LiDAR Data Acquisition

Cook County, Illinois is soliciting proposals through Request for Proposals (RFP) 2610-01230 for comprehensive LiDAR Data Acquisition services covering approximately 1,322 square miles including Cook County and a 1.75-mile buffer, with particular emphasis on Chicago's Central Business District and extended lakefront areas. The procurement seeks qualified consultants to provide Light Detection and Ranging System data capture and processing services for calendar year 2027, including GPS survey control, point collection and classification, Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derivation, intensity images, LAS tiles and datasets, vectorized elevation contours, hydro breaklines, and FGDC-compliant metadata. All deliverables must meet USGS QL1 standards with a minimum point density of 20 points per square meter and comply with Illinois State Plane Eastern Zone (NAD83 NSRS2007) coordinates in U.S. survey feet with NAVD88 elevation datum. LiDAR data capture must occur during spring 2027 under leaf-off conditions with flights completed no later than May 1, 2027. The County intends to award one contract with an expected one-year initial term and one one-year renewal option. Key deadlines include a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting on April 2, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. via Teams; submission of questions by April 6, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.; and proposal submissions through the Bonfire Vendor Portal by April 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Evaluation criteria include experience and qualifications (25 points), approach to scope of work (20 points), ability to complete on schedule (15 points), project team strength (10 points), financial stability (10 points), response characteristics (5 points), MBE/WBE participation level and quality (5 points), and price evaluation (10 points). Proposers must demonstrate experience with large complex public sector projects, provide detailed technical approaches including quality assurance and control procedures, identify key personnel with relevant experience, and carry comprehensive insurance including $1,000,000 general liability, $5,000,000 excess/umbrella coverage, $2,000,000 technology professional liability, and $2,000,000 cyber liability.

Cook County has established a minimum Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) participation goal of 24 percent of overall estimated expenditures, requiring proposers to either demonstrate direct certification as an MBE/WBE firm, participate as part of a joint venture with MBE/WBE partners, or utilize MBE/WBE subcontractors and suppliers. Bidders unable to meet the 24 percent participation goal may petition for partial or full waivers with detailed documentation of good faith efforts to identify and engage qualified MBE/WBE firms. All labor must be performed in the United States, with data stored and processed only in the continental United States. Proposers must comply with Cook County's Professional Services Agreement, Information Technology and Data Special Conditions, economic disclosure statements, employee business and travel expense reimbursement policies, and submit completed Identification of Subcontractor/Supplier/Subconsultant Forms (ISF) and MBE/WBE Utilization Plan forms with their proposals. While no incumbent vendor or current contractor is identified in the solicitation, successful contractors must maintain current certification for any MBE/WBE firms from Cook County or reciprocal certification from the City of Chicago. No specific budget or award value is disclosed in the RFP documentation; pricing proposals must be submitted on an hourly rate basis for each service line item with expected hours and resulting annual costs for both the initial year and optional renewal year through the provided Pricing Proposal Form.