Quote-FP-04-2526 Aerial Thermal Survey for White-Tailed Deer - Similar 1

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Illinois is seeking a qualified firm to conduct aerial thermal surveys for white-tailed deer using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) across four designated forest preserves: Big Rock Forest Preserve (1,646 acres, 3 units), Brunner & Fox River Shores Forest Preserve (1,028 acres, 2 units), Freeman Kame Forest Preserve (1,495 acres, 2 units), and Lone Grove Forest Preserve (436 acres, 1 unit). This Request for Quote (RFQ) procurement seeks comprehensive thermal imaging survey services to assess the relative abundance and distribution of white-tailed deer in areas where deer management activities have been conducted. The contractor must demonstrate FAA compliance, crew experience in conducting aerial thermal surveys for white-tailed deer, and employ a full-time Project Manager/Principal Field Investigator with expertise in planning and executing such surveys. Required deliverables include a description of field methods, maps displaying identified deer locations for each site, GIS shapefiles of observed deer locations, and example photos and video clips of thermal imagery. The District will award the contract to the lowest, most responsive and responsible overall bidder based on the evaluation criteria established in the solicitation. Key deadlines include a question deadline of October 21, 2025, by 2:00 PM CST, with addendum answers provided by October 23, 2025, and a quote submission deadline of October 31, 2025, at 4:00 PM CST via the Bonfire platform. Fieldwork must commence no earlier than January 1, 2026, and be completed by March 3, 2026, with a draft report due April 15, 2026, and the final report with all deliverables due by April 30, 2026.

The solicitation does not explicitly identify any set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types eligible to respond, minority or disadvantaged business participation requirements, or incumbent vendors currently serving this function. The District will provide a scientific research permit prior to fieldwork commencement, and the contractor must obtain all applicable FAA certifications and comply with the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, maintaining accurate wage records and posting current prevailing wage schedules at the contract site. Insurance requirements are substantial, including commercial general liability and umbrella coverage of $2,000,000 per occurrence, professional liability of $2,000,000 per wrongful act, business auto liability of $1,000,000 per accident, and workers' compensation as required by statute, with the Forest Preserve District named as an additional insured. The contractor must also provide a Letter of Credit or Performance Bond and Labor & Materials Payment Bond equal to 100 percent of the contract amount prior to beginning work. Payment is structured on a not-to-exceed basis, with the District paying 90 percent upon satisfactory completion of fieldwork and submission of a draft report, and the remaining 10 percent upon receipt of the final report; however, no specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the available solicitation documents. All project costs must include materials, equipment, travel, mileage, labor, and report production, with bidders required to indicate cost per site and any minimum project costs for sampling subsets of the four preserves.