14047-0-2025-BG.pdf

CITY OF MADISON

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP #: 14047-0-2025-BG

Title: Community Outreach and Capacity Building for Residential Energy Upgrades

City Agency: Mayor's Office

Due Date: Friday, August 8th, 2025

2:00 PM Central Time

Our Madison – Inclusive, Innovative, & Thriving

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 14047-0-2025-BG

RFP 14047_JP.docx Page i

1 OPPORTUNITY AND WELCOME

Thank you for your interest in bidding on a City of Madison contract opportunity. The City’s mission is to provide the highest quality service for the common good of our residents and visitors.

The City of Madison Mayor's Office is seeking proposals from qualified vendors for Community Outreach and Capacity Building for Residential Energy Upgrades.

The City of Madison Sustainability and Resilience Program is soliciting applications from agencies to plan and implement a multi-modal community engagement campaign that will assist residents access home energy upgrade programs, energy efficiency job training programs, and/or contractor upskilling programs.

Applicants should propose a campaign focused on one or more of the following target audiences:

a. Low-income renters;

b. Rental property owners;

c. Low-income single-family homeowners; or

d. Individuals and contractors working in the energy efficiency sector.

The City of Madison Sustainability and Resilience Program anticipates allocating up to five grants of $133,000 - $233,000 each through this opportunity.

All documents related to this funding opportunity are available at:

www.cityofmadison.com/sustainability/about/fundingopportunities

Thank you for considering this opportunity to work with the City and further our mission!

2 IMPORTANT INFORMATION

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: Friday, August 8th, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time.

The City will not accept late proposals. Any changes to the deadlines will be posted as an addendum on the bid distribution websites listed below. See Section 3.1 for instructions for using these websites.

RFP NAME: Community Outreach and Capacity Building for Residential Energy Upgrades

DEADLINE FOR

QUESTIONS:

The deadline for questions is Monday, July 28th, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time. Questions and/or inquiries must be submitted by email.

CITY’S ANSWERS

POSTED BY:

The City’s answers to your questions will be posted as an addendum by Thursday, July 31st, 2025. You must check the bid distribution websites for any addendums.

DUE DATE FOR

PROPOSALS:

Friday, August 8th, 2025 2:00 PM Central Time

BID DISTRIBUTION

WEBSITES:

https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bids.aspx https://www.demandstar.com/

CONTACT

INFORMATION:

Brittany Garcia Purchasing Services 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 407 City-County Building Madison, WI 53703-3346

Phone: (608) 243-0529 Email: bids@cityofmadison.com

RFP APPLICANT

PLANNING

APPOINTMENTS:

All potential applicants are required to schedule a 2025 Climate

Resilience Starts at Home RFP Applicant Planning Appointment with Gabriel Saiz by Thursday, July 24th, 2025. Schedule a meeting by https://www.cityofmadison.com/vision-awards https://www.cityofmadison.com/sustainability/about/funding-opportunities https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bids.aspx https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75-86ec-401cd5abf736/ mailto:bids@cityofmadison.com

RFP 14047_JP.docx Page ii emailing:

Gabriel Saiz

Sustainability Program Coordinator gsaiz@cityofmadison.com mailto:gsaiz@cityofmadison.com

RFP 14047_JP.docx Page iii

Table of Contents

1 OPPORTUNITY AND WELCOME .................................................................................................... i 2 IMPORTANT INFORMATION ........................................................................................................... i

3 HOW TO FIND RFP DOCUMENTS AND CONTACT THE CITY OF MADISON

Official Bid Distribution Websites – IMPORTANT Contact Information

4 OUR PURCHASING VALUES

Equity in Contracting Equitable Hiring & Affirmative Action Plan Limitations on Nuclear Weapons Producers Sweatfree Purchasing

5 Introduction Project Objectives and Intended Outcomes Project Area Buildings Eligible for Energy Updates Required Information and Content of Proposals Basis for Selection

6 Grant Opportunity Information Applicant Eligibility Funds Available Contracting Agency Required Pre-Application Meeting

7 Scope of Work General Low-Income Renter Outreach Rental Property Owner Outreach Single-Family Homeowner Outreach Energy Efficiency Workforce and Contractor Development Required Reporting

