24AQP002 California Aircraft Temperature Soundings (Bakersfield)

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has issued Invitation for Bid (IFB) No. 24AQP002 for California Aircraft Temperature and Ozone Soundings in Bakersfield, a procurement targeting daily meteorological data collection at Meadows Field Airfield. The contract requires a contractor to conduct daily flights seven days a week (five days a week in March, April, and May), recording air temperature readings at 500-foot intervals from surface to 5,000 feet above ground and collecting ozone data to an altitude of 7,500 feet during specific months. Contractor qualifications include having pilots licensed for at least five years and rated for Instrument Flying Rules, with mandatory documentation of pilot qualifications and medical certifications. The contract term spans twenty-four months, from June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2027, with bids due by April 16, 2025 at 1:00 PM PST. Bidders must submit electronically with a maximum file size of 50 MB, using a specific naming convention, and perform measurements between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. PST, transmitting data to CARB by 11:00 a.m. PST.

The procurement is funded through the State's Agricultural Burning Program and supports Smoke Management Guidelines by providing critical meteorological data. While no specific set-aside designations are mentioned, contractors must provide all necessary equipment, including temperature sensing instruments and ozone monitors, and comply with technical requirements. The project's budget is $119,000, with bids exceeding this amount potentially deemed non-responsive. The procurement is specific to Kern County and targets a precise scientific data collection need, requiring specialized aviation and meteorological expertise. No incumbent vendors are explicitly identified in the documentation, and the contract appears to be a new initiative for comprehensive atmospheric monitoring. Contractors will need to demonstrate technical capability, pilot qualifications, and precise data collection methodologies to be considered responsive to the solicitation.