NIGP 92503: Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering

NIGP 92503 Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering, Item, reflects state and local demand for architect-engineer design, planning, and project administration services across airport infrastructure, terminal expansions, runway improvements, airfield systems, and specialized facilities testing—work typically procured through RFQs establishing three-year task-order contracts on a Qualified Vendor List basis with no guaranteed minimum volume. The County of Orange, California dominates recent activity, issuing multiple concurrent QVL RFQs for structural engineering, contract administration, cost estimating, MEP design support, flood control engineering, geotechnical testing, land surveying, materials testing, power generation, and CIP project management, all structured as time-and-materials with hourly classification rates and no price escalation permitted during the contract term. Beyond Orange County, state and local airport authorities in California, Georgia, New Mexico, Maryland, and Texas have posted RFQs for comprehensive A/E services spanning master planning, environmental assessment, design development, construction administration, and terminal or runway projects; John Wayne Airport (Orange County) separately solicits airport materials testing, planning and programming, and related services on short-notice assignment basis with federal FAA grant funding.

Representative recent opportunities include the County of Orange Public Works Department RFQ for Architect-Engineer Structural Engineering Services (RFQ 0803128202DBA, responses due December 4, 2026), establishing a QVL for on-call structural design and construction services across County and Orange County Flood Control District capital projects; the City of Santa Fe RFP for A/E Services for Santa Fe Regional Airport Terminal Expansion (RFP FY26RFP035, responses due December 17, 2025), seeking a principal consultant for terminal expansion encompassing new gates, parking, baggage systems, and passenger facilities under FAA grant funding; and the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County RFQ for Architectural and Engineering Services at Athens-Ben Epps Airport (RFQ #27008, responses due October 5, 2026), a five-year master agreement anticipated to support approximately $60.8 million in projects spanning 2027–2031 with 8.94% DBE utilization goals on federally funded work exceeding $250,000. Georgia airports (Waycross-Ware County, Thomson-McDuffie County) and Texas state technical colleges are actively procuring aviation-focused engineering and planning services under FAA Advisory Circular 150/5100-14D or 14E frameworks, with mandatory pre-qualification requirements and task-order-based delivery. The geographic spread spans Southern California (Orange County dominant), the Southeast (Georgia multiple jurisdictions), Southwest (Texas, New Mexico), and Mid-Atlantic (Maryland), with the heaviest concentration in Orange County, California and airport authorities in Georgia.