Award
Utah Department of Agriculture and Food AS23-76
Turbine Powered Helicopter Services For Aerial Predator Hunting
Recipient
Wasatch Helicopter LLC, Vertical Limit Aviation LLC, Helicopter Roundup Services LLC, Up Helicopters LLC, Heli-1 Corporation, Guidance Air
Awarded
February 24, 2023
Identifier
AS23-76
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to procure turbine powered helicopter services for aerial predator hunting. The evaluation process involved assessing proposals from seven vendors: Wasatch Helicopter LLC, Vertical Limit Aviation LLC, Helicopter Roundup Services LLC, Up Helicopters LLC, Heli-1 Corporation, Guidance Air, and Vendor G. The evaluation criteria included pilot qualifications, safety history, experience with similar low-level flying services, and safety program implementation. Cost proposals were also considered, with awards made to vendors scoring at least 70% of the total points, which is 700 out of 1000. The contract duration is five years, with approximately 350-400 hours of helicopter work anticipated annually on an on-call basis. The awarded services must comply with USDA/APHIS/WS Aviation Operations & Safety Manual and FARs, with mandatory pilot qualifications including FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with rotorcraft-helicopter rating, specific flight hours, and background checks. The procurement was managed by the Utah Division of Purchasing and the Department of Agriculture and Food, with no specific OEMs or helicopter manufacturers mentioned. The contract involves providing helicopter services to supplement USDA and UDAF operations when their aircraft are unavailable, with operations conducted in Utah terrain, including mountainous and unimproved helipads.
Description
The Department of Agriculture and Food seeks to contract with qualified helicopter companies to fly missions for aerial predator hunting. Multiple contract awards will be made to vendors scoring at least 700 out of 1000 total points (technical + cost). Awarded vendors include Wasatch Helicopter LLC, Vertical Limit Aviation LLC, Helicopter Roundup Services LLC, Up Helicopters LLC, Heli-1 Corporation, and Guidance Air. The contract term is five years with approximately 350-400 hours of helicopter work anticipated per year on an on-call basis. Cost proposals and technical evaluations determined the awards.