Market Research and Insight Development

The Authority is seeking Responses from qualified Respondents to provide m arket research and insight development. The purpose of this Solicitation is to designate a primary research provider who will conduct various Authority research projects designed to gauge consumer sentiment and provide data-driven insights in support of the Authority’s strategic initiatives. The range of Services required will vary depending on the objective of each individual project and the Awarded Respondent(s) will provide Services on an on-call, as-needed basis.

The Authority was created in 1945 and is an independent special district governed by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Act, Chapter 2022-252, Laws of Florida (Act). This Act provides that the Authority will have exclusive jurisdiction, control, supervision and management over all publicly-owned airports in Hillsborough County.

The Airport is a major economic driver for the Tampa Bay region and is the gateway to the west coast of Florida. The Airport is consistently ranked among the world’s most beloved airports, serving more than 25 million annual passengers with routes to more than 100 nonstop destinations. The Airport has received top awards at the state, national, and international level, including being ranked the #1 Large Airport in North America by J.D. Power in 2022 and 2023, as well as the #1 Large Airport in USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in 2024. The Airport has now completed several projects in the largest construction program in its history with a major Main Terminal renovation, 66 shops and restaurants, a 1.4-mile automated people mover extending to a multi-level rental car facility, award-winning Express Curbsides for faster passenger drop-off and pick-up, a nine-story office complex and numerous new public art installations including a world-famous 21-foot pink flamingo sculpture in the Main Terminal. In late 2024, the Airport broke ground on a new 16-gate terminal, Airside D, which is expected to be completed in 2028.

The Airport is served by more than twenty (20) commercial airlines operating from four (4) Airside Terminals: Airside Terminal A with sixteen (16) gates; Airside Terminal C with sixteen (16) gates; Airside Terminal E with thirteen (13) gates; and Airside Terminal F with thirteen (13) gates. During the Authority Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2025, the Airport served over twenty-five (25) million passengers and generated revenues totaling $483.1 million. The Authority expects to handle 24.5 million passengers in Fiscal Year 2026.

The Authority is a self-supporting organization and generates revenues from Airport users to fund operating expenses and debt service requirements. Capital projects are funded through the use of bonds, short-term financing, passenger facility charges, State and Federal grants and internally generated funds. Although empowered to levy ad valorem property taxes, the Authority has not collected any tax funds since the early 1970s.

Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program is the globally recognized benchmarking program that measures passengers satisfaction while they are travelling through an airport, capturing their experience while it is still fresh in their minds. The ASQ program provides the research tools and management information to better understand a passenger's views on their experience giving the Authority important information on how they can improve the Airport. Surveys are currently conducted at over 400 airports worldwide with annual awards given to the top performers in their respective categories.

Of the ASQ programs offered by ACI, the Airport participates in the ASQ Departures Survey program which was launched in 2006. The survey is self-completed by departing Passengers and collected using tablets. It is the most established program and the program for which ASQ has the most subscribers. The Authority is looking for a trusted supplier to perform the data collection for the ASQ Departures Survey program in the Airport. ASQ is responsible for providing research tools and management information. As a subscriber, the Authority must collect data while respecting all fieldwork collection rules and guidelines as laid out by ASQ. The Airport’s ability to be considered for an annual award is based on compliance with ASQ’s rules and guidelines for fieldwork collection in order to retain benchmarking integrity.

The background information provided in this Section is intended only to give prospective Respondents a brief familiarization with the Authority and the Airport. All Airport data provided as part of this Solicitation is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a guarantee of business. The information shown herein has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable. However, the Authority and its Board, officers, employees, agents, and contractors are not liable for the accuracy of the information or for its use by Respondent. Respondent must examine and inspect this Solicitation and all its appendices, attachments, and exhibits to be knowledgeable of the requirements and terms and conditions. Respondent must independently evaluate circumstances and conditions that may affect its Response and its ability to provide the required Services.

The Authority mission and vision statements, found on the Authority website at www.TampaAirport.com > Business & Careers> Business Opportunities > Supplier Resources > Working with Procurement, will serve as the platform to guide the Awarded Respondent(s) in providing Services.