

Proposals Due: 5:00 PM on February 27, 2026

Electronic Submittals Only

Attention: Leigh Westerlund

Assistant County Administrator, County of Mariposa

lwesterlund@mariposacounty.gov

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I.

INTRODUCTION

Mariposa Visitor Services

RFP July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028

The County of Mariposa, California (County), is seeking proposals from qualified organizations or

individuals to provide Visitor Services in the town of Mariposa and online on behalf of the entire County.

The County expects to enter into an Agreement for Services (Agreement) with the awarded contractor. The

successful proposal will provide for Visitor Services based on a mutually agreed-upon program and

budget.

II. BACKGROUND

The County is a small, rural county at the doorstep of Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada

mountains. More than four million visitors each year come to Mariposa County to recreate in and around

one of the most famous national parks in the world. Visitor services connect travelers not only with the

park but also with a myriad of other attractions and services in Mariposa County including but not limited

to lodging, shopping, restaurants, museums, adventure tours, festivals and events, wine tasting, and

outdoor amenities.

The County is seeking innovative proposals that address the ways in which the world is changing, and

visitors are seeking and obtaining information. Both in-person and online visitor services should be

included in the proposal.

Proposals that demonstrate a knowledge of the way in which visitors seek information today as well as

the information already being provided by other service providers will be prioritized. Information

dissemination practices are rapidly evolving. At the same time, generational differences in the way in

which information is sought require a variety of information distribution media to be used. It may be that

proposers offer unique and creative solutions to the complex task of meeting visitor service needs,

comprehensively, and on a budget. We welcome new ideas and new solutions to these complex

problems.

III. PURPOSE

The purpose of an Agreement for these visitor services is to welcome, orient, and inform visitors and

promote County businesses and experiences.

IV. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The selected contractor will deliver the following services:

A. Provide an in-person services location in the town of Mariposa

Secure a location in the town of Mariposa where in-person visitor services may be

provided.

Visitor services can be co-located with another business such as a restaurant or retail

store. This is a creative solution which has worked in other places such as Mariposa’s

North County area, and it can have a positive effect on both the level of information

visitors receive as well as retail and/or restaurant sales. There are some public

establishments that would not be suitable for co-location with visitor services due to age

restrictions (bars or dispensaries), adult content of merchandise being sold (gun shops),

etc.

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Mariposa Visitor Services

RFP July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028

The facility must be kept in a clean and sanitary condition at all times and comply with all

state and local guidance and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility

requirements.

B. Provide online services (website/email/phone)

Maintain a website that coordinates with the organizations promoting Mariposa County

tourism online (Tourism Bureau, Arts Council, Airbnb, etc.) to ensure that all content is

current, thorough, accessible, organized, visually pleasing, and linked in a way that is

logical and clear. Online information should present a comprehensive view of what

Mariposa County offers in terms of lodging, transportation, restaurants, attractions,

activities, events, and other types of services and amenities.

Too often visitors can only access this type of information for things located in and

immediately adjacent to Yosemite National Park. We hope the proposer can clarify how

they will supplement and enhance the information available to tourists, so they are able to

see ALL of the things ALL of Mariposa County has to offer.

Create an email and phone number through which visitors are encouraged to ask

questions and seek information in advance of and even while visiting Mariposa County.

The County is roughly the same size as Rhode Island and a visitor in Buck Meadows may

need information on a bike ride in Hornitos before making the drive to enjoy it.

C. Develop community partnerships and direct visitors in person and online to their events,

activities, and information

Develop community partnerships with groups for awareness and promotion of their visitor

services, resources, and events. The groups may include but are not limited to:

1. Yosemite National Park

2. Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau

3. Yosemite Gateway Partners

4. Mariposa Bed and Breakfast Association

5. Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce

6. Mariposa Business Association

7. Main Street Mariposa

8. Mariposa County History Museum

9. Major event organizers like the Butterfly Festival, the Fair, Coyotefest, and Hornitos

Día de los Muertos

Develop a community calendar in coordination with those partners to ensure online and

in-person visitor information is comprehensive and easy to navigate. Contractor should

think of themselves as a hub for visitor information, linking visitors to existing partner

calendars and information, and should proactively solicit content to ensure the calendar

as well as all other information is current and accurate.

Promote community activities and events that are geared toward general tourism rather

than local meetings and avoid promoting events that support political or social exclusion.

Change the highlighted activities by season.

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Mariposa Visitor Services

RFP July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028

D. Interact with visitors in person and online

1. Display and distribute brochures, maps, and other visitor information that is

reviewed on an annual basis to ensure information is up to date and accurate.

2. Provide visitors with assistance upon request and answer inquiries in a timely

manner.

3. Connect visitors with available lodging.

4. Provide information on transportation, restaurants, attractions, activities, events, and

other services and amenities.

5. Provide information in a friendly and enthusiastic manner as the first contact made

by many visitors to our area.

6. Respond to email and voicemail within 24 hours.

E. Develop an operations plan

Provide an agreed-upon annual plan of operations for management of Mariposa Visitor

Services to include, but not be limited to, proposed paid and/or volunteer staffing, hours

of operation, responsiveness to email and phone messages, and maintenance of both

online and in-person services.

F. Identify Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)

Identify and report on outcome-based performance measures – commonly referred to as

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) -- that monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and

efficiency of Visitor Services. The County of Mariposa will evaluate the proposed KPIs and

agree to or negotiate them with the successful contractor before inclusion in a final

Agreement.

G. Provide an annual spending report

Segregate funds provided by the County of Mariposa and provide an annual, auditor-

reviewed report on the use of these funds.

H. Optional: Additional Services

Additional services, including but not limited to art displays, gift shops, or any other

information/services/ideas the proposer considers appropriate to add, may be included in

the proposal for consideration. These services will be considered for inclusion or omission

in the final Agreement at the sole discretion of the County.

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Mariposa Visitor Services

RFP July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028

V. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE FINAL AGREEMENT

A. Term of Agreement

The agreement will be for a two-year term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028, and may

be extended for three successive one-year terms by mutual consent of the County and the

contractor. Neither party has any obligation to extend the initial term of the Agreement.

B. Agreement Requirements

An Agreement in this matter will not be formed until executed by all parties including the

Mariposa County Board of Supervisors Chair, and performance under the contract will not

begin until the Agreement is fully executed by all parties. A sample Agreement is provided

as an attachment to this RFP. Terms and conditions of the Agreement are subject to

negotiation but are likely to include the provisions in the attached sample, so please

review it to familiarize yourself with its provisions including insurance requirements, hold

harmless/indemnification statement, the contractor’s status as an independent

contractor, progress payments, and termination of contract.

C. Subject to Appropriation

Compensation for services requires the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors to

appropriate funds annually on a fiscal year basis (July 1 through June 30) for payment of

services. The obligation of the County to provide funding is subject to the availability of

funds lawfully appropriated for that purpose by the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors.

VI. QUESTIONS DEADLINE

All questions about the RFP must be submitted via email to lwesterlund@mariposacounty.gov no

later than 5:00 PM PST on Friday, January 30, 2026. Questions received after this deadline will not be

answered. Responses to all questions submitted before the deadline will be posted to the RFP bid page

on the mariposacounty.gov website.

VII. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS

A. Proposal Deadline

All proposals must be received via email no later than 5:00 PM PST on Friday,

February 27, 2026. Late proposals will not be accepted.

B. Proposal Format

Proposals shall be submitted in a single Microsoft Word or PDF file under 20MB

(approximately 30 pages) and emailed to: lwesterlund@mariposacounty.gov. The County

reserves the right to reject any proposal exceeding that limit.

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