Issued by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, in partnership with Friends of Southwest Virginia
Answers to questions submitted by potential applicants have now been posted below as Appendix B at the end of the original RFP.
1. KEY MILESTONES
See key milestones above or in the attached PDF. All applicants will be notified following the selection process.
2. INTRODUCTION
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation (BRPF or Foundation) and Friends of Southwest Virginia (Friends) seek proposals from qualified fabricators, artists, manufacturers, or design-build vendors for the fabrication and delivery of thirty (30) large-scale Blue Ridge Parkway-inspired mileposts as part of the Blue Ridge Rising initiative.
These mileposts will be installed outdoors on public land located in gateway communities along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina. The structures will serve as foundational public features that local artists and communities will customize through painted or printed wrap artistic treatments.
The selected fabricator will work collaboratively with project partners to develop durable, safe, outdoor-ready milepost structures that can accommodate customized artistic treatments unique to each participating community.
This RFP is being issued and managed by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
3. PROJECT GOALS
The overall goals of the milepost installation project are to:
- Encourage tourists to visit the Parkway’s gateway communities.
- Create a common and attractive public feature to unite these gateway communities.
- Provide a medium for each community to publicize and celebrate its local natural and cultural heritage.
- Emphasize the strong connections between the Parkway, Parkway visitors, and gateway communities.
- Highlight Appalachian creativity and identity.
- Create interactive visitor experiences.
4. PRELIMINARY FABRICATION SPECIFICATIONS
The following specifications are preliminary and may be refined through the fabrication process:
- General Structure
- Approximate height: 6 feet
- Three-sided triangular design inspired by official Parkway mileposts
- Approximate width: 18 inches per side
- A top that allows water to run off rather than collect or pool on top
- Freestanding outdoor installation design.
Actual Blue Ridge Parkway milepost
Conceptual image of requested mileposts
(for illustrative purposes only)
- Materials Preferred materials may include:
- Powder-coated metal
- Fiberglass
- Aluminum
- Steel
- Composite outdoor materials.
Note: This material list is not exhaustive. Other materials that meet the design, structural, surface, and installation requirements will also be considered.
- Structures must:
- Be weather resistant.
- Withstand long-term outdoor exposure.
- Resist corrosion and vandalism.
- Accommodate artistic treatments and modifications.
- Surface Considerations The surface should:
- Allow painting or wrap applications.
- Be durable and maintainable over time
- Be free of sharp points and sharp edges.
- Installation Requirements Fabricator proposals should include recommendations for:
- Anchoring systems
- Mounting plates or concrete footers
- Hardware requirements
- Transportation and delivery considerations
- Ease of installation by local partners.
Installation methods should prioritize durability, safety, and adaptability to multiple site conditions.
5. PROJECT DELIVERABLES
The selected contractor will:
- Develop final fabrication design specifications.
- Produce 30 fabricated mileposts, as follows:
- Five mileposts must be fabricated and delivered by January 31, 2027.
- At a date to be determined jointly, BRPF, the milepost action team, and the selected contractor will review feedback about the first five mileposts, discuss potential refinements of the initial design, and formalize any changes in design and cost through a formal written agreement (i.e., a contract amendment).
- The remaining 25 mileposts, with all agreed-upon modifications, must be fabricated and delivered by July 31, 2027.
- Recommend installation methods and hardware.
- Ship/deliver the mileposts to BRPF or Friends at a location in western North Carolina or Southwest Virginia.
- Provide maintenance and care recommendations.
6. PROJECT BUDGET
Proposals exceeding $100,000 will not be considered. Applicants should not assume the full $100,000 is available.
7. FEDERAL FUNDING AND PAYMENT FOR SERVICES
This branding effort is supported in large part by a federal grant administered by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). Any contract resulting from this RFP will be subject to all applicable federal laws, regulations, and grant requirements, including but not limited to 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards). Bidders will be checked against the debarment and suspension list at sam.gov. If the bidder is debarred or suspended, they will not be eligible to be selected.
Payment to the selected contractor shall be made on a reimbursement basis, tied to the completion and acceptance of agreed-upon deliverables, and subject to the availability of grant funds. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation does not guarantee the availability of federal or ARC funds and reserves the right to modify or terminate the contract if funding is reduced, delayed, or discontinued. The Foundation is committed to transparency and will make every effort to communicate any such developments promptly with the selected contractor.