8 Project Narrative Instructions, Format, and Content Instructions and Format Content

9 HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

Proposal Checklist Submit your Proposal by the Deadline Format Questions Addendum (Changes or Clarifications to this RFP) Multiple Proposals Changing or Withdrawing your Proposal Correcting Errors in your Proposal after the Due Date No Exceptions from Bidders

You are Responsible for all of your Costs in Making a Proposal Public Records and Trade Secrets

10 RULES FOR THE SELECTION PROCESS

11 LEGAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

Sample Contract Affirmative Action Requirements for Contractors Insurance

RFP 14047_JP.docx Page iv

Sample Contract

Form A: Price Proposal and Signature Affidavit

Form B: References

Form C: Vendor Profile

3 HOW TO FIND RFP DOCUMENTS AND CONTACT THE CITY OF MADISON

Official Bid Distribution Websites – IMPORTANT

The City of Madison posts all requests for proposals (RFPs), addendums, updates, awards, and announcements on two websites: VendorNet and DemandStar. Both sites are free to register for City of Madison bids.

These two websites are the only places to get the official RFP and updates to the RFP.

Updates and addendums will only be posted on these websites. It is your responsibility to check the websites for updates and “addendums.” An addendum is a document that answers questions from bidders. It could make important changes to the RFP. If the addendum requires a response, and you fail to respond to it, you could be disqualified.

State of Wisconsin VendorNet System

State of Wisconsin and local government bid network. Registration is free. Search for City of Madison in the Agency search field.

VendorNet link https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bids.aspx

DemandStar by Onvia National bid network. Free subscription is available. Sign up for the free “Basic Plan” and select Wisconsin Association for Public Procurement (WAPP) as the agency to access City of Madison RFPs.

DemandStar link https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75- 86ec-401cd5abf736/

Register on DemandStar www.demandstar.com/app/registration

Contact Information

City of Madison Purchasing Contact (Buyer)

Brittany Garcia Purchasing Services 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 407 City-County Building Madison, WI 53703-3346

PH: (608) 243-0529

bids@cityofmadison.com

Questions about Affirmative Action Plans

Contract Compliance, Department of Civil Rights 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Room 523 City-County Building Madison, WI 53703

PH: (608) 266-4910

dcr@cityofmadison.com

Email note Some email to the City gets lost in “spam.”

If you send the City an email and you do not hear back within 3 days, please call the Buyer at (608) 243-0529.

https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bids.aspx https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75-86ec-401cd5abf736/ https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75-86ec-401cd5abf736/ https://www.demandstar.com/app/agencies/wisconsin/city-of-madison-purchasing-services/procurement-opportunities/573ff565-ce2b-4c75-86ec-401cd5abf736/ https://www.demandstar.com/app/registration mailto:dcr@cityofmadison.com

4 OUR PURCHASING VALUES

Equity in Contracting

The mission of the City of Madison is to provide the highest quality service for the common good of our residents and visitors. The City’s values include

• Equity - fairness, justice and equal outcomes for all, and

• Shared prosperity - where all are able to achieve economic success and social mobility.

It is our goal to spend money equitably, including among businesses owned by women, people of color, and small businesses. Our contractors should reflect shared dedication to equity in their work and employment practices, and we invite you to become part of this mission!

Equitable Hiring & Affirmative Action Plan

Affirmative Action Plan The City of Madison values diversity in hiring and contracting. We expect our contractors to do the same. Contractors with 15 or more employees and more than $50,000 in annual contracts with the City (each calendar year) must submit an Affirmative Action Plan.

Information about the Affirmative Action Plan and how to comply is found here:

https://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/affirmative-action-plan/vendors-suppliers

Or call the Affirmative Action Division at (608) 266-4910.

See Section 13. B. of the Sample Contract for Affirmative Action Plan requirements.

Job Openings in Dane County You must notify the City of openings for jobs in Dane County, Wisconsin if you have 15 or more employees. You must agree to interview candidates that we refer to you through our Referrals and Interviews for Sustainable Employment (RaISE) program. Information is here:

http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/programs/referrals-and-interviews-for-sustainable-employment-raise-program

The job posting requirement is found in Section 13 A. of the Sample Contract.

