Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the operator of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), is seeking qualifications from experienced vendors for program services delivered through a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) with an estimated value of up to $950 million over five years.

LAWA issued the request for qualifications (RFQ) on July 11 and says it will award at least three MATOCs as a result of this process. Additional opportunities, such as the RFQ for Terminal 9 Design Services at LAX will be released this summer.

The organization’s CEO, Justin Erbacci, said: “During the first half of 2023, we held four information sessions for upcoming procurement opportunities at LAWA, all with record attendance and diversity. This demonstrates that our commitment to fostering economic success—particularly for local, small and minority businesses—is reaching the right audiences.”

The four information sessions, held since January, also attracted new potential vendors with over one-third of the attendees having never done business with LAWA before. A pre-proposal conference will also take place next week.

Terri Mestas, LAWA’s Chief Development Officer, commented: “At LAX, we are not only transforming the airport with vital infrastructure but also reshaping our procurement model to foster greater opportunities for diverse vendors, especially those from our local community. We aim to create a model that other agencies and peers within aviation and beyond can use to restructure their own sourcing methods. The calls for qualifications that we are issuing this summer are just the beginning of this work.”

Pre-qualified Pool

Via the Program Services Matoc, LAWA will establish a pool of pre-qualified professional consulting firms that will subsequently be invited to submit task order proposals to provide services, including, but not limited to, project management, construction management, project controls, inspection, and testing.

Responders may, but are not required to, submit their qualifications for one or more optional categories including quality and safety services, inclusivity, workforce and economic impact support services related to LAWA’s enormous $15 billion Capital Improvement Program and quality and safety services.

In 2022, LAX was the sixth-busiest airport in the world serving nearly 66 million travelers. The capital improvement program is designed to improve services for them by modernizing the entire airport campus. Initiatives underway include an Automated People Mover (APM), a Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility, both multi-billion dollar public-private partnerships (PPPs). Reportedly, the ConRAC will be the second largest building in the U.S., with only the Pentagon boasting more square footage. Two other projects will each add over one million square feet to the airport's existing property: Terminal 9 and Concourse 0.

The APM and ConRAC facility are major components of LAX’s $5.5 billion landside program and are scheduled to open this year. The ConRAC facility will consolidate rental car operations currently spread across the surrounding area of LAX into one location adjacent to the 405 freeway.

By relocating all the rental car companies—as well as providing a direct connection to the new APM system—the ConRAC will eliminate approximately 3,200 daily shuttle trips, alleviating traffic congestion on local streets and around the airport’s central terminal area.

The facility also features a Quick Turn Around (QTA) building, which allows for the light maintenance of vehicles like car washing, oil changes, and tire rotation. The QTA building further helps to ease congestion by keeping car care within the complex.

From day one, LAWA worked in close collaboration with LAX ConRAC Partners (LAXCP), the project design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) consortium. The project has created over 5,000 jobs and $200 million in wages for a local workforce.

The LAXCP consortium is comprised of the following companies:

• Developer: Fengate Capital Management and PCL Investments USA

• Design-Build Contractor: PCL Construction Services

• Designer of Record: PGAL and AC Martin Partners

• O&M Provider: Johnson Controls

• QTA Manager: MVI Field Services.