South Denali Market Analysis

The Alaska Industrial Development & Export Authority (AIDEA) issued an Informal Request for Proposals (IRFP No. 20052) to conduct a comprehensive market‑analysis for a potential year‑round South Denali Visitor Complex (SDVC) on Alaska State Parks land. The scope required stakeholder meetings, industry interviews, comparative interpretive‑center reviews, visitor‑traffic projections, business‑model analyses (public vs. public‑private partnership), and revenue‑potential assessments, culminating in a draft and final report with an oral presentation. The contract was awarded to McDowell Group, Inc., with a fixed‑price budget estimate of $20‑$40 K, a start date of 9 Mar 2020, and a scheduled end date of 1 Jun 2020, subject to month‑to‑month extensions. • Deliverables include stakeholder meeting summaries, industry interview findings, interpretive‑center case studies, visitor‑projection models, business‑structure analyses, and revenue‑potential reports. • Timeline is tight: proposal due 26 Feb 2020, work commencing 9 Mar 2020, final report due 18 May 2020. • Contractor must handle all travel logistics, provide necessary insurance, and meet experience thresholds (5 years in Alaska tourism visitation estimation, 5 years in business‑plan writing, 3 years in P3 agreements).