Limitations on Nuclear Weapons Producers

It is the City’s policy not to make purchases from companies that produce nuclear weapons, or their subsidiaries. See Common Council Resolution 79719 for more information.

Sweatfree Purchasing

It is the City’s policy not to purchase apparel (clothes made from textiles, shoes, footwear) from vendors who source their materials from sweatshops, where labor practices are inconsistent with international standards of human rights. See Madison General Ordinances Section 4.25 (https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOICH1-- 10_CH4FI_4.25PRITAP) for more information.

5 Introduction

The City of Madison’s Sustainability and Resilience Program works to cut climate pollution, prepare for and minimize the impacts of climate change, improve environmental quality, and ensure the health and well-being of all Madisonians. In December 2024, the Sustainability and Resilience Program was awarded a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights to fund the Climate Resilience Starts at Home: Growing Energy Efficiency, https://www.cityofmadison.com/vision-awards https://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/contract-compliance/affirmative-action-plan/vendors-suppliers http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/programs/referrals-and-interviews-for-sustainable-employment-raise-program http://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/programs/referrals-and-interviews-for-sustainable-employment-raise-program https://madison.legistar.com/ViewReport.ashx?M=R&N=Text&GID=205&ID=5490426&GUID=A7280DE2-DFCB-40F2-8200-E9C3EA95902B&Title=Legislation+Text https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOICH1--10_CH4FI_4.25PRITAP https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOICH1--10_CH4FI_4.25PRITAP

Indoor Air Quality, and Green Jobs in Madison, Wisconsin project. This collaborative project will provide energy upgrades to single- and multi-family homes to lower energy bills, improve indoor air quality, and cut climate pollution.

Energy costs – the costs to heat, cool and power our homes – are a big part of housing affordability, especially for low-income households. In the United States, low-income households can spend up to three times more on home energy costs compared to others. As a result, these households have less flexibility to pay for other basic needs and less financial stability. Making homes more energy efficient is a key strategy for reducing energy costs.

Investing in energy upgrades in single- and multifamily-homes is a triple win – it saves energy, reduces energy costs, improves indoor air quality, and cuts carbon pollution. However, home upgrades that save energy and money can be challenging – the process of identifying needs, finding the money to pay for them, and coordinating contractors is time consuming and often unfamiliar to homeowners, multifamily building owners, and renters. The Climate Resilience Starts at Home project is designed to overcome these barriers by making energy upgrades easy and free for income-qualified single- and multifamily homes. In addition, the project will leverage home upgrades to provide opportunities for workforce training and outreach to local businesses working in fields related to home energy efficiency to help support and grow our local green economy.

Participating homes will receive technical assistance and free whole-home upgrades, including improved heating and cooling systems, better insulation and air sealing, and more efficient lighting and appliances.

In addition to reducing energy bills, these improvements also reduce the exposure of residents to indoor air pollutants that can aggravate heart and lung conditions like asthma and high blood pressure.

To deliver these benefits, the project will expand and accelerate three complementary programs already at work in the community: Project Home’s weatherization services, Sustain Dane’s Efficiency Navigator

Program, and Operation Fresh Start’s Build and Conservation Academies.

To maximize community participation in these programs, the Climate Resilience Starts at Home project seeks to partner with up to 5 community-based organizations (CBOs) to collaboratively to raise awareness about these programs and facilitate the participation of eligible individuals, households, building owners, and businesses. Outreach must be targeted to Census Tract Block Groups identified by the US EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act Disadvantaged Communities map shown in the Project Area

Section on page 7. Selected CBOs will bring extensive experience providing resources, programming, and communications to serve Madison’s under-resourced community members. Training provided by this project will equip CBOs with the knowledge, resources, and support to speak with the community about the home energy efficiency and workforce training programs available. Trainings will also facilitate the development of processes to assist Madison residents to enroll in available programs. Selected CBOs will serve on the project’s Leadership Team alongside the City of Madison, Sustain Dane, Urban Triage, Project Home, and Operation Fresh Start to help coordinate and meet the overall objectives of the project.

