1-265X901157 Energy Saving Technologies - Project Pipeline Development.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) – SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

ENERGY SAVING TECHNOLOGIES – PROJECT PIPELINE

DEVELOPMENT

DUE DATE: MARCH 5, 2026, by 12:00 PM ET

RFI NUMBER: 265X901157

SUBMITTAL: https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/

All proposals must be submitted electronically via the City’s Bonfire portal at the above link.

Responses submitted by hard copy, mail, or e-mail will not be accepted. See “SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES TO THE RFI” for more details.

Requests for information related to this Notice should be directed to:

Jennifer Sherman at jennifer.sherman@cincinnati-oh.gov

NOTE: The City publishes information on the City of Cincinnati Internet web site at www.cincinnati-oh.gov, which includes the Cincinnati Municipal Code (CMC) and the information concerning the rules and regulations governing the City’s Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program and Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Program. Responders may register as a City vendor online at https://vss.cincinnati-oh.gov/vssprod/Advantage4

Disclaimer

This is not a procurement solicitation. The City will not reimburse any costs associated with the development and submission of materials in response to this request. There is no solicitation available at this time. However, should a procurement solicitation materialize, no basis for claims against the City shall arise as a result of a response to this RFI or the City’s use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent procurement solicitation.

I. REQUEST

PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

The City of Cincinnati ("City"), through the Office of Environment & Sustainability (OES), is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to gather project ideas (from concept through advanced planning stages) from developers, institutions, nonprofits, houses of worship, community development corporations (CDCs), utilities, and other relevant entities interested in energy efficient buildings, zero-emissions transportation, and clean energy project development.

The City is a recipient of the Phase 1 Municipal Investment Fund (MIF) grant, which supports market-building activities focused on developing clean energy generation and storage, zero-emissions buildings, and zero-emissions transportation. This RFI is part of a larger suite of efforts funded by the MIF grant. The purpose of this RFI is to develop a robust project pipeline to demonstrate that the Greater Cincinnati area is serious about developing these types of projects to attract public and private capital to close financing gaps and accelerate the completion of clean energy and storage, energy efficient and electrified buildings, and electrified transportation projects. These efforts align with the City’s energy and emissions goals and measures set forth in the Green Cincinnati Plan and the Greater Cincinnati Comprehensive Climate Action Plan.

This RFI is intended solely for information gathering and market research purposes. It does not constitute a solicitation, request for pricing, or offer to contract. No reimbursement will be made for any costs incurred in preparing or submitting a response. Submission to this RFI does not obligate the Offeror to pursue or complete the project.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The City is seeking project ideas (from concept through advanced planning stages) related to the following technology categories:

Solar (rooftop or ground-mounted): commercial, institutional, multifamily residential, and programs involving multiple single-family homes (e.g. pilot program utilizing a 3rd-party or nonprofit ownership model serving low-income households)

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): small scale, solar + storage, resilience hubs, or large scale

Ground-source heat pump systems (individual buildings)

Geo-exchange districts (campuses, multi-building shared systems, etc.)

Energy efficiency and electrification retrofits or low/no emissions new construction, including weatherization, air-sealing, heat pumps, etc.

EV charging stations

E-bike stations

Virtual Power Plants (VPPs)

Demand response programs

RESPONSES TO THE RFI

The City seeks project ideas from Offerors focused on one or more of the technology categories listed above. Respondents are encouraged to submit one or more conceptual, preliminary, or pipeline-ready project ideas that could be viable within the Cincinnati Metropolitan Statistical Area

(MSA). Your submissions will be gathered with all others into a project pipeline that will be used to make the case to attract increased financial investment in our region.

All responses must include the following:

1. Cover Letter (1-2 pages)

Brief introduction of the firm or organization, including legal name and address

Summary of qualifications and interest in potential future project development or collaboration

Short description of the proposed project(s)

Primary contact information

2. Project Pipeline Spreadsheet – use of attached template required

The City of Cincinnati (secondary subgrantee), ICLEI USA (subgrantee), and the Coalition for Green Capital (grantee) will keep and have access to this information under the subgrant agreement for the Municipal Investment Fund. The City may also share its project pipeline with the Cincinnati Green Bank, which aims to support local clean energy and low/no emissions building projects. The information will be used to demonstrate investment potential and readiness in our region.

In the event a procurement solicitation or contract materializes for this service, all Offerors shall be subject to the provisions of the economic inclusion programs found in Chapter 323 and 324 of the Cincinnati Municipal Code and the Equal Employment Opportunity Program found in Chapter 325 of the Cincinnati Municipal Code. Information about these programs can be obtained by visiting the following website http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/inclusion/.

TIMETABLE

Milestones for the Process are: Date

1. Release of RFI 02/10/2026

2. Deadline for Questions 02/19/2026 at 12:00 PM ET

3. Offerors submit responses 03/05/2026 at 12:00 PM ET

4. City issues procurement for related services (if necessary) To be determined

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING INFORMATION

Include information as requested or required. Be sure the information submitted is complete and properly identified. The cover page of the document shall indicate the RFI Reference Number, Time, Date Due, and the title of the RFI. Information must be received by the Office of Procurement by the date and time specified as the due date.

An electronic response must be submitted through the City’s Bonfire portal at https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/. Responses submitted by hard copy, mail, or e-mail will not be accepted.

Important notes:

Logging in and/or uploading your file(s) does not mean your response is submitted.

Offerors must successfully upload all file(s) and must click the submit button before closing time.

You will receive an email confirmation receipt with a unique confirmation number once you finalize your submission. This will confirm that you have successfully submitted your Statement of Qualifications.

If a requested file is mandatory, you will not be able to complete your submission until the requirement is met.

Uploading large documents may take time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your internet connection speed.

Please note the type (.doc, .pdf, etc.) and number of files (one only or multiple) allowed.

The maximum file size for upload is 1,000 MB. Please do not embed any documents within your uploaded files as they will not be accessible or evaluated.

For technical questions or issues related to your submission, please contact Bonfire directly at support@gobonfire.com or 1 (800) 354-8010, ext. 2. The support team is available Monday- Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET. You can also visit their help forum at https://bonfirehub.zendesk.com/hc.

All Responses shall be received no later than March 5, 2026, by 12:00 PM ET.

QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES

Questions and inquiries, written only, will be accepted from any and all firms. Inquiries pertaining to this Request for Information must include the following in the subject line: RFI number and RFI. All written questions should be directed to Jennifer Sherman via email @ Jennifer.Sherman@cincinnati-oh.gov. All questions shall be received no later than February 19, 2026, by 12:00 PM ET.

CORRECTIONS AND ADDENDA

If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFI or provide additional information, an addendum will be issued. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that all addenda are received and incorporated prior to submitting a response.