DNR RFB Willow River Exclusive Helicopter REBID
Closed State & local contract opportunity Posted
- Solicitation number
- 2000016672
- State
- Minnesota
- Responses due
Opportunity facts
- Jurisdiction
- Point of contact
-
- Christine E Eck christine.eck@state.mn.us (218) 308-2661
Updated .
About this opportunity
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking a competitive bid for a helicopter fire control service contract for the Willow River area, specifically in Pennington County. The procurement involves renting a fully contractor-operated rotary wing aircraft, including a fuel truck, for fire management purposes during the 2025 spring fire season. The contract requires a guaranteed exclusive use period of at least forty-two (42) days, with an optional day-by-day use period available thereafter. Bidders must provide a helicopter with specific payload capacities: light helicopters requiring a minimum jettisonable payload of 925 pounds and non-jettisonable payload of 800 pounds with 4 passenger seats, and intermediate helicopters requiring 1,275 pounds jettisonable and 1,100 pounds non-jettisonable payload with 5 passenger seats. The evaluation criteria include compliance with specifications, lowest responsible vendor pricing, and meeting all contractual terms and conditions. Responses must be submitted electronically through the Swift Portal by February 12, 2025, with a site visit available by contacting Project Supervisor Rob Johnson at 218-322-2723. Bidders are required to complete and upload a Price Schedule in Excel or PDF format, with all costs including labor, materials, equipment, and taxes included in the unit price.
While the solicitation does not explicitly outline specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, it does reference a Workforce and Equal Pay Declaration Page that suggests potential workforce diversity considerations. The contract includes provisions for potential two-year renewals through 2027 if mutually agreed upon by October 15th each year. Pricing will be structured with daily availability rates for exclusive and optional use periods, with potential hourly flight rate adjustments based on fuel price fluctuations. The contract allows for per diem payments for crew at alternate bases and potential reimbursement of airport fees up to $125 per day. Though a specific budget range is not disclosed, the comprehensive requirements suggest a substantial contract value focused on providing critical fire control aviation services. Bidders must provide detailed aircraft information, including make, model, FAA "N" numbers, and pilot qualifications, which will be subject to review by the Wildfire Aviation Supervisor. The contract term runs through December 31, 2025, with potential extensions through 2027.
Opportunity text
2025-597 Willow River Exclusive Use Helicopter for Fire Control Rebid THE BID SPECIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN CHANGED to resolve discrepancies in exclusive use period dates. The Department of Natural Resources is seeking bids for labor, aircraft, operator, equipment, fuel, lubricants, materials, tools, transportation, incidentals, and all else necessary for rental of one rotary wing aircraft, including fuel truck, fully contractor operated and equipped, as per the attached specifications. Guaranteed Exclusive Use availability period is a minimum of forty-two (42) days during spring fire season. The Optional Use period is day by day with no guarantee. For a site visit, please contact the Project Supervisor, Rob Johnson, at 218-322-2723. All responses must be submitted electronically through the Swift Portal. No e-mail or faxed responses will be accepted. Contractors needing help with registration and/or completing their response to this Event may contact the Contractor Assistance Help Desk at 651-201-8100, Option 1. Failure to respond to latest event version may result in bid rejection. Please be aware that there are attachments to this event. The vendor is responsible for reviewing all attachments and complying with all requirements to this Event. DNR will be the determining factor if vendor meets specifications. All questions should be directed to the buyer listed in this event. Unit price must include all costs such as labor, materials, tools, transportation, equipment, sales tax, use tax and all else necessary for completion of the project. Direct Pay Permit 1114 does not apply to this project. Award--Item, Group, Total: Responses that do not comply with the solicitation will be considered nonresponsive and will be rejected. The award will be made to the lowest responsible vendor meeting the specifications and all terms and conditions. The State reserves the right to award items separately, by grouping items, or by total, whichever is deemed most advantageous to the State. A Price Schedule in Excel (.xlsx) is attached to the Comments and Attachments of the Event. You must 'download' and save the Excel® Price Schedule to your desktop before you can begin filling in your offer and complete the Price Schedule. You must 'upload/attach' the completed Price Schedule Failure to do so may result in bid rejection. You must enter a bid amount in the Your Unit Bid Price Field. Responses will only be accepted on the Price Schedule included with the Event. The completed Price Schedule should be uploaded in either a Microsoft Excel® 97-2003 Worksheet (.xls), or Microsoft Excel® 2010 Worksheet (.xlsx). The Price Schedule document may also be downloaded, completed and uploaded in a .pdf format. The State reserves the right to reject Price Schedules submitted in any other formats. Other Excel® file extensions that MAY be compatible are: .xlsm, .xlt, .xltm, and .xlw. Once you have completed and submitted your response, you will receive a system confirmation message that your response has been 'accepted'. Print and save the confirmation for your file. If you're having trouble submitting your response, call the Help Desk at 651-201-8100 - Option No. 1.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| DNR_RFB_Willow_River_Exclusive_Helicopter_REBID.pdf | ||
| 2025-597_PRICE_SCHEDULE.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| 2025-597_Specifications.pdf | ||
| Workforce_and_Equal_Pay_Declaration_Page.pdf |
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