South Dakota 2025 Bighorn Sheep Captures

The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks is seeking a qualified vendor to provide aerial wildlife helicopter capture services for bighorn sheep in the Black Hills and Badlands regions through Request for Proposal #25RFP12263. The primary objectives include capturing approximately 110 bighorn sheep using helicopter-based methods such as dart or net guns, equipping them with GPS radio collars, collecting nasal swabs, assessing body conditions, and documenting capture locations. The contract will span four months from January 1 to April 30, 2025, with a preferred start in February contingent on snow cover conditions. Proposal submissions are due by January 3, 2025, at 5:00 PM CST, with potential proposal revisions accepted until January 10, 2025, and an anticipated award date of January 17, 2025. Offerors must demonstrate extensive wildlife capture experience, specifically a minimum of 1,000 flight hours, and provide itemized costs for helicopter capture services per sheep, helicopter ferry charges, fuel service vehicle costs, and total crew expenses. Proposal evaluation will likely focus on technical expertise, operational capabilities, and comprehensive cost structures.

The solicitation does not explicitly mention set-aside designations or restrictions for specific types of organizations, such as disadvantaged enterprises. Vendors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including commercial general liability, professional liability, business automobile liability, and worker's compensation insurance, each with a minimum coverage of $1,000,000. The total contract value is not to exceed $275,000, with the State providing supplementary resources including GPS radio collars, chemical immobilization drug kits, swab sample kits, and study area boundaries. The State will also secure necessary landowner permissions. Potential offerors can submit inquiries via email to Andrew Norton at andrew.norton@state.sd.us, with all communications and responses to be posted on the state's e-procurement system. No specific information is provided about incumbent vendors or existing technology integration requirements.