Freefly Astro Max (NDAA/Blue) Drones for ARS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has issued Request for Quote (RFQ) solicitation number 123A9426Q0048 to acquire brand name Freefly Astro Max (NDAA/Blue) drones and associated components. This acquisition supports the Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory (SEWRL) in Tifton, Georgia, which requires National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliant Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) to capture remote sensing imagery for agricultural research plots and fields. This is a small business set-aside solicitation under NAICS code 336411, with a size standard of 1,500 employees. The procurement will result in a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) purchase order. The required items include two Astro Max drones, compact travel cases, spare propellers, LR1 payloads, spare parts kits, RTK GPS ground stations, twelve SL8-Air batteries, and eight fast chargers. To be considered responsive, offerors must submit pricing for all line items, confirm products are new from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or an approved source, and provide company contact details, Unique Entity ID (UEI), and country of origin. Evaluation will be conducted on a lowest-price technically acceptable (LPTA) basis. Quotations must be submitted via email to Alexis Galloway at alexis.galloway@usda.gov no later than September 17, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. Delivery of all items is required to Tifton, Georgia, within 30 days of contract award.

This Statement of Work (SOW) outlines a procurement by the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) Southeast Watershed Research Lab (SEWRL) in Tifton, Georgia, to acquire new, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Blue UAS-compliant medium-lift drone systems to replace obsolete equipment. The procured technology will support agricultural research, specifically capturing remote sensing imagery to evaluate soil, water, and crop phenology. The selected contractor must deliver: - Two (2) Freefly Astro Max (NDAA/Blue) drones, each equipped with a Pilot Pro Controller (incorporating an 8" Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 tablet) and an Astro Compact Travel Case. - Two (2) high-resolution mapping LR1 Payloads featuring integrated 61 MP Sony ILX-LR1 cameras and 3-axis gimbals. - Two (2) Spare Parts Kits. - Twelve (12) SL8-Air batteries and eight (8) SL8 Fast Chargers. - Two (2) RTK GNSS ground reference stations providing centimeter-level location accuracy and real-time corrections. Deliverables include delivery receipts and product manuals/training guides. The equipment must comply with NDAA Section 889 telecommunications restrictions, Section 508 Electronic and Information Technology accessibility standards, and specific data rights clauses granting the government unlimited rights to operational data and manuals. Delivery will be made directly to the SEWRL facility in Tifton, Georgia, with maintenance managed by government personnel.