Project Objectives and Intended Outcomes

The City of Madison will lead a collaborative team of partners to implement the Climate Resilience Starts at Home project to achieve the following project objectives:

• provide energy upgrades to at least 825 units of single- and multi-family housing serving low-income households by the Efficiency Navigator and Project Home programs;

• provide 1,050 additional households with technology to reduce energy use by items plugged into outlets;

• provide 60 young people with workforce training through Operation Fresh Start’s Build and Conservation Academy programs;

• engage at least 8-10 local Minority and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises working in fields related to home energy efficiency to raise awareness about job training, contracting opportunities, and available incentive programs.

Through this RFP, this City of Madison seeks to partner with up to five CBOs that will provide broad multi-modal community engagement campaigns, leveraging their expertise and strong connections in target neighborhoods in Madison. Applicants will directly engage with residents, building owners, and businesses, bringing technical knowledge in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways. Applicants may choose to focus their outreach and engagement efforts on residential building occupants and owners and/or workers and contractors in the residential energy efficiency workforce.

Outreach should be tailored for each target audience and include engagement methods the organization has successfully used in other programming to reach a broad audience. Examples of engagement methods include but are not limited to community events; workshops; trainings; door knocking; social media; one-on-one consultations; and radio advertising.

The goals of the applicant community engagement campaigns are to:

• reach eligible single- and multi-family homeowners and tenants and enroll them in the Efficiency

Navigator and Project Home building upgrade programs;

• facilitate the provision of in-home energy-saving devices to residents of energy inefficient housing; such as LED lights and advanced power strips to reduce plug-load;

• teach residents about indoor air quality, its connections to health, and ways to improve indoor air quality at home;

• provide information and technical assistance to help residents access energy and healthy home incentives from Focus on Energy and other available program; and

• inform individuals and businesses about job training, contracting opportunities, and available incentive programs provided by the Climate Resilience Starts at Home project and other opportunities.

Applicant engagement campaigns will result in low-income households in the project area receiving home energy upgrades and energy-saving devices and expanded access to job training and contracting opportunities for individuals and businesses working in the building energy sector. The Climate Resilience Starts at Home Project also aims to increase selected applicants’ capacity and expertise to deliver home energy guidance to our community. Services that increase the awareness of single-family homeowners of opportunities to increase the energy efficiency and health of their homes, referring them to programs they qualify for. These services should also encourage homeowners to switch to electric home heating and appliances when it is economically beneficial.

Project Area

All program outreach and activities must focus on reaching residents and owners of residential buildings and businesses serving the following census tract block groups listed by Federal Information Processing

Standard Identification Number (FIPS Code) in Table 1. Together, these census tract block groups make up the project area. Figure 1 is a map of the project area shaded in green. All activities related to this grant project must occur inside of the project area.

Table 1. Census tract block groups making up the Project Area.

550250003011 550250006004 550250016041 550250016044 550250014021

550250003012 550250009021 550250014024 550250016051 550250014023

550250003013 550250009023 550250026011 550250016061 550250016043

550250004071 550250011011 550250014042 550250016062 550250026022

550250004072 550250011012 550250025002 550250017043 550250014022

550250004074 550250011013 550250014052 550250017062 550250016042

550250004082 550250011014 550250016033 550250018041 550250026012

550250005013 550250011021 550250015021 550250019013 550250030014

550250114071 550250012001 550250015022 550250020001 550250030021

550250006001 550250014011 550250014014 550250022003 550250030022

550250006003 550250014012 550250016031 550250023011 550250032001

550250006002 550250014013 550250016032 550250025001 550250002041

550250002043

Figure 1. Project Area Map. Census tract block groups shaded in green make up the project area. The project area is where the programs related to the “Climate Resiliency Starts at Home” program may be implemented. To specify, only areas in the green may receive efficiency upgrades and only persons residing in the green may enroll in workforce development programs. Outreach activities, such as community dinners and workshops, must take place within the project boundary (dark blue line), and focus on reaching residents, residential building owners, and businesses serving the project area.

Buildings Eligible for Energy Updates

The Climate Resilience Starts at Home project is focused on providing energy upgrades to income qualified single- and multifamily homes within the project area. Table 2 summarizes the income-thresholds for residential buildings with different numbers of units.

• Single-family homes. Households making 60% State Median Income are eligible for energy upgrades through Project Home’s programs.

