Florida Forest Service Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service, is requesting proposals via Invitation to Negotiate for the design, fabrication, demonstration, and deployment of two Electronic Vertical Takeoff and Landing fixed-wing Unmanned Aircraft Systems for wildland firefighting operations, with sealed replies due October 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

Vendor responses must comply with Florida Rule 60GG-2.0075 (UAS Minimum Security Requirements), which prohibits equipment from manufacturers domiciled in or controlled by Foreign Countries of Concern, requires FIPS 140-2 compliant encryption, imposes Critical Components sourcing restrictions, and limits data storage to the continental United States. If cloud components are used, vendors must also comply with Florida Administrative Code Rule 60GG-4.

The mandatory technical specifications require minimum flight time of 2.5 hours, minimum range of 20 miles, dual payload compatibility (minimum EO/IR cameras), future payload compatibility for LiDAR and multispectral sensors, Sense-and-Avoid/Detect-and-Avoid architecture, secure video livestreaming, onboard downlink capabilities, multi-GCS support, and AI-assisted data collection. Deliverables include training (minimum five 8-hour daytime and two 5-hour nighttime sessions for eight FFS-selected pilots), preventative maintenance plans with two spare parts kits and one spare power source per unit, 12-month manufacturer-defect warranty, and software support and updates. Respondents must submit itemized pricing for aircraft, payloads, ground systems, software licenses and subscriptions, training, maintenance and support, and spare parts, with milestone-based payment terms (delivery, successful demonstration, training completion, security attestation acceptance) and multiyear pricing proposals.

The initial contract term is three years with potential three additional one-year renewal options contingent on satisfactory performance and available funding. Vendor demonstrations and negotiations are anticipated November 2–6, 2026, with award recommendation November 9, 2026. Vendors must provide annual SOC 2 Type II audit reports (or equivalent ISO 27001 or ISAE 3000 certification) and complete information security control attestations demonstrating no-offshoring compliance. The Department reserves the right to make a single award or no award; budget is contingent on legislative appropriation each fiscal year.