As you’re developing your smart cities plans, it’s sometimes helpful to see what other cities — perhaps your neighbors — are doing. Each month, Onvia gives us an inside look at what cities are doing through the largest contracts they award and the proposals they request.
This month, there’s a lot of activity in the area of mobility. As you’ll read below, Austin is investing in a system that better connects its mobile devices. And as Bozeman, MT, replaces its patrol cars, it’s also turning them into communications centers. — Kevin Ebi
By Nick Schiffler, Onvia
Companies looking to supply smart cities with products or services have plenty of opportunities available across the country.
As more government agencies begin investing in the smart cities movement, companies in the business-to-government (B2G) marketplace have the chance to take advantage. And identifying qualified vendors and researching comparable bid specifications from agency colleagues is easy with the Onvia Exchange, available for free to city and government officials.
Here are 10 smart city projects from the past month that were awarded to a vendor, recently put out to bid or included in an agency’s future spending plan:
Recent Contract Awards
Onvia’s B2G Intelligence System (B2GIS) tracks government projects through their entire lifecycle, including contract award announcements. Here’s three examples of the kinds of “smart” projects that have recently been awarded to vendors by cities across the U.S.
Energy Conservation Measure – City of New York, NY
New York agreed to a $11.3M contract with Air Control Services, Inc. to implement the Manhattan Supreme Courthouse with a building-wide energy efficiency retrofit, including HVAC systems and energy meters.
Wireless Messaging System – City of Austin, TX
Austin’s Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management awarded Spok Inc. a $3.8M contract for providing an internal notification system that connects to all mobile devices.
Network Access Control Implementation – Washington, DC
The District of Columbia recently gave a $2.6M award to Copper River Information Technology for network security services and implementation.
Currently Open Bids and RFPs
Bids and RFPs are the bread and butter of government contracting. These smart city projects are a few examples of the kinds of contracts agencies have recently put out to bid.
Microgrid Development – Town of Stafford, CT
The Town of Stafford is seeking proposals from experienced firms for guidance and assistance in developing a microgrid program that supports local distributed energy generation.
Traffic Signal Central Software – City of Columbia, SC
Columbia has released an RFP for upgrading or replacing traffic signal software that meets the city’s information technology software and cloud computing requirements.
Online Interactive Learning Course System – Milwaukee Public Schools, WI
Public schools in major cities are continuing to invest in education technology, like this bid for an online system to teach students world languages.
Smart Lighting Project – City of Atlanta, GA
Atlanta is seeking proposals to replace its network of nearly 9,000 streetlights with LED lights, with the twin goals of reducing both costs and energy consumption.
Future Leads in Budgets and Spending Plans
Companies interested in selling smart products or services can get the most foresight by finding potential projects within agency budgets and capital spending plans. These projects were found in Onvia’s B2GIS and provide vendors with forward visibility to make more strategic decisions. For agencies, the same information offers a look into the spending areas that local officials are beginning to budget for over the coming months and years.
Hydropower at Watershops Pond – City of Springfield, MA
Springfield has allocated more than $6M for a project to restore hydropower to the Watershops Pond Dam – expected to generate 700,000 kilowatt-hours of energy during an average year.
Streetscape Improvements – City of Des Moines, IA
The City of Des Moines has included $7.6M in its budget between 2018 and 2022 for the design and construction of streetscape projects, and additional funding is expected to be reviewed.
Patrol Vehicle Replacement – City of Bozeman, MT
Bozeman is providing $1.5M in their Capital Improvement Plan for the replacement of patrol cars, including necessary vehicle equipment like in-car video cameras and mobile data terminals.
Nick Schiffler is a business-to-government (B2G) market analyst and content marketer for Onvia, leading commerce intelligence at the core of the B2G marketplace. Follow Onvia on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date with the latest government market insights.