City of Iowa Ionwave #RFP27-100

Five Annual Fourth of July Fireworks Displays for the City of Iowa City

The City of Iowa City is seeking a fireworks contractor for five annual community Fourth of July displays. - Buyer: City of Iowa City, Purchasing office; procurement contact is Theresa Vanatter, Procurement Coordinator. - Procurement: Plan, furnish, and execute five approximately 30-minute displays, with an indicated budget of $35,000 per display. Hubbard Park is the staging and launch location; the audience viewing area is the University of Iowa Pentacrest Grounds. - Display requirements: Family-friendly show with a clear opening, main body, and finale; emphasize aerial shells, limit ground or low-level effects, and use shells no larger than four inches. Use a computerized electronic firing system and varied effects, colors, patterns, and sound. - Contractor responsibilities: Provide fireworks, labor, equipment, setup, permits, coordination, safety measures, staging-area security, and post-show debris and unexploded-shell checks and cleanup. At least two licensed operators are required. - Insurance and safety: Obtain required federal licenses and permits, coordinate with the Iowa City Fire Marshal, and provide $10 million in fireworks liability insurance naming the City, University of Iowa, State of Iowa, and related affiliates as insured. - OEMs and vendors: No fireworks manufacturers, OEMs, or prospective contractors are named in the opportunity. Potential competing display providers include Pyrotecnico, Zambelli Fireworks, Rozzi's Famous Fireworks, and Fireworks & Stage FX America. - Value estimate: The notice gives a $35,000 budget per display; across five displays, the implied total is approximately $175,000, subject to the solicitation's pricing terms.

Description

The City of Iowa City is seeking proposals from qualified, experienced vendors to plan, furnish, and execute a professional Fourth of July fireworks display. The work includes labor, materials, equipment, permits, insurance, safety measures, setup, coordination, and post-event cleanup for a 30-minute show at Hubbard Park in downtown Iowa City, with an approximately 9:45 p.m. start time. The solicitation describes a five-year contract covering events scheduled from 2027 through 2031 and specifies a $35,000 budget. Proposals must be submitted online through Ion Wave by October 30, 2026; the question deadline is October 22, 2026.

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