• Multi-family homes. Buildings where owners agree to hold rents at or below the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development Metropolitan Fair Market Rate (HUD area FMR) for Madison are eligible for energy upgrades through the Efficiency Navigator Programs. The table below shows the current HUD area FMR for Madison:

https://energyandhousing.wi.gov/Pages/AgencyResources/energy-assistance.aspx

Final FY 2025 & Final FY 2024 FMRs By Unit Bedrooms

Year Efficiency

One- Bedroom

Two- Bedroom

Three- Bedroom

Four- Bedroom

FY 2025

FMR

$1,080 $1,282 $1,472 $1,935 $2,161

FY 2024

FMR

$1,004 $1,182 $1,372 $1,808 $1,986

• Focus on Energy HOMES and HEAR programs are available to households at all incomes, with low-income households receiving a larger benefit amount.

Therefore, applicants are encouraged to design their outreach and engagement efforts to reach households with income at 80% Area Median Income for Dane County and owners of residential buildings with rents affordable to these households. This project aims to help these residents with lower energy costs, opportunities for employment, and opportunities for contracts through this program.

Required Information and Content of Proposals

All applications should include the following elements:

• A project narrative – not to exceed 10 pages. Excess pages will not be reviewed. The budget table included in the project narrative does not count toward the page limit.

• Resumes of key staff who will be working on the project. Resumes should be no longer than 2 pages each. They do not count toward the project narrative page limit.

• 990 forms for the last two years

• Fiscal Agent Roles and Responsibilities form, if applicable. to the Sustainability applications mailbox, by the application due date. Fiscal agents will be required to meet with City staff. Please note that any written materials, including letters of support, brochures, pictures, or other materials not specifically requested in the application form will not be included in information given to reviewers or committee members, or considered in the evaluation of proposals.

• Letters of commitment from partnering organizations, if applicable.

• Form A: Price Proposal and Signature Affidavit

• Form B: References

• Form C: Vendor Profile

Basis for Selection

Proposal Review Criteria Points

Available

A. Project Description and Populations Served. Under this criterion, the applicant’s

Project Narrative and overall approach will be evaluated based on:

• Alignment with Project Goals (10 pts) – The extent to which the proposed project aligns with the Scope of Work, and the steps the applicant will take to meet the program goals are thoughtfully designed.

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2025_code/2025bdrm_rent.odn?year=2025&cbsasub=METRO31540M31540&br_size=0 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2025_code/2025bdrm_rent.odn?year=2025&cbsasub=METRO31540M31540&br_size=1 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2025_code/2025bdrm_rent.odn?year=2025&cbsasub=METRO31540M31540&br_size=1 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2025_code/2025bdrm_rent.odn?year=2025&cbsasub=METRO31540M31540&br_size=3 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2025_code/2025bdrm_rent.odn?year=2025&cbsasub=METRO31540M31540&br_size=3 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2025_code/2025bdrm_rent.odn?year=2025&cbsasub=METRO31540M31540&br_size=4 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2025_code/2025bdrm_rent.odn?year=2025&cbsasub=METRO31540M31540&br_size=4 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2024_code/2024summary.odn?&year=2024&fmrtype=Final&cbsasub=METRO31540M31540 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr/fmrs/FY2024_code/2024summary.odn?&year=2024&fmrtype=Final&cbsasub=METRO31540M31540 https://www.wheda.com/globalassets/documents/developers/competitive-loan-financing/restore-main-street-income-rent-limits.pdf https://www.cityofmadison.com/dpced/communitydevelopment/funding/application-downloads/2537/

• Community Outreach Strategy (10 pts) – The extent to which the proposal clearly describes engagement strategies tailored to the target audience(s), with rationale for why each strategy was chosen.

• Expected Project Outputs and Outcomes (10 pts) – The extent and quality to which the applicant identifies outputs and outcomes of their proposed community engagement and outreach campaign.

• Performance Measures and Plan (10 pts) – The extent and effectiveness of the applicant’s plan for tracking and measuring progress toward achieve the expected project outputs and outcomes.

• Timeline and Milestones (10 pts) – The reasonableness of the proposed timeline, including key milestone for specific tasks, and the likelihood of completing the project goals and objectives during the project period, along with their expected timeframe, milestones, and deliverables.

