Drone Show Services

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides a response to a vendor's question regarding Solicitation No. 19TH2026Q0020 for Drone Show Services.

• Question: Whether the contract is a new award or if there is an incumbent performing the services. If not new, the vendor requested the current/previous contract number.
• Answer: This is a new contract.

This clarification confirms that the solicitation is for a new contract, not a continuation of existing services. This information is relevant for bidders assessing the competitive landscape and the nature of the opportunity.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a Request for Quotations (RFQ) for drone show services for the U.S. Embassy Freedom 250 Event in Bangkok, Thailand, scheduled for June 25, 2026. The goal is to procure a highly visible, creative, and high-quality drone show that displays the event's message celebrating 250 years of American independence. The U.S. government intends to award a contract to the responsible company submitting the lowest-priced, acceptable offer.

• Provide a drone show using at least 300 drones, with a performance duration of 10-15 minutes.

• The show must be visible and oriented for viewing from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel's 4th-floor grand ballroom overlooking Lumpini Park. An alternative viewing location at One Bangkok's vicinity is acceptable if the primary location is not feasible, though the Ritz-Carlton view will be considered first.

• The show must be creative, attractive, high-quality, and photogenic.

• Coordinate all aspects of the show, including creative design, securing permits and permissions, providing drones and equipment, and managing event preparation.

• Obtain necessary permits and licenses from local authorities (e.g., NBTC, CAAT, BMA).

• Secure appropriate insurance, including liability and Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance.

• Provide pre-show deliverables: initial creative design (by May 15, 2026), animated preview/recording (by June 1, 2026), and final preview for approval (by June 12, 2026).

• Provide day-of-event deliverables: at least 300 operational drones, coordination, and show launch.

• Offerors must address their plan to obtain all required licenses and permits, and provide a strategic plan for drone show services.

• This is a firm-fixed-price type of purchase order.

• Pricing is in Thai Baht and includes all labor, materials, overhead, profit, licenses, insurances, administration, and transportation.

• Value Added Tax (VAT) is not applicable due to the Embassy's tax exemption.

• Quotations are due by March 31, 2026, at 4:00 PM (Bangkok local time).

• Proposals must be in English and submitted electronically to BangkokGSOProcurement@state.gov in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format, not exceeding 25MB per file.

• Required submission documents include SF-1449, Section 1 (Pricing), Section 5 (Representations and Certifications), and additional information as required in Section 3.

• Award will be made to the lowest priced, acceptable, responsible offeror.

• Evaluation will first consider offerors providing the view from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

• Contractor responsibility will be determined based on FAR 9.1 criteria (financial resources, ability to comply with performance period, integrity, organization, experience, skills, equipment, facilities, and qualifications).

• This acquisition is unrestricted.

• Offerors must be registered in the SAM (System for Award Management) database prior to proposal submission.

• Offerors must provide evidence of an established business with a permanent address in Thailand, including company registration and VAT documents.

• Offerors must demonstrate prior experience in drone show services in Thailand over the past two years.

• Questions regarding the solicitation must be submitted in writing to Ramon Menendez-Carreira at BangkokGSOProcurement@state.gov by March 23, 2026, at 12:00 PM (Bangkok local time).

• Offerors are encouraged to register in SAM immediately if interested.