Additional federal funding language, including invoicing requirements, allowable costs, and documentation standards, will be included in the final contract.
8. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Interested vendors must submit the following by the stated deadline:
- Company overview and qualifications
- Relevant experience with similar fabrication projects, including public art projects or similar
- Examples of similar fabricated projects, including images and specifications. Please include images of the vendor’s product(s) both with and without wraps, paints, or other treatments. In other words, please show what the product(s) looked like: (a) immediately after production, and (b) after painting, wrapping, or other treatment.
- Proposed materials, fabrication methods, and design considerations
- A clear cost to fabricate 30 total milepost units, as detailed in “5. Project Deliverables”
- Costs for shipping/delivery to an address in Western North Carolina or Southwest Virginia
- Please indicate any costs that would be charged for any storage required between production and shipping/delivery, as well as any recommendations or requirements for storage by BRPF after shipping/delivery.
- Estimated production timeline
- At least three references.
Proposals must be no more than 15 pages in length.
9. EVALUATION CRITERIA
The contract will be awarded to the responsible applicant whose proposal is determined to be responsive to this RFP and represents the best overall value, considering both qualitative and cost factors. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria and relative weights:
- Fabrication Approach, Durability, and Installation Methodology: 35%
Includes the quality and durability of the proposed fabrication approach, installation feasibility, material selection, safety considerations, and long-term maintenance requirements. - Qualifications and Relevant Experience: 30%
Includes experience with public art fabrication, large-scale outdoor installations, project team qualifications, and demonstrated success on similar projects. - Production Schedule and Project Management: 15%
Includes the ability to meet project deadlines, production capacity, delivery schedule, and overall project management approach. - Cost Proposal: 20%
Includes overall cost-effectiveness and value provided relative to the project scope.
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Friends of Southwest Virginia reserve the right to seek clarification of proposals, reject any or all proposals, and make an award in the best interest of the project and funding requirements.
10. QUESTIONS AND RFP UPDATES
Submit any questions about this RFP in writing to projects@brpfoundation.org, no later than August 28, 2026, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with RFP No. 2026-006 in the subject line. Submitted questions and responses to those questions will be posted no later than September 4, 2026, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on the same webpage where the original RFP appears: https://blueridgerising.com/rfp-opportunities/milepost-fabrication.
There will be no in-person or virtual meeting to discuss this RFP. Verbal comments provided by any party, including but not limited to Blue Ridge Parkway or Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation staff, shall not be binding. If it is necessary to update or revise the RFP in whole or in part, e.g., to extend the proposal deadline, that information will be shared on the same webpage where the original RFP appears: https://blueridgerising.com/rfp-opportunities/milepost-fabrication.
11. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
Interested vendors should submit proposals no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Time on September 18, 2026, by email as a single PDF attachment to: projects@brpfoundation.org, with RFP No. 2026-006 in the subject line. Submissions received after the due date/time will not be considered.
Please, no phone calls.
Appendix A
BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY FOUNDATION
Mission: The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation works closely with the National Park Service, gateway communities, donors, and other partners to preserve culture and history, protect natural resources, ensure economic prosperity, and create more fulfilling experiences now and for future generations. BRPF is the lead organization and coordinating partner for Blue Ridge Rising.
About Us: The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is the primary fundraising partner for the Blue Ridge Parkway, providing support for initiatives along the 469-mile route, including historical and cultural preservation, environmental protection, visitor amenities, and educational outreach.
Website: https://brpfoundation.org/
BLUE RIDGE RISING
In 2023, to enhance the Parkway’s economic impact on its gateway communities, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation launched “Blue Ridge Rising” to unite the Parkway’s 29 counties and develop regional strategies to support tourism, outdoor recreation, and related economic development. More than 500 community stakeholders participated in 38 local and regional meetings, suggested solutions, and then developed a prioritized action list. The resulting Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan provides a community-led blueprint for the next three to five years. (To view the Action Plan, go to https://blueridgerising.com/; scroll down below the first video.) The 51 strategies in the plan are organized across six themes: marketing, visitor experience, unified regional voice, resource protection, workforce education, and capacity building.
FRIENDS OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
Mission: The mission of Friends of Southwest Virginia is to preserve, promote and present the cultural and natural assets of Southwest Virginia; to work in partnership in the region to generate economic development through these efforts; to provide educational and cultural opportunities for the general public and students of the region; to showcase the cultural assets of SWVA at the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace (formerly Heartwood).
About Us : Friends of Southwest Virginia, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was established in 2011 to operate alongside the Southwest Virginia Heritage Cultural Foundation and serve as the primary fiscal and operational body. The two organizations work in tandem under the leadership of a single Executive Director reporting to two separate boards that oversee their individual authorizations. The majority of the organization employees, grant development programs, and all operations of the SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace are housed within the non-profit.
Website: https://friendsofswva.org/
APPENDIX B
1. Is a company incorporated and manufacturing outside the United States eligible to submit a proposal if it can deliver the completed units to Western North Carolina or Southwest Virginia?
Yes, a company incorporated and manufacturing outside the United States would be eligible to submit a proposal if it can deliver the completed units to Western North Carolina or Southwest Virginia. Such a company would also be eligible to be awarded a contract.
2. Would SAM.gov registration or a Unique Entity ID be required when submitting the proposal, or only if the contract is awarded?
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation does not require a SAM.gov registration or Unique Entity ID for either proposal submission or contracting.
3. Do any Buy America, Build America, domestic-content or domestic-manufacturing requirements apply to this project?
The work outlined in this RFP is not related to infrastructure, so the Build America, Buy America Act provisions do not apply.
4. The RFP states that payment will be made on a reimbursement basis. Would the contract permit milestone payments after approved stages, such as final production drawings, material procurement, prototype approval and delivery of the first five units?
Generally speaking, the Foundation has entered into other contracts based on milestone payments, so there is precedent for this approach. However, the exact payment structure and schedule will be negotiated as part of the contract.
5. Can international freight, customs clearance and import-related expenses be included as allowable delivery costs? Would the selected contractor or the Foundation be expected to act as the importer of record?
According to the “Transportation Costs” text in 2 CFR 200 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.474), “Costs incurred for freight, express, cartage, postage, and other transportation services relating to goods purchased, in process, or delivered, are allowable. When the costs can be readily identified with the items involved, they may be charged directly as transportation costs or added to the cost of such items.”
Also, according to the “acquisition cost” text in the “Definitions section of 2 CFR 200 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.1), “Ancillary charges such as taxes, duty, protective in transit insurance, freight, and installation may be included in or excluded from the acquisition cost in accordance with the recipient’s or subrecipient’s regular accounting practices.” In our case, these charges would be included in the acquisition cost.
The selected contractor or its designee would be expected to act as the importer of record. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has no previous experience, knowledge, or training to serve in that capacity.
6. Will stamped structural engineering calculations from a United States-licensed engineer be required for the proposed anchoring and installation system?
Yes, the Foundation believes stamped drawings/calculations for the proposed anchoring and installation system are necessary.
7. Are you looking for any creative designs here, or simply the three sided six foot tall design? I see that you limit the width dimension to 18″ in the RFP, so, the call is simply for a 3 sided less than 18″W 6’H mile marker with connection hardware for anchoring? No sculptural designs, such as perhaps a mountain line or other interesting way to link these to the location?
We are seeking a product that meets the specifications in RFP Section 4. Preliminary Fabrication Specifications, and creative designs are not part of those specifications. It is our intent for the milepost host communities and their selected artists to have as much artistic control over the presentation of each milepost as possible. For additional context, please refer to our new Milepost Pilot Program for Gateway Communities subaward program: https://blueridgerising.com/grant-opportunity/milepost-pilot-program/.
8. Will you need each of the mile markers to have an individual Mile mark on them in the sculpture, or will you want that as part of the artwork? IE, in your example the mile markers have an embossed number which would be part of the structure of the design and not added.
Any representation of milepost figures or numbers (e.g., “MP 234”) will be added through artwork, at the discretion of each host community and their selected artists, not through the fabrication of the mileposts.
9. If you want each mile marker to include the mile, I assume you’d be providing the exact numbers each of the 30 units would be require?
BRPF will not be providing any milemarker data to the selected fabricator. Any representation of milepost figures or numbers (e.g., “MP 234”) will be added through artwork, at the discretion of each host community and their selected artists, not through the fabrication of the mileposts.