B. Community Involvement. Under this criterion, the proposal will be evaluated for:

• Community Partnerships (10 pts) – How community partners and supporting organizations will be consulted, participate in, assist in the design and performance of the project, and/or allow the applicant to more effectively perform the project.

• Experience Working with Target Audiences (10 pts) – The extent to which applicants demonstrate cultural competency and experience successfully providing outreach, education, training, and/or support to target audiences.

• Lasting Impact (10 pts) - The extent to which the applicant plans to leverage this project to build partnerships, capacity, and expertise to integrate home energy efficiency into their services or programming over the long term.

• Language Access Plan (10 pts) – The extent to which the project is prepared to engage with and provide language access support for the members of their target audience(s) for whom English is not their primary language.

C. Budget. Proposal will be evaluated based on the extent and quality to which the proposed budget provides:

• Budget Detail (10 pts) – A detailed breakdown of expenses for each proposed activity in proper budget category;

• Reasonableness of Costs (5 pts) – Costs that are reasonable and appropriate to accomplish the proposed goals, objectives, and outcomes;

• Expenditure of Award Funds (5 pts) – Approach, procedures, and controls to ensure the awarded funds will be spent in a timely and efficient manner.

D. Applicant Capability and Past Performance. Applicants will be evaluated based on their ability to successfully complete and manage the proposed project considering:

• Past Performance (5 pts) – Past performance in successfully managing and completing similar projects;

• Staff Expertise (5 pts) – Staff expertise and qualifications, staff knowledge, and resources or the ability to attain them to manage project activities effectively and successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project;

• Organizational Capacity (5 pts) – Organization demonstrates relevant qualifications and experience including appropriate levels of supervision and capacity to carry out program or activity.

Total Available Points 125

6 Grant Opportunity Information

Applicant Eligibility

Eligibility to apply for this grant opportunity is open to non-profit organizations and agencies that have obtained tax-exempt status under 26 USC 501(c)(3) and groups that can secure, as fiscal agents, organizations that have obtained such status. If an applicant is partnering with a fiscal agent, it must complete and submit the Fiscal Agent Roles and Responsibilities form with their application. Fiscal agents will be required to meet with City staff.

All organizations must have:

• culturally and linguistically responsive staff;

• capacity to manage all fiscal and reporting requirements to maintain contract compliance;

• staff training and continuous improvement plan for service delivery;

• an established record of successfully collaborating with community partners; and

• policies and protocols to support and maintain individual confidentiality and privacy where required; and

• the ability to comply with the current EPA General Terms and Conditions and EPA Community Change Grant Terms and Conditions.

Applicants may apply for funding for outreach and engagement within one or more of the following target audiences:

• low-income renters;

• rental property owners;

• low-income single-family homeowners; and/or

• individuals and contractors working in the energy efficiency sector.

Outreach and engagement for each audience has specific goals and requirements for implementation.

Applicants may apply for funding to perform work within one or more program type. Applicants should be aware of and incorporate best- practice standards outlined in this document in the planning, description and implementation of their proposals.

Funds are available to support only currently existing programs, projects, or activities that will entirely, or primarily, benefit residents in the project boundary.

Joint proposals that request funding for multiple agencies participating in a collaborative effort are encouraged. Community partners named in any collaboration must provide a letter of commitment detailing roles and responsibilities. Joint proposals are appropriate when joint funding will:

• increase program capacity or enable the existence of a program that would not otherwise be possible due to cost burden, staffing capacity, access to participants, or another similar reason;

• reduce administrative burdens for involved agencies; and/or

• strengthen the collaboration of agencies involved, the neighborhood, community, or connections between partners.

Funds Available

The City of Madison Sustainability and Resilience Program anticipates allocating 5 annual grants of

$133,000 - $233,000 each through this opportunity. Period of Performance is anticipated to begin in

August 2025 and proceed to August 2026. Contracts will be developed after the awards are finalized by the Common Council.

Contracting Agency

The City of Madison's Sustainability and Resilience Program will administer the contract resulting from this https://www.cityofmadison.com/dpced/communitydevelopment/funding/application-downloads/2537/ https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-10/fy_2025_epa_general_terms_and_conditions_effective_october_1_2024_or_later.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-12/community-change-grants-programmatic-terms-and-conditions_0.pdf https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-12/community-change-grants-programmatic-terms-and-conditions_0.pdf

RFP.

Required Pre-Application Meeting

To be eligible to apply, potential applicants are required to schedule a 2025 Climate Resilience Starts at Home RFP Applicant Planning Appointment with Gabriel Saiz before 5:00 PM CST on July 24th, 2025. He can be reached at: gsaiz@cityofmadison.com

7 Scope of Work

General

To accomplish the identified objectives and outcomes, selected CBOs will:

1. Select 1 staff member to participate in monthly Leadership Team meetings;

2. Select up to 3 staff to complete up to 10 hours of training provided by the City of Madison.

Training will focus on providing the knowledge, resources, and support to enable CBO staff to speak with the community about the home energy efficiency and workforce training programs available and assist them in enrolling in available programs.

3. Design and implement a targeted, multi-modal community engagement campaign to connect the community to available home energy efficiency and workforce training programs and assist them in enrolling in available programs. Campaigns should focus on one or more of the following target audience:

a. low-income renters;

b. rental property owners;

c. low-income single-family homeowners; or

d. individuals and contractors interested in working in the energy efficiency sector.

4. Complete quarterly programmatic and financial reporting to the City of Madison.

Successful applicants will be those that demonstrate connections to populations in the project area and that have existing collaborations with key stakeholders such as neighborhood centers, community health workers, Neighborhood Resource Teams, Public Health Madison and Dane County, Joining Forces for Families, residential energy efficiency contractors, and other relevant service providers. Community agencies named as partners and/or collaborators must provide a letter of commitment detailing roles and responsibilities along with application.

Funded programs must identify clear and measurable outcomes appropriate to demonstrate participant education outcomes, program sign-ups, program uptake, incentive uptake, and participant satisfaction.

Those outcomes demonstrate effectiveness in promoting reduced energy costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and indoor environmental hazards. The City of Madison will work with providers to develop standardized outcomes and measures for similar program models.

The following sections provide detailed goals and expectations for proposed outreach and engagement programs focusing on each target audience.

Low-Income Renter Outreach

Outreach and engagement with low-income renters in the project area should focus on connecting them with information, resources, and technical assistance to help reduce their energy bills and improve the energy efficiency and indoor air quality of their units.

Services provided by applicants to low-income renters must include:

• connecting with renters to understand their need for energy assistance, home energy efficiency or indoor air quality improvements, and program eligibility;

mailto:gsaiz@cityofmadison.com

• teaching renters about indoor air quality, its connections to health, and ways to improve indoor air quality at home;

• educating renters about the energy assistance programs for which they qualify;

• assisting interested renters with signing up for energy assistance programs;

• providing renters with resources they can use to encourage the owner of their building to enroll their building in the Efficiency Navigator or Project Home programs if they are eligible;

• provide interested renters with in-home energy-saving devices such as LED lights and advanced power strips to reduce plug-load;

• staff attendance and participation in relevant community events to represent the organization, conduct outreach, build relationships and provide information about services.

Rental Property Owner Outreach

Outreach and engagement with owners of rental properties in the project area should focus on connecting them with information, resources, and technical assistance to help them enroll their eligible building(s) in energy upgrade program, including the Efficiency Navigator, Project Home programs, and/or Focus on Energy Home Energy Rebate programs. Successful applicants will leverage existing relationships with rental property owners to accelerate program outreach and uptake.

Services provided by applicants to rental property owners must include:

• connecting with building owners to understand their building portfolio, need for energy efficiency or indoor air quality improvements, and program eligibility;

• teaching property owners about indoor air quality, its connections to health, and ways to improve indoor air quality in their buildings;

• educating property owners about the energy assistance programs their buildings qualify for;

• facilitating communication between building owners and program administrators who can complete program intake and manage implementation; and

Single-Family Homeowner Outreach

Outreach and engagement with single-family homeowners in the project area should focus on providing homeowners of any income level in the eligible project area access to current opportunities to improve energy efficiency, lower energy bills, reduce fossil fuel consumption, and improve indoor air quality in single family housing. Homeowners must be presented with information about ways to save energy and improve indoor air quality, available energy assistance programs, and, if eligible and interested, assistance with enrolling in those programs.

Services provided by applicants to single-family homeowners must include:

• connecting with single-family homeowners to understand their need for energy assistance, home energy efficiency or indoor air quality improvements, and program eligibility;

• teaching single-family homeowners about indoor air quality, its connections to health, and ways to improve indoor air quality at home;

• educating single-family homeowners about the energy assistance and building upgrade programs they qualify for;

• assisting interested single-family homeowners with signing up for energy assistance and building upgrade programs;

• provide interested single-family homeowners with in-home energy-saving devices such as LED lights and advanced power strips to reduce plug-load;

• providing procedural assistance in obtaining and maintaining documentation for homeowner requirements to access home energy rebates and tax credits; and

Energy Efficiency Workforce and Contractor Development

Outreach and engagement with individuals and contractors interested in working in the energy efficiency sector should focus on enrolling youth in the project area in Operation Fresh Start’s Climate Academy and connecting small residential building improvement contractors with opportunities to bid on upcoming residential energy efficiency projects. Successful applicants will leverage existing relationships with youth programs and/or residential building improvement contractors to accelerate program outreach and uptake.

Services provided by applicants to individuals and contractors interested in working in the energy efficiency sector must include:

• providing youth with information on Operation Fresh Start’s Build Academy and Conservation Academy work training programs

• providing outreach, information, and training to residential building improvement contractors to improve their preparedness to identify and bid on upcoming residential energy efficiency projects;

• assisting minority business enterprises, women business enterprises, and otherwise disadvantaged business enterprises to participate in Focus on Energy’s Trade Ally program;

• helping contractors develop action plans detailing the administrative, marketing, and certification outcomes for their businesses

• staff attendance and participation in relevant community events to represent the organization, conduct outreach, build relationships and provide information about services; and

• additional resources offered could include general business administration assistance and marketing assistance.

Required Reporting

All allocated funds will be administered by the City of Madison’s Sustainability and Resilience Program.

Funded organizations will be required to submit quarterly and final programmatic and expense reports.

The City of Madison will provide a template for quarterly and final programmatic and expense reports.

8 Project Narrative Instructions, Format, and Content

Instructions and Format

Applicants should read the following section very carefully. The project narrative must substantially comply with the instructions, format, and content described below. It must also address the evaluation criteria described in Section 5.5 of this RFP. You may receive a score of 0 for any proposal review criteria that the application does not address.

The Project Narrative, including the executive summary, project approach, proposed budget, and experience and qualifications, must not exceed a maximum of 10 single-spaced typewritten pages. Staff resumes, 990 forms, and budget table are not considered part of the Project Narrative and do not count against the page limit. Applicants are encouraged to be concise and do not need to use all the pages within the page limit. Links to external websites or content will not be reviewed or considered. It is recommended that applicants use a standard font (e.g., Times New Roman, Calibri, and Arial) and a 12-point font size with 1- inch margins.

Attachments or documents not specifically required should not be submitted.

Content

Proposals should include a project narrative with four sections as identified below: (A) Executive

Summary, (B), Project Approach, (C) Proposed Budget, and (D) Experience and Qualifications.

A. Executive Summary

a. Project Title: Provide a name for the proposed project.

b. Name of Organization(s): Provide the name of the organization(s) applying for this grant.

c. Legal Status of Organization: Specify whether the organization is a non-profit or fiscally-sponsored organizations. If the organization has a fiscal sponsor, list the name of the fiscal sponsor as well.

d. Contact Information: Provide the name, title, email address, and phone number for key personnel for the organization(s) applying.

e. Partner organizations and contact information: If this is a joint proposal, provide the organization name and contact information for key personnel of partner organizations.

f. Amount of funding requested: Applicants may submit proposals with budgets between $133,000 and $233,000.

g. Target audiences(s): Indicate which of the following target audiences the proposed outreach and engagement campaign will focus on - low-income renters, rental property owners, low-income single-family homeowners, and/or individuals and contractors working in the energy efficiency sector. A project may address more than one service area.

h. Project Summary: Provide a 3-5 sentence summary that describes the project’s target audience(s), community outreach campaign approach, and anticipated outcomes.

i. Date of Pre-Proposