Background The Minnesota Firefighters Museum (MNFM) is a non-profit history museum and meeting hall based in the Northeast neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our mission is to educate the public on fire safety, and both preserve and present the heroic stories of the Minnesota Fire Service. We are one of the largest fire museums in the nation, with a collection of several historical fire apparatuses, a variety of firefighting equipment and memorabilia, as well as historic photographs and archives. Project Overview MNFM is currently seeking a qualified interpretive and exhibit design team to manage the second phase of our planning and design initiative for a new permanent exhibit in our two main galleries. We expect our consultant(s) to work with our board and volunteer members, as well as a volunteer researcher, to create a Schematic Plan and Design Development Package for three (3) exhibit zones outlined in our 2024 Concept Design Plan. A member of the interpretive team will also be tasked with overseeing production of a research report by the volunteer researcher. Budget The museum plans to apply for a large Legacy and Cultural Heritage Grant to fund a projected project budget of $100,000 for this first phase of exhibit production. Scope of Work The selected consultant team will work with museum personnel and stake holders to build on the foundations laid out in the Concept Design Plan to develop a Schematic Design Plan. Schematic documents should include refined concept sketches and specifications on each exhibit component per exhibit zone. After determining individual exhibit components, as well as finalizing the display approach and style choices of the exhibits, the consultants will move forward with developing final design development documents. They will be expected to draft exhibit floorplans and elevations, as well as compose didactic/interpretive text and graphic designs for each exhibit component. Tasks include but may not be limited to: All production ready files created during this phase of the exhibit development process must meet professional standards and best practices for interpretive media as set by the National Association for Interpretation (NAI). At least one member of the consultant team must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards for History and be a Certified Interpretive Planner (CIP).

Desired Qualifications The ideal vendor:

Submission Information Submissions should be sent electronically to info@minnesotafiremuseum.org by the submission deadline of July 1st. Please include the project name, MN Firefighters' Museum Exhibit Planning and Design, in the subject line of the email. A submission must, at a minimum, include the following elements: If the grant funding for the project is awarded, the project will begin January 4th, 2027. The final exhibit production-ready documents must be completed by December 1st, 2027.