Aviation Services for Wildlife Surveys for Northwest Region

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking competitive aviation services for wildlife surveys in the Northwest Region through an Invitation to Bid (ITB) numbered FWC 24/25-68. The procurement requires a helicopter and qualified pilots to conduct bald eagle and wading bird surveys across five specific wildlife management areas: Apalachicola River WEA, Box-R WMA, Joe Budd WMA, Aucilla WMA, and L. Kirk Edwards WEA. Bidders must provide turbine helicopters (specifically Bell Jet Rangers or equivalent) with a three-passenger minimum capacity, equipped with GPS, intercom systems, and removable doors. Key qualifications include pilots with a minimum of 1,000 hours as Pilot-In-Command, 500 hours in the specific helicopter category, and 100 hours in the specific helicopter make and model. The Commission estimates approximately 22 flight hours annually, with some surveys conducted triennially. The bid was advertised on March 27, 2024, with sealed bids due by April 16, 2024, at 4:00 PM ET, and the anticipated award date is April 22, 2024. Bidders must submit detailed documentation including pilot certifications, aircraft registration, airworthiness certificates, and experience documentation.

The solicitation does not explicitly outline specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Vendors must be registered in the MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) system and with SunBiz prior to bid opening. The contract term is three years with the option to renew for three additional years, and pricing will be submitted on a per-flight-hour basis. While specific budget ranges are not detailed in the provided documentation, the annual flight hour estimate suggests a moderate-scale contract. Interested vendors must download the bid documentation from the Florida Vendor Information Portal (VIP) website. No incumbent vendor information was provided in the procurement documents. The contract requires integration of the selected vendor's aviation resources with FWC's wildlife survey protocols, emphasizing precise technical and operational capabilities for conducting comprehensive wildlife surveys in the specified management areas.