Mississippi Lowlands East District Aerial Drone Herbicide Qualified Vendor List

The Missouri Department of Conservation issued an Invitation for Bid for aerial drone herbicide application services in the Mississippi Lowlands East District, with responses due by February 9, 2026, at 2:00 PM Central Time. The solicitation seeks qualified vendors to provide herbicide application across multiple Conservation Areas, including Black Island in Pemiscot County, Ten Mile Pond in Mississippi County, and Little River in Dunklin/Pemiscot Counties, with potential expansion to additional conservation areas in Scott, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, and Dunklin Counties. The estimated scope encompasses approximately 1,000 acres of drone herbicide application services, with all costs for equipment, materials, labor, and mapping included in the quoted price per acre. Qualified vendors must maintain a Missouri Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator License, comply with all federal and state environmental regulations, maintain liability insurance of at least $2,000,000 per occurrence with the Department listed as additional insured, and be registered with the Missouri Secretary of State and in tax compliance with the Missouri Department of Revenue. The Department anticipates awarding contracts to three vendors—a primary awardee and two secondary vendors who will be contacted only if the primary vendor cannot fulfill service requests within three business days—with pricing evaluated based on lowest responsive bid, with cost evaluation points awarded against a maximum of 200 points. The original contract period is one year from the date of award, with firm and fixed pricing required for the original contract period and any renewal periods. No pre-bid conference or facility tour is being conducted for this solicitation.

The procurement includes bonus point incentives for Organization for the Blind/Sheltered Workshop participation (5-15 points) and Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise participation (3 points), with a 10 percent Buy American preference applied if products are manufactured or produced in the United States. No specific incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. No explicit budget range or award value is stated in the solicitation; however, the evaluation methodology indicates pricing will be the primary determining factor, with the awarded vendor receiving payment on a net 45-day basis following invoice acceptance. The contract structure supports multiple vendor awards to ensure service continuity, with secondary vendors serving as backup resources to maintain operational efficiency across the specified conservation areas.