SOLICITATION LIST OF RESPONDENTS.docx

This is a Solicitation List of Respondents document issued by the State of Nebraska, Department of Administrative Services (DAS), Materiel Division, and State Purchasing Bureau (SPB), for Solicitation Number 123501 O5. The solicitation seeks one (1) Exclusive Use (EU) Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) equipped with pilot(s), a service truck/trailer, and a driver to support the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for wildfire suppression operations. The aircraft must be a turbine-powered SEAT currently listed on the US Department of Interior On-Call SEAT Source List, with pilots certified at Level I or Level II by the Bureau of Land Management, United States Forestry Service, or Office of Aviation Services. The contract requires a minimum of sixty (60) days of annual SEAT availability at bases in Chadron, Alliance, Scottsbluff, and Valentine, Nebraska. Electronic solicitation responses were due on December 18, 2025, at 2:00 PM Central Time, with an anticipated vendor start date of June 4, 2026. The initial contract term is two years with options to renew for three additional one-year periods. Four responsive bids were received from Aeronautical Technologies, Inc., Aero S.E.A.T. Inc., New Frontier Aviation, Inc., and G.B. Aerial Applications, Inc.

The evaluation criteria allocate 30 points for Corporate Overview, 50 points for Technical Response, and 20 points for Cost. Pricing includes compensation for flight hours (limited to 8 hours per day), standby costs, support truck mileage, relief crew management, mobilization and demobilization expenses, and per diem rates based on current federal government regulations. The state will provide fire retardant material, and the contract is subject to funding availability. No incumbent vendors are identified, and the solicitation does not specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. The contract includes detailed accountability measures such as daily reporting requirements and hour meter tracking.