Autel Brand Drones, Associated Accessories, and Air Data for Nebraska State Patrol Drone Program

The State of Nebraska, Department of Administrative Services (DAS), Materiel Division, State Purchasing Bureau (SPB) issued Invitation to Bid (ITB) Number 6866 OF for a one-time purchase contract to procure Autel Brand Drones and associated accessories for the Nebraska State Patrol Drone Program. The procurement specifically seeks 5 Autel EVO MAX 4T Bundles, 1 Autel EVO MAX 4N Bundle, 6 EVO MAX Multi Chargers, 18 EVO MAX Batteries, 6 Autel Robotics EVO drones, 3 EVO II Dual 640 T Enterprise Bundles V3, and 32 Autel EVO Enterprise Drones V3. The ITB also requires 6 AirData UAV Enterprise Fleet Management Software licenses to support drone operations. Bid responses were due on March 14, 2024, at 2:00 PM Central Time, with evaluation criteria including quality, delivery time, contractor qualifications, and pricing. The State reserves the right to contract for similar goods from other sources and will not consider the contract exclusive. The procurement includes a trade-in component involving 3 Autel 640T drones, 30 Autel EVO II drones, and 2 Autel EVO II Enterprise drones.

The solicitation allows preference to Nebraska contractors, resident disabled veterans, and businesses located in designated enterprise zones, in accordance with Nebraska Revised Statute 73-107. Multiple vendors submitted bids, including Adorama Inc., Alynix LLC (BAAM Tech), Carpio Media LLC, HTS Ag, and Influential Drones. The awarded bid tab indicates total contract values ranging from $130,414.73 to $164,705.00, depending on the selected vendor. Additional contract benefits include one year of after-hours phone support, a 20% discount on training for one year, and in-person setup and delivery. The State intends to award the contract to HTS Ag, with the potential to use this ITB to procure goods for up to eighteen months from the Intent to Award posting date if the original awarded contractor cannot fulfill the order. The procurement supports the Nebraska State Patrol's ongoing drone program operational requirements.