Autopilot & Avionics System Upgrade (N3KY)

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases, on behalf of the Capital City Airport Division, issued a Request for Bid (RFB) solicitation for a one-time autopilot and avionics system upgrade for a Bell 206L-3 helicopter designated N3KY. The scope of work encompasses removal of the existing autopilot system and installation of a Garmin GI 275 attitude indicator with synthetic vision, a Genesys HeliSAS Bell 206L3 two-axis autopilot system, a Garmin GTN 650H GPS/WAAS/COM/NAV/GS system, a Comant COM antenna, and related avionics components, along with FAA documentation, aircraft reweighing, weight and balance updates, and compass swing calibration. A mandatory site visit was held on May 13, 2022 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time at 84 Airport Road, Frankfort, Kentucky to allow vendors to view the aircraft. The solicitation closed on May 24, 2022 at 1:30 PM Eastern Time, with a tentative award date of June 3, 2022, and successful completion must occur within four weeks of receiving the helicopter, with one percent daily penalties assessed for each day exceeding the contracted completion date. Award evaluation is based on best value scoring with price valued at 100 points, with the lowest-cost bidder receiving maximum points. Vendors must meet four mandatory pass/fail requirements: facility location within 200 nautical miles by direct air or 300 miles by automobile from Capital City Airport; Garmin and Federal Aviation Administration approval for repair and installation of avionics; documented experience with more than ten Genesys HeliSAS autopilot systems or equivalent; and provision of references from state or government agencies supported within the prior six years.

The solicitation imposes no specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting organizational types from responding, though Kentucky resident bidder preferences are applied reciprocally against nonresident bidders from states providing similar preferences. The successful bidder must maintain comprehensive aviation insurance including $10,000,000 bodily injury and property damage liability limits, $2,000,000 to $10,000,000 hangarkeepers liability coverage, $10,000,000 premises liability, and $10,000,000 products and completed operations liability, with the Commonwealth named as additional insured. No incumbent vendor or current contractor is identified in the solicitation documents. Vendors were required to submit bids exclusively through the Kentucky eProcurement system, and all responses must include an executed Annual Affidavit affirming compliance with Kentucky campaign finance laws, lobbying disclosure requirements, sales and use tax registration, state tax compliance, and other statutory requirements. The solicitation documents do not specify an estimated award value or budget range for this procurement.