EU Type III Helicopter services in Eglin, Fl

The Department of the Interior's Interior Business Center is seeking a contractor to provide fully operated and maintained exclusive use Type III helicopter services in support of natural resource missions at Eglin, Florida. The scope of work includes fire suppression, fire monitoring, initial attack, prescribed fire and aerial ignition, law enforcement surveillance and reconnaissance, and administrative resource activities, with the contractor responsible for providing the aircraft, personnel, fuel servicing vehicle, fuel, and all associated equipment. Key contract requirements specify a light helicopter with five passenger seats, a non-jettisonable payload capacity of 1,200 pounds at specified temperature and altitude conditions, a turbine engine capable of 120 knots airspeed, and a crash-resistant fuel system, with target enhancements including a BLR FastFin or equivalent system, dual hydraulics, and utility folding aft cabin seats. Offerors will be evaluated based on technical capability, organizational safety, past performance, and price, with non-cost factors weighted more heavily than price in the selection process. The deadline for submitting written questions is November 5, 2025, with proposals due by November 10, 2025 at 1600 EST, and contract performance beginning January 1, 2026 and extending through December 31, 2030.

This solicitation is designated as a 100% small business set-aside with a NAICS code of 481211 (Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation) and a small business size standard of 1,500 employees. The contract is structured as an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) agreement with task orders, and no incumbent contractor is identified in the available documentation. The exclusive use period is limited to 150 days annually from January 2 through May 31, with the total estimated contract value to be determined through comprehensive evaluation of daily availability, flight hours, and additional pay items across the five-year period. Performance will take place at Eglin, Florida, with the point of contact for solicitation information being Andrew Cary at the Interior Business Center, Acquisition Services Directorate in Herndon, Virginia. An amendment to the original solicitation was posted on October 29, 2025, revising sections A1, B6.6, E-2, and E-3, and offerors are required to acknowledge receipt of this amendment to avoid potential rejection of their offers.