Fixed-Wing Aviation for Florida Panther Program

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is seeking competitive pricing for fixed-wing aviation services to support its Florida Panther Program. The contract will involve the use of Cessna 172 or Cessna 182 aircraft with qualified pilots to conduct 2-3 flights per week for the collection of natural resource inventory and monitoring data. The services are required to be based at either the Naples Municipal Airport or Marco Island Airport in Collier County, Florida. The initial contract period is from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, with the option to renew annually for up to three additional years. Bidders must be registered in the MyFloridaMarketPlace system and with the Florida Division of Corporations (SunBiz) prior to the bid opening. Pricing is requested for the initial term as well as each potential renewal year, and any bid submitted that is 50% over the estimated $200,000 budget will be considered non-responsive.

The Commission encourages participation from certified minority-owned, woman-owned, and service-disabled veteran business enterprises. There is no incumbent vendor or existing contractor identified, and the Commission is looking to integrate the selected vendor's aircraft and pilots into the existing Florida Panther Program infrastructure. The procurement process includes a solicitation deadline of June 13, 2023, and interested parties can access the full Invitation to Bid (ITB) document by clicking the link on the Florida Vendor Information Portal website.