RFP NO. 27-16 DVLMT OF STATEWIDE HAWAIʻI AGRITOURISM STUDY

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (“HTA”) is seeking proposals from qualified firms or individuals to conduct and develop a Statewide Hawaiʻi Agritourism Study and Plan. The purpose of this solicitation is to develop a data-informed, policy-relevant, and implementation-oriented framework to support the responsible development of agritourism in Hawaiʻi. HTA does not seek to duplicate prior agritourism research or require a large-scale new primary research study. The Offeror shall build upon existing work, update or supplement prior findings where necessary, and translate the existing body of research into a concise, implementation-oriented statewide framework.

Agritourism has the potential to support local farmers, strengthen regional economies, diversify visitor experiences, increase direct farm-to-consumer connections, and advance destination management objectives. At the same time, agritourism must be planned and managed carefully to preserve Hawaiʻi’s agricultural and rural character, ensure appropriate usage of agricultural lands, protect natural and cultural resources, and address community concerns related to traffic, infrastructure, visitor impacts, and neighborhood compatibility.

The successful Offeror shall conduct a Statewide Hawaiʻi Agritourism Study and Plan under the supervision of, and in collaboration with HTA. The Offeror shall provide the following services:

1. Project Initiation, Work Plan, and Management

The Offeror shall participate in a project kickoff meeting with HTA and prepare a work plan that confirms the project objectives, methodology, schedule, deliverables, communication procedures, stakeholder engagement approach, working group approach, and review points.

2. Background Research, Literature Review, and Existing Conditions Summary

The Offeror shall review and synthesize existing agritourism-related studies, guidebooks, policy analyses, plans, data sources, and implementation resources relevant to Hawaiʻi. [...] The Offeror shall also prepare a concise review of State and County laws, ordinances, policies, and permitting frameworks relevant to agritourism, including differences among Counties that may affect farmer adoption, compliance, business planning, or visitor-facing product development.

3. Stakeholder Engagement and Working Group Facilitation

The Offeror shall support HTA in convening and facilitating a statewide agritourism working group to provide technical, policy, agricultural, industry, and community-informed input into the Study and Plan.

4. Hawaiʻi Agritourism Plan and Policy Recommendations

The Offeror shall prepare a Hawaiʻi Agritourism Plan that translates the Study findings, working group input, and policy review into a practical statewide implementation framework.

5. Final Presentations and Closeout Materials

The Offeror shall prepare final presentation materials suitable for HTA leadership, the HTA Board, State and County partners, working group participants, or other stakeholders as directed by HTA.

Deliverables

• Final project work plan and timeline
• Draft Hawaiʻi Agritourism Study
• Final Hawaiʻi Agritourism Study
• County-by-County policy and regulatory summary matrix
• Draft Hawaiʻi Agritourism Plan
• Final Hawaiʻi Agritourism Plan
• Policy recommendations matrix
• Fiscal year (FY) or phased implementation roadmap (at minimum, including FY2027-2030)
• Baseline metrics and data collection framework
• Final presentation deck
• Executive summary or policy brief

**Submission:** ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION TO THE STATE OF HAWAI‘I ePROCUREMENT SYSTEM (HIePRO) ONLY. Offers are due at **2:00 P.M. HST on November 6, 2026**.

All questions must be submitted through HIePRO. Notice of intent to offer is not required but is highly encouraged.

This is a Fixed-Price contract, inclusive of all taxes and expenses, for an amount not to exceed **$140,000.00 USD**, tax inclusive, and shall be funded with U.S. Economic Development Administration Funds (EDA).

Contract Term: This is a one-term contract. The term of the contract is for six (6) months, from November 2026 to May 2027.

Awards made through the HIePRO are subject to a mandatory .75% (.0075) transaction fee, not to exceed $5,000 for the total contract term.

The maximum single file size that HIePRO can accept is 100MB; multiple files may be uploaded. Items 1-8 are to be submitted as one PDF file of no more than fifty (50) pages titled *Offeror Name_Proposal Part 1*, and items 9-17 as one PDF file titled *Offeror Name_Proposal Part 2*.