Emergency Air Transportation Services

The Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking a fixed-price, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for emergency air transportation services to support the National Veterinary Stockpile (NVS) during animal disease health outbreaks. The solicitation requires a contractor capable of providing 24/7 aircraft availability, one-hour customer service response time, and the ability to transport diverse cargo including diagnostics, biologics, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, equipment, and personnel. Vendors must provide pricing for all line items, even those they may not currently offer, and those planning to subcontract air transportation must submit a letter of intent with an FAA Part 135-certified carrier. The solicitation (ID: 12639525Q0086) was posted on March 18, 2025, with proposal responses due by May 12, 2025. Evaluation criteria will likely focus on technical capabilities, transportation readiness, subcontracting plans, and comprehensive emergency response capacity.

The contract is set aside exclusively for small businesses and is categorized under NAICS 492110 (Couriers and Express Delivery Services) with a Product Service Code of V111 (Air Freight Transportation). The contract will have one base year and four optional ordering periods, with a five-year total potential duration. Contractors must maintain at least 20% of work using their own assets and provide capabilities for point-to-point expedited transportation with real-time tracking and geo-location data. The place of performance is located in Riverdale, Maryland (20737), with potential nationwide and potentially international deployment capabilities. While the maximum contract value was not disclosed, the contract is designed to provide flexible emergency logistics support for animal disease outbreak scenarios, with compensation structured around block hours or actual flight hours measured to the nearest 1/10-hour.