Aerial Videography Survey Services

The City of Waco, Texas, has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ No. 2025-056) for Aerial Videography Survey Services focused on documenting water quality concerns in the North Bosque River watershed, primarily covering Erath, Hamilton, and McLennan Counties. The procurement seeks experienced professional firms to conduct five total flyovers using drone, fixed-wing, or helicopter technologies: an initial survey flight followed by four quarterly flights. The first flight will cover approximately 30 locations, with subsequent flights surveying around 20 sites, using high-resolution aerial video and imagery with specific technical requirements, including giro-stabilized video capture and a minimum 6-inches per pixel resolution. Deliverables must be submitted in .jpg, .jp2, and MP4 file formats within 21 calendar days via USB drive or approved online service. The RFQ will result in a multi-award contract, allowing the City to select one or more vendors based on availability, pricing, and responsiveness. Proposals are due by 2:00 PM CT on August 21, 2025, with a bid opening at 2:05 PM, and the contract will have an initial one-year term with potential for four renewals.

The solicitation encourages participation from various business types, including potential minority and women-owned business enterprises, though specific set-aside designations are not explicitly detailed. Vendors must complete compliance forms, including minority/women-owned business certifications, conflict of interest questionnaires, and drug-free workplace certifications. Drone service providers must ensure FAA authorization for flight operations and be prepared to obtain necessary property access permissions, with the City providing contact information for site access. While specific budget ranges are not disclosed, the multi-award approach suggests flexibility in vendor selection and pricing negotiation. Vendors are required to provide a comprehensive "menu" of airframe and sensor combinations, with preferred pricing formats of hourly rates for helicopter/fixed-wing operations and per-location rates for drone services. The City will retain exclusive ownership and use rights of all collected imagery and data, and vendors must be prepared to accommodate up to three City employees during flights. Pricing details will be negotiated after initial vendor selection, with no pricing information to be included in the initial Statement of Qualifications.