USDA FSA Aerial Photography Field Office

The Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency Aerial Photography Field Office is a civilian sub-agency that procures and contracts for aerial photography services, geospatial imagery, and related data products supporting agricultural mapping, crop monitoring, and farm management applications across the Department.

The Aerial Photography Field Office has issued 195 contract awards since 2006, with a combined award potential value of $209.8 million and $209.1 million obligated to date. Contract activity has declined sharply: the office awarded 25 contracts in 2017, 20 in 2018, 7 in 2019, 4 in 2020, and 2 in 2023. The most recent recorded award closed on 28 September 2023, now more than three years old. This trajectory suggests either a shift toward longer-term vehicle usage, consolidation into standing agreements, or reduced procurement volume.

The contract base comprises 58 distinct prime contractors, indicating a highly fragmented competitive landscape. Over the last five years, the top two awardees by count — Focus Camera LLC and H.L. Dalis, Inc. — each won a single award valued at $405 thousand and $262 thousand respectively. Recent contract volume is too sparse to characterize a dominant competitive position; the portfolio's historical breadth suggests the office works with many small, specialized vendors rather than a core set of repeat primes.

Eighty-three percent of awards carry no set-aside designation, reflecting open competition. Sixteen percent of awards are small-business set-asides, 1 percent are Competitive 8(a), and 1 percent are Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. The set-aside mix skews toward unrestricted awards and small-business access, consistent with the office's reliance on specialized aerial and geospatial contractors.

No recent contract opportunities are recorded against the Aerial Photography Field Office. No contract awards have closed since 2023, and no solicitations are currently published. The absence of active competitive action over the past three years suggests the office may be operating under existing task orders, blanket purchase agreements, or statements of work established under prior awards, or procurement activity has been consolidated or redirected within the Department's contracting structure. Firms seeking to pursue work at this office should verify current procurement status directly with the office or monitor GSA eBuy and SAM.gov for any emerging geospatial or imagery solicitations attributed to USDA.