The Opportunity Board — Week of March 27, 2026
Big week. We’ve got 6 concession opportunities across Missouri, California, New York, Hawaii, and Florida — covering everything from canoe and tube rentals on a national scenic river to guided trail rides in the Sierra Nevada. The headline grab is a 10-year kayak tour contract at Channel Islands National Park with projected first-year revenue north of $3 million. We also expanded the board this week to include land-based outdoor activities like guided trail rides and outfitting permits. Deadlines range from next week to late June — scroll down and bookmark anything that fits.
🏕️ Concession & Permit Bids
National Park Service / Ozark National Scenic Riverways — Missouri
Type: Solicitation (Published March 27, 2026)
What: The NPS is looking for an operator to provide canoe and tube rental with shuttle services, plus a camp store with retail merchandise and firewood sales along the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. This is a full outfitter operation on a federally protected scenic river.
Deadline: June 26, 2026
Great for: Paddle sport operators ready to run a full-service river outfitter concession in the Midwest
→ Apply here: SAM.gov — Notice ID: CC-OZAR012-27
National Park Service / Channel Islands National Park — California
Type: Solicitation
What: The NPS wants a concessioner to run guided kayak tours, snorkel equipment rentals, and limited retail on Santa Cruz Island at Channel Islands National Park. This is a 10-year contract with projected Year 1 revenue between $3M and $3.35M. Contract starts March 1, 2027. Questions due by April 10, 2026.
Deadline: June 25, 2026
Great for: Experienced kayak tour operators ready for a flagship national park contract on the California coast
→ Apply here: SAM.gov — Notice ID: CHIS004-27
National Park Service / Sequoia & Kings Canyon — California
Type: Solicitation (Amendment 2)
What: NPS is looking for someone to run the Grant Grove Stables and Cedar Grove Pack Station — offering guided trail rides, pack trips, and related outdoor recreation services. 10-year contract starting January 2027. This one’s for the land-based operators.
Deadline: April 9, 2026
Great for: Guided tour operators interested in equestrian and backcountry experiences in the Sierra Nevada
→ Apply here: SAM.gov — Notice ID: SEKI001-27
Suffolk County Department of Parks — New York
Type: Permit / Bid
What: Suffolk County has multiple park locations on Long Island available for mobile kayak, canoe, and paddleboard concession operators — including Cedar Beach (Southold), Smith Point Marina (Shirley), Lake Ronkonkoma, Indian Island (Riverhead), Green’s Creek (West Sayville), Southaven County Park, and Timber Point (Great River).
Deadline: Rolling — contact for current availability
Great for: Operators in the Northeast looking to launch or expand paddlecraft rentals on Long Island
→ Apply here: Suffolk County Parks — Kayak/Paddleboard Mobile Concession Bid
Contact: Cara Petri — [email protected] / 631-854-4918
Hawaii Division of State Parks — Kauai, Oahu, Big Island
Type: Commercial Rental Vessel Special Use Permit
What: As of February 10, 2026, all commercial kayak operators at Wailua River State Park (Kauai), Ahupuaʻa O Kahana State Park (Oahu), and Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park (Big Island) must hold a Rental Vessel Special Use Permit. Each vessel needs a registered decal. If you’ve been thinking about running kayak tours in Hawaii, the door is open.
Deadline: Rolling — applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Great for: Kayak tour operators looking to expand into Hawaii’s premier paddling destinations
→ Apply here: Hawaii DLNR — State Parks Permit Information
Florida State Parks — Statewide
Type: Call for Business Plans (ongoing program)
What: The Florida Park Service regularly posts calls for business plans seeking concession operators for recreation equipment rental, tours, food and beverage, and merchandise across 90+ state parks. Current or recent calls have included St. Andrews State Park (Panama City Beach) and Florida Caverns State Park. New calls are posted regularly.
Deadline: Varies by park — check link below for current open calls
Great for: Any operator interested in the Florida market — from springs kayaking to beach paddleboard rentals
→ Apply here: Florida State Parks — Call for Business Plans
Contact: [email protected]
📡 On the Radar
These aren’t open bids right now, but they’re worth watching if you’re planning ahead.
BLM Lands / EXPLORE Act Update — As of February 2, 2026, the BLM rolled out a new streamlined Special Recreation Permit (SRP) process under the EXPLORE Act. If you’re a hiking guide, hunting outfitter, or run guided tours on BLM land, this reduces administrative barriers and standardizes permit categories. Applications go through the BLM RAPTOR system.
US Forest Service Outfitting & Guiding Permits — Most national forests have an annual open application season (typically January 1 – March 31) for new outfitting and guiding special use permits. The 2026 window is closing soon. The Chugach National Forest (Alaska) just wrapped its application cycle on March 6.
NYC Parks — About 400 concessions including bike rentals, kayaks, and marinas. No current outdoor recreation RFPs, but seasonal postings typically drop in winter/spring.
California State Parks — Future watercraft concessions at Donner Memorial SP and Kings Beach SRA are expected. Watch parks.ca.gov.
🎓 Certifications & Training
ACA Level 3/4 Whitewater Kayak Instructor Course — American Canoe Association
Where: St. Francis River, MO
When: April 8–12, 2026
Cost: $650
Why it matters: ACA instructor credentials are the industry standard for kayak tour operators. Level 3/4 covers the skills needed to lead whitewater and river trips — and many concession contracts require certified instructors on staff.
→ Register here: Missouri Whitewater Association
ACA SUP Instructor Certification — Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center
Where: Trout Creek Reservoir, Cottonwood Lake, CO
When: May 11–12, 2026
Cost: $350
Why it matters: SUP rentals are one of the fastest-growing revenue lines for outdoor operators. This cert lets you train and certify your own guides — and it looks great on a concession proposal.
→ Register here: RMOC
NOLS Wilderness First Aid
Where: Sausalito, CA
When: April 4, 2026
Cost: $420
Why it matters: WFA is the baseline safety certification every outdoor guide should carry. Required by most insurers and federal land managers — if you’re applying for any of the NPS contracts above, make sure your team is current.
→ Register here: NOLS WFA — Sausalito, April 2026
Know about an opportunity that’s not on here? Send it our way — we’ll add it to next week’s board.
