REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) Wildfire Aviation Contracting: Industry Input on Contract Structure Improvements

The U.S. Forest Service has issued a Request for Information (RFI) regarding potential improvements to wildfire aviation services contracting structures. Posted on February 4, 2026, this Special Notice seeks input from aerial firefighting industry stakeholders on how the government can enhance its contracting approaches for wildfire suppression aviation services. The RFI follows a collaborative industry workshop held January 21-22, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona, where government and industry representatives discussed potential solutions addressing key challenges in the sector. This is a non-binding solicitation that does not commit the government to issue contracts, pay for responses, or pursue any specific actions based on industry feedback. Responses will inform future solicitations and contract modifications but carry no guarantee of implementation.

The RFI seeks detailed industry input across five primary topic areas: evaluation methodology alternatives to Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) approaches; Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) clause structures and cost methodologies; extended base period contracts ranging from 2-3 years instead of the current 1-year base plus 4 option years; alignment between U.S. Forest Service and Department of Interior contracting terms; and small business set-aside impacts on industry stability. Contractors are required to submit responses via Microsoft Forms by March 6, 2026, at 5:00 PM Mountain Time, providing company information, specific cost data where requested, and examples or case studies addressing the five topic areas. All aerial firefighting contractors are eligible to participate; there are no set-asides or specific eligibility restrictions limiting who may respond. The Forest Service has announced a follow-on full-day workshop planned for Spring 2026 in Boise, Idaho, available both in-person and virtually, where the agency will present RFI analysis results and discuss potential contract modifications for fiscal year 2026 implementation and pilot program frameworks.