Airborne lidar and spectrometer survey and reporting services - IFB 10211395

The California Department of Water Resources has issued Invitation for Bid (IFB) #10211395 for airborne lidar and spectrometer survey and reporting services supporting the Aerial Remote Sensing of Snow (ARSS) program. The procurement seeks a contractor to conduct airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) and visible through shortwave infrared imaging spectrometer measurements across 11 active watersheds in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade regions, including Feather River, Yuba River, American River, and others. Key deliverables include snow depth, snow water equivalent, and snow albedo maps; survey reports; iSnobal snow state reports; WRF-Hydro forecasting summaries; field measurements; and approximately 80 hours of annual WRF-Hydro training. The contractor must possess a specific NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology license (NTR 51035) for the Airborne Snow Observatory Snow Depth and Snow Water Equivalent Algorithm Suite. Technical questions are due by December 22, 2025 at 1:30 p.m., with answers provided by December 24, 2025, and sealed bids are due January 5, 2026 at 1:30 p.m., with a public bid opening via Microsoft Teams at 2:00 p.m. the same day. The evaluation process will use a lowest responsible bid methodology.

The solicitation includes several small business and disadvantaged business enterprise preferences, with a Small Business (SB) preference of 5 percent calculation preference for certified SB firms and a non-small business (NSB) preference of 5 percent when subcontracting 25 percent to certified SB firms. An optional Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation incentive ranging from 1.0 to 5.0 percent is available. Bidders claiming these preferences must include applicable certifications from the Department of General Services. While no specific funding amount is listed, the contract will cover five water years (2026-2030), with pricing to be submitted on a detailed Bid Sheet covering aircraft mobilization/demobilization, survey flying, processing, data storage, iSnobal modeling, WRF-Hydro forecasting, field measurements, training, and administration. The contractor will be required to maintain Aircraft Liability insurance of at least $5,000,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 per passenger seat, with the Department of Water Resources listed as an additional insured. Invoices will be paid within 45 days of receipt by the DWR Accounting Office.