EU Helicopter Flight Services

The Department of the Interior's Interior Business Center is soliciting proposals for Exclusive Use Helicopter Flight Services to support the National Park Service's South Florida Fire and Aviation Management Program across Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas National Parks, and Big Cypress National Preserve. The procurement requires a contractor to provide a fully operated and maintained Type 3 light helicopter with specific technical specifications including five passenger seats, turbine engine, 1,450-pound jettisonable payload capacity, crash-resistant fuel system, and specialized equipment for aviation missions. The helicopter will support critical operations including fire suppression, prescribed fire, fire monitoring, initial attack, personnel transport, aerial ignition, search and rescue, and project management activities. Proposals will be evaluated based on technical capability, organizational safety, past performance, and total evaluated price. The solicitation has undergone multiple amendments, with the final proposal submission deadline extended to October 1, 2025, at 2:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.

This opportunity is designated as a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 481211 (Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation) with a size standard of 1,500 employees. The contract is structured as a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity agreement with a period of performance from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030, and carries a maximum total contract value of $5,000,000. The helicopter services will be required for 120 calendar days annually during the peak season from January 15 to May 15 each year. The contractor must establish a designated base of operations at either Everglades National Park or Big Cypress National Preserve and provide qualified personnel including a pilot-in-command with relief pilot, mechanic with relief mechanic, and fuel service vehicle driver. Performance will take place across the four specified South Florida national park units, supporting the region's fire management and emergency response operations.