Procurement and Contracting Under AIP
Equipment Procurement
General
Procurements made under the Airport Improvement Program must adhere to all relevant requirements of 49 CFR Part 18.36. Acquisitions that are not expected to exceed $100,000 may be made utilizing small purchase requirements. All such procurements are to be conducted in a manner that assures fair and open competition. Sponsor must avoid incorporating restrictive or unnecessary requirements for the purpose of limiting competition.
FAA Standards for the Procurement of Equipment
The FAA has established standards for many types of airfield-related equipment, including snow removal equipment, airport lighting equipment, and aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment (ARFF). Acquisition of such equipment must conform to established FAA standards if reimbursement under AIP is desired. Acquisition of equipment for which no FAA standards exists are to be based on industry accepted standards.
Sponsors may request modifications to FAA established standards. All such requests should be made in advance of the procurement action and are subject to approval by the FAA. Acquisition of nonstandard equipment for which FAA approval is not obtained jeopardizes the eligibility of such equipment for reimbursement under AIP.
The addition of features or requirements that exceed those specified in the relevant FAA standards requires review and approval by the FAA. If the additional feature is deemed nonessential or excessive when compared to the FAA standard, the additional cost of such an addition will not be eligible for AIP reimbursement.
