Notice of Intent to Sole Source

The Department of the Interior's Interior Business Center has issued a Notice of Intent to Sole Source on behalf of the United States Park Police for the procurement of three helicopters. The notice, posted on January 29, 2026, indicates the government's intention to award a firm fixed price sole source contract to Bell Textron, Inc. The acquisition covers two Bell 412EPX helicopters and one Bell 407GXI helicopter to support park police operations. This notice falls under NAICS 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing) and PSC 1520 (Aircraft, Rotary Wing). The contracting officer for this procurement is Melanie Johnson, who can be reached at melanie_johnson@ibc.doi.gov.

The government has justified the sole source award by determining that Bell aircraft in these size classes are uniquely capable of meeting the United States Park Police's operational requirements, including hoist operations, medical evacuation, search and rescue, surveillance, law enforcement support, dignitary protection, and mass casualty operations. A key rationale for sole sourcing is standardization and operational efficiency, as the existing pilot cadre of seven personnel is trained and experienced exclusively with Bell platforms, eliminating the need for costly transition training. The notice employs Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 12 (Commercial Products and Services) procedures in conjunction with FAR Part 15 (Contracting by Negotiation). Interested sources must submit documentation of capabilities and qualifications by 3:00 P.M. PST on February 3, 2026, with no late submissions accepted. The government reserves discretionary authority to issue a competitive Request for Proposal based on responses received or to proceed directly with the sole source award to Bell Textron, Inc.