Loading...
Loading...
CACO_Ahearn-Higgins-Sirna_RFP_2026
Response Deadline
Nov 1, 2026, 9:00 PM(EST)90 days
Eligibility
Contract Type
Solicitation
SUMMARY OF LEASING OPPORTUNITY
This Request for Proposals (RFP) provides the opportunity for any interested individual or organization, hereinafter referred to as “Offeror” to submit proposals to the National Park Service (NPS, ‘Lessor’) to lease NPS property at Cape Cod National Seashore for private, residential use and occupancy, under the following general terms and conditions.
The selected offeror (‘Offeror’, ‘you’, ‘your’) will have exclusive negotiation rights to enter into a lease based on the attached Sample Lease (See Attachment A). Elements of your proposal may be incorporated into the Lease at Lessor’s discretion.
Overview of Property Offered for Lease
Three historic properties located within the Cape Cod National Seashore are available for lease to the public. Each property will require significant initial improvement. The Offeror may present a proposal that includes one, two, or all three properties. Preference may be given to responsive proposals that include all three properties.
Additional property details, site maps, and key information about each leasing opportunity can be found in Appendix A (Sirna Studio), Appendix B (Ahearn House), and Appendix C (Jedidiah Higgins House).
Allowed Uses of the Lease Premises
The properties for lease may be used for the following purposes:
The NPS will consider additional proposed uses if they are determined to be consistent with NPS values. Note that, other than authorized subleases, a negotiated lease will not typically permit commercial activities that provide goods, services, agreements or other functions for members, clients, or the public resulting in compensation, monetary gain, benefit or profit to take place on the leased Premises (or elsewhere within the park). Such activity may require a separately obtained Commercial Use Authorization (i.e., business permit). Information regarding Commercial Use Authorizations (CUA) or Special Use Permits (SUP), can be found at these two sites: https://www.nps.gov/caco/getinvolved/commercial-use-authorizations.htm and https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/special-use-permits.htm
Key Information About This Leasing Opportunity
Jurisdiction
For purposes except building codes and zoning the Lease Premises are subject to concurrent jurisdiction. Under concurrent jurisdiction, Federal and State governments share the governmental authority, and unless otherwise stated, the laws of both governments are applicable.
The Lessee must comply, at its sole cost and expense, with all Applicable Laws and Requirements (including Federal, State, and local laws, rules, regulations, requirements, and policies) in fulfilling its obligations under the Lease.
It is the responsibility of the Lessee to determine whether it is subject to specific taxes and assessments and abide by those applicable statutes. Any comments made by the NPS in this RFP do not alter those responsibilities, if any, nor should they be construed to take a position nor express a view on behalf of the Lessee.
Term of the Lease
NPS anticipates a Lease Term of ten (10) to twenty (20) years. A Letter of Intent will commence as soon as possible following selection of the best offer. The Lease term will commence following completion of NPS approval of Lessee’s Improvements and issuance of a Building Permit and Notice to Proceed.
Rent
NPS is required under 36 CFR Part 18 to receive, at a minimum, Fair Market Value Rent (FMVR). The amount of rent will be negotiated subsequently with the selected offeror, provided that the final rent must at least equal the FMVR as determined by the NPS. The Lessor may offset Rent for the costs of completed Initial Improvements incurred by the Lessee in accordance with the requirements of the Lease.
The Fair Market Value Annual Rent for the first year of the lease for each property is listed below. This rent will be subject to an annual escalation or Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment.
The Fair Market Value Annual Rent for a portfolio lease (i.e., a lease comprised of two or three properties) reflects a 5% discount for a two-property combination or a 10% discount for a three-property combination as listed below. This rent will be subject to an annual escalation or Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment.
If you intend to primarily rent one or a combination of the properties as STRs we recommend you include additional Percentage Rent to increase the competitiveness of your proposal.
Insurance
During the term of this Lease, the Lessee shall maintain adequate Property and General Liability insurance coverage. Further information regarding insurance requirements can be found in Attachment A: Sample Lease. Insurance coverage amounts will be periodically reviewed by the NPS. These reviews will ensure that a Lessee has appropriate coverage in light of any changing circumstances.
Utilities
The Lessee is solely responsible for all utilities including telephone, cable and internet access. Subject to advance written approval by the Lessor of any utility service, the Lessee at its sole expense shall make all arrangements with appropriate utility providers (including the Lessor where applicable), for all utilities not provided by the Lessor and furnished to the Premises. Any utility service provided by Lessor will be subject to the Lessor’s established policies and procedures for provision of utility services to third parties.
Maintenance Responsibilities
The Lessee is solely responsible for the repair and maintenance of the Premises during the Lease Term.
Premises Condition
The Lease Premises will be delivered to Lessee, “As-is with all faults.”
Contractors
Upon consultation and expressed prior written permission from Cape Cod National Seashore, the lessee may utilize contractors to perform repairs, replacements, and improvements.
Sustainability
The Park manages its sustainability program under an Environmental Management System, which sets forth goals ranging from solid waste and energy conservation to renewable energy and climate change education.
Other Terms and Conditions
The proposed terms and conditions of the offered Lease are as described in Attachment A, “Sample Lease” included in this RFP and are consistent with 36 CFR Part 18.
Competitive Process
This Lease opportunity is open to all interested persons and businesses on a competitive basis. Whoever submits the proposal judged best under the proposal selection criteria will be given an opportunity to negotiate a final Lease agreeable to both the selected offeror and NPS.
To be selected by the NPS you must demonstrate that you have the capacity to plan, carry out, and finance your proposal. Evaluation criteria and the process for selecting a Lessee are described in detail in the PROPOSAL CONTENT AND CRITERIA and EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS sections of this RFP. The NPS reserves the right to reject one or all proposals or terminate lease negotiations at any time prior to executing a final lease without penalty or liability.
Appointments-Only Site Tour and Additional Information
Requests for site tours and questions about the RFP or the Lease Premises should be sent via email to: CACO_Leasing@nps.gov.
Questions not addressed in this RFP will be collected and responded to through issuance of Question & Answers (Q&A) that will be made available to the general public through the Park’s website. Q&A’s along with this RFP and attachments can be found at the Park’s website, https://www.nps.gov/caco/getinvolved/dobusinesswithus.htm.
NPS reserves the right at any time, and from time to time, for its own convenience, and in NPS’ sole discretion, to cause or do any or all of the following:
Initial and Rolling Submission Deadlines
Proposals must be submitted on or before the time and date provided on the first page of this RFP. The initial RFP solicitation will be open for a minimum of 90 days, if the NPS has not received a responsive proposal by the initial submittal deadline the RFP solicitation will remain open on a rolling 1-week basis until a proposal has been selected or the NPS terminates the solicitation. Rolling submittal periods will end on Sundays at 5:00 PM EST/EDT (as applicable).
Proposal Submission Protocol
Proposals may only be submitted electronically. Proposals that are not received at the designated electronic address by the specified deadline will not be considered. NPS will not consider hardcopy proposals.
Telephonic proposals, faxes, e-mails to other addresses, and other means of transmittal will not be considered. Please refer to the Proposals Considered Public Documents section, in this RFP if you believe that a proposal contains trade secrets or confidential commercial and financial information that you do not want to be made public.
Authority
This RFP is issued under the authority of Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 18 Leasing of Properties in Park Areas (36 CFR Part 18). This RFP and the Sample Lease are subject to and incorporate all terms and conditions of Part 18 as applicable. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this RFP and Part 18, Part 18 controls.
The NPS has the authority to lease historic property through the Historic Leasing Authority (54 USC 306121), as well as the authority to lease NPS-administered buildings and associated property pursuant to the National Park Service General Leasing Authority (54 USC Ch. 1021), and other applicable authorities.
NPS regulations require all leases with the NPS to receive Fair Market Value Rent.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND CAPE COD NATIONAL SEASHORE
The United States National Park Service was created by Congress to “conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Additionally, Congress has declared that the National Park System should be “preserved and managed for the benefit and inspiration of all the people of the United States.” To learn more about the National Park Service, visit our website at www.nps.gov. This site includes information about who we are, our mission, NPS policies and individual parks.
The Cape Cod National Seashore, located on the outer portions of Cape Cod, approximately 110 miles south of Boston, Massachusetts and 105 miles east of Providence, Rhode Island, was created in 1961 to preserve the nationally significant and special cultural and natural features, distinctive patterns of human activity, and ambience that characterize the Outer Cape, along with the associated scenic, cultural, historic, scientific, and recreational values and to provide opportunities for current and future generations to experience, enjoy and understand these features and values.
Cape Cod is a slender spit of land curving some 60 miles out into the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the largest glacial peninsulas in the world. The Great Beach on the Atlantic side of the Cape is one of the longest uninterrupted sandy shorelines on the East Coast, making it an exceptionally important, ecologically intact beach ecosystem. The Cape Cod National Seashore encompasses ~44,000 acres and, in addition to beaches, contains some of the largest unfragmented tracts of uplands and wetlands remaining on Cape Cod, providing habitats vital for many plant and animal species. Natural resources such as heathlands, coastal pine barrens, kettle ponds, spadefoot toads, shorebirds, and right whales which are regionally and/or globally rare, are locally abundant. The Cape’s diverse ecosystem and prominent position, jutting into the Atlantic at a northerly latitude, make it and the national seashore a significant resource for migratory species.
The Cape’s position has also made it a key location for human settlement. The national seashore encompasses archeological sites that document more than 9,000 years of occupation, including use by Wampanoag Indians that continues to this day. Cape Cod was the first landfall for the Pilgrims in 1620 and the site of the creation of the Mayflower Compact. With European settlement, Cape Codders took to the sea, creating whaling and fishing industries as well as a long and famous tradition of shell-fishing. This seafaring heritage is reflected in the many lighthouses and lifesaving and Coast Guard stations that dot the Cape. Settlers were the architects of a style of dwelling with a steep roof to shed the rain and snow and low to the ground to withstand buffeting winds; this style came to be known as the Cape Cod house, recognized throughout the United States.
Cape Cod has also been the site of significant technological achievements. The first transatlantic cable was laid between Cape Cod and France in 1866. In 1903 Guglielmo Marconi was instrumental in successfully sending the first exchange of transatlantic wireless messages between President Theodore Roosevelt and King Edward VII. More recently, the Cape has played a role in the research and development of long-range radar.
Cape Cod’s beauty, sense of solitude, and other aesthetic values have created a place for people to come for inspiration and renewal for more than 100 years. These attributes have also inspired generations of artists and writers. Edward Hopper, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Henry David Thoreau, John Dos Passos, and Mary McCarthy are only a few who have created a rich tradition of contributions to the arts. Cape Cod continues to be recognized for its special charm and unique ambience, and its proximity to densely populated and developed areas make its special character all the more important to preserve.
REQUIREMENTS
Proposals must be submitted electronically to: CACO_Leasing@nps.gov
Proposals must be submitted on or before the time and date provided on the first page of this Request for Proposals. The subject line should include the following: Ahearn-Higgins-Sirna_Lease Proposal_[Your name or the name of your business entity or organization]
Proposals are limited to 20 pages or less, for each property you are including in your proposal, not including attachments. Any proposals over these limits will be deemed non-responsive and not evaluated further.
Offerors should submit their proposal in electronic format as one cohesive document in the Adobe PDF format. The required Business History Information form (Form 10-352), the appropriate Business Organization Information form (either Form 10-353 or Form 10-354), the Offeror Financial Statements and Projections: Small Leases (10-355A), financial statements, and credit reports should be incorporated into your PDF submission as attachments. If you do not have PDF management software, such as Adobe Acrobat, there are free websites, such as PDFCandy or PDFgear, that will allow you to convert other document types into PDFs and combine PDF documents. Proposals must be formatted to 8-1/2" x 11”-page size. Proposals submitted by mail, in-person delivery, telephone, fax, or other methods will not be considered.
While there is no limit on the file size of your proposal, the total file size of the email submission, including all attachments, cannot exceed 40MB. If your proposal exceeds this limit, you must separate your document into smaller files and send them in separate emails. If you do this, please separate your proposal into as few files as possible and clearly name the files so they can be reassembled in your intended order.
Effective proposals should be organized in the order of the Required Information detailed below and should contain clear, concise responses that address all the questions and requirements for each of the Selection Criterion listed in the RFP. Proposals that do not specifically answer all questions will be deemed non-responsive and not evaluated further.
NPS reserves the right to deviate from any provision of this RFP, consistent with applicable statutes, regulations, and policies. NPS may extend the submission deadlines for any reason.
PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION GUIDELINES
NPS Leasing Regulations, as provided in 36 CFR 18.8(e), require that proposals be evaluated by the criteria below:
Please keep these requirements in mind when developing your proposal, many of these criteria will be relevant to more than one of the selection criteria listed below.
PROPOSAL CONTENT AND CRITERIA
Proposals submitted in response to this RFP must follow the format described below. You are asked to answer questions or supply specific information in response to the specified items. Please label your responses correspondingly and respond fully and accurately to all questions and/or requests.
Ensuring your Proposal is Responsive
The requirements for NPS RFPs are fairly complex; in order to help you develop a responsive proposal we have created a checklist of the required components your proposal must include, see Attachment E: Responsive Proposal Checklist. We highly encourage you to utilize this checklist.
Required Information
Offeror Identification
Please fully identify the person(s) associated with your proposal, by providing: Name(s), address(es), telephone number(s), e-mail address(es), and fax number(s), if applicable. Your proposal must include a signed Transmittal Letter, a sample is provided in Attachment D. If your party consists of more than one individual, you must identify the primary contact for your group or organization. The NPS will send all communications to that contact person.
Please complete and submit the applicable Business History Information Form contained in the Proposal Forms attached to this RFP for the entity and/or individuals that are to be the lessee and its principals. There are separate forms for individuals, sole proprietor businesses, and other business entities.
Criterion 1: Proposed Use and Operations Consistent with National Park Service Values
This section should explain your proposed use or uses of the property and should establish your overall vision for your proposed concept. Furthermore, it should explain why such use or uses would be compatible with the preservation, protection, and visitor enjoyment of the park area.
Criterion 2: Improvements, Maintenance, and Preservation of the Historic Quality of the Property
This section should describe your concept for improvements to the Lease Premises and how they will enhance your proposed use. Your response must show how you plan to take full responsibility for all repairs and maintenance of the property. Additionally, any work performed on the structure must conform to all applicable standards, including the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Property.
Criterion 3: Financial Capability of the Offeror
This section should demonstrate that you are capable of making the financial investment required to fund what you propose. Offerors must identify the manner by which they will fund the Improvements, and other start-up costs they propose for the premises.
Criterion 4: Demonstrated Experience Repairing and Maintaining a Similar Property (e.g. historic structure)
This section should demonstrate your qualifications to responsibly improve and maintain the Lease Premises in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Property. To be considered qualified, responsive and responsible, an Offeror must submit the items listed below.
Criterion 5: Environmental Enhancement
This section should explain how you plan to use and manage the Lease Premises in an environmentally enhancing manner. At a minimum describe the ways in which you will address:
Criterion 6: Financial and Other Terms Offered
This section should explain the financial and material benefit your proposed use will provide to the NPS. Due to NPS leasing regulations, no annual rent offer of an amount less than the Fair Market Value Rent (FMVR) shall be accepted.
EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
The National Park Service will review all responses to this RFP through an evaluation panel assisted by technical consultants as appropriate.
All proposals will first be screened for adherence to the requirements of this RFP. The NPS will not consider non-responsive proposals. A non-responsive proposal is a proposal that was not timely submitted or fails to meet the material terms and conditions of this RFP as determined by the NPS. The NPS will only use information provided in the appropriate section of a proposal during the evaluation process, please organize your proposal carefully.
It is the intention of the NPS to select the best responsive proposal as determined under the selection criteria without further submittals or presentations. If this cannot be done, the NPS will select those lease proposals that appear most suitable under the selection criteria and will request additional information or presentations from that group so that the best responsive proposal can be selected.
NPS will negotiate the terms of the final Lease with the selected Offeror. Award of a Lease to that Offeror is dependent on successful negotiation of the final terms of the lease. If negotiations fail, NPS may negotiate with other Offerors for award of the Lease or terminate this solicitation without liability to any person.
The NPS reserves the right to reject one or all proposals, terminate lease negotiations, or cancel this RFP Solicitation at any time prior to executing a final lease without penalty or liability.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND MODIFICATION OF PROPOSALS
The NPS may request from any Offeror additional information or written clarification of a proposal after the submission date. However, proposals may not be amended after the submission date unless permitted by the NPS. The NPS may not permit amendment of a proposal unless all Offerors that submitted responsive proposals are given an opportunity to amend their respective proposals.
LEASE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Term of Lease
The Lease to be awarded under this RFP is anticipated to have a term between ten (10) and twenty (20) years. The Lease may be extended once for a period not to exceed one (1) additional year if the NPS determines that an extension is necessary because of circumstances beyond the control of the NPS. In accordance with applicable policy guidance, all leases with a term of five or more years must contain a CPI adjustment provision; and, and all leases with a term of fifteen or more years must contain a rent reconsideration provision.
Conditions
Selection of a proposal does not guarantee a lease for the Offeror. The responsive proposal judged best under the proposal selection criteria will be given an opportunity to negotiate a final lease agreeable to both the Offeror and NPS.
Lease Provisions
The Lease to be awarded under this RFP will contain the provisions required by 36 CFR Part 18 as well as other provisions determined by the NPS to be necessary to assure use of the leased property in a manner consistent with the purposes of the park area, and where applicable, to assure the preservation of historic property. Required provisions include, without limitation:
A Sample Lease is attached to this RFP and incorporates these terms.
PROPOSALS CONSIDERED PUBLIC DOCUMENTS
All proposals submitted in response to this Prospectus may be disclosed by the Service to any person, upon request, to the extent required or authorized by the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C.§ 552). If you believe that your proposal contains trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, mark the cover page of each copy of the proposal with the following legend:
“The information specifically identified on pages of this proposal constitutes trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information that the Offeror believes to be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The Offeror requests that this information not be disclosed to the public, except as may be required by law.”
You must specifically identify what you consider to be trade secret information or confidential commercial or financial information on the page of the proposal on which it appears, and you must mark each such page with the following legend:
“This page contains trade secrets or confidential commercial and financial information that the Offeror believes to be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, and which is subject to the legend contained on the cover page of this proposal.”
Information so identified will not be made public by the NPS except in accordance with law. The NPS does not warrant and assumes no liability for the accuracy of the information provided in this RFP.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants subject to existing legal authorizations must be compliant with current lease obligations in order to be eligible for this opportunity. Current lessees of NPS property who have not satisfied reporting obligations or other lease obligations or have outstanding rent payments will not be considered eligible for this opportunity.
Applicants who are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from a public transaction by a federal department or agency, or whose legal authorizations to undertake operations on park lands or to use and occupy park lands and facilities have been revoked, suspended, or terminated, or whose obligations for payments have been deemed delinquent and have been deferred to the United States Treasury, are not eligible for consideration.
APPENDIX A: Sirna Studio Property Details
The Sirna Studio was designed by Mid-Twentieth Century Modern Architect Victor Civkin in 1960 and built by local builder/contractor Edward Whiting in 1961. It has retained its original design concept as a compact, Modern style cottage and art studio, and remains on its original site in a secluded natural setting. The studio also retains its original interior layout and the majority of its original materials such as the flagstone flooring. Civkin’s characteristic convex wall and visibly defined, white-painted window wall is intact and distinctly recognizable. Exterior alterations to the studio (e.g., change from vertical siding to shingles; introduction of a lean-to for storage on northwest elevation) do not detract from its feeling as a mid-twentieth century Modern efficiency cottage designed by Victor Civkin.
It is an approximately 746 sq. ft. Modern style cottage and art studio designed for seasonal occupancy; a one-story wood frame structure, compact with a trapezoidal footprint. The outdoor space is highlighted by a flagstone patio extending ~9 feet from the northeast facade, partially covered by an overhang. It is situated on a wooded lot of approximately 1-acre at the end of a private dirt road site.
Sirna Studio – Improvements
APPENDIX B: Ahearn House Property Details
The Ahearn House is an approximately 1,200 sq. ft. one-and-a-half story timber-framed ¾ Cape house set on a brick foundation, with a gable roof, and an exterior finished in clapboard (front) and shingles (sides). It features 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and is situated on a 3.1-acre landsite. The basically intact and unaltered three-quarter Cape central façade makes this structure a noteworthy example of the 19th century architectural techniques that were used to construct this type of house. The interior of the structure is largely unaltered and still represents the basic floor plan that the original 19th century design intended (e.g., central entrance, flanked by two rooms; kitchen in rear and bedrooms upstairs). The property also includes a detached seasonal one room timber-frame “cottage”, with an area of approximately 234 sq. ft. An additional shed section was added to the cottage in the 1950’s or 1960’s – of balloon frame construction, set on a concrete block foundation, and enclosed by a shed roof covered with wood shingles. The Ahearn property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The main house was constructed between 1817-1851, while the seasonal “cottage” is believed to have been a previous existing workshop.
Ahearn House – Exhibit 2 – Interior Lease Premises – Floor Plan
Ahearn House - Improvements
APPENDIX C: Jedidiah Higgins House Property Details
The Jedidiah Higgins House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and is representative of the 19th century version of a Cape Cod house architectural style which originated in the late 17th century and is still a prominent architectural style on Cape Cod today. It is an approximately 1,977 sq. ft. one-and-a-half story, single-family dwelling, located on 3 rural acres at 26 Higgins Hollow Road in Truro, Massachusetts. It is a typical 19th century “full Cape” house facing south with a central chimney and symmetrical placement of two windows on either side of a central front doorway. The building is of post and beam construction, set on brick footings with a circular cellar. The roof is covered with black asphalt shingles, is pitched and a modern shed dormer has been added to the rear. The southern exterior wall is covered with clapboards while the other sides are covered with shingles. At the house’s northeast corner is a one-story wood framed ell edition (ca 1950) with sash windows and a glazed, paneled door. The site also includes a one-room artist studio of modern construction.
Jedidiah Higgins House – Exhibit 2 – Interior Lease Premises – Floor Plan
Jedidiah Higgins House - Improvements
Joan Horgan
Christopher Schubel
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
NER NORTHEAST REGION(40000)
NER NORTHEAST REGION(40000)
200 CHESTNUT STREET 3RD FLOOR
PHILADELPHIA, PA, 19106
NAICS
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
PSC
LEASE/RENTAL OF FAMILY HOUSING FACILITIES