Iowa Signs Participating Addendum with DroneUp Providing Public Sector Agencies Access to Drone Services

DroneUp, LLC and the State of Iowa have signed a Participating Addendum for the NASPO ValuePoint contract for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle services established as the Contract Number #21171. This begins the offering for the purchase of complete drone solutions to all state agencies, commissions, political subdivisions, institutions, and local public bodies allowed by law. The award is the first of its kind for the drone industry and a highly anticipated announcement.

DroneUp, an end-to-end drone pilot service provider for aerial data collection, was awarded the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Services Master Agreement #E194-79435 by the Commonwealth of Virginia in August 2019. The services under the award are available for use by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States through the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint Cooperative Purchasing Organization. The State of Iowa is now able to use the award for the benefit of state departments, institutions, agencies, political subdivisions, and other eligible entities.

For further information: https://www.naspovaluepoint.org/portfolio/unmanned-aerial-vehicle-drone-services-2019-2024/droneup-llc/

DroneUp’s award includes but is not limited to service categories for Emergency Support Services, Law Enforcement Support, Aerial Inspection or Mapping Data Services, Agricultural and Gaming, and Agency Media Relations and Marketing. It’s anticipated that the primary users will be Agriculture & Game Management, Emergency Management, Transportation, Forestry, Mines, Minerals and Energy, and Public Universities and Community Colleges.

Tom Walker, DroneUp’s CEO, stated, “Iowa allows businesses to thrive through education and innovation. DroneUp looks forward to supporting our hardworking state and local agencies both in Iowa and nationwide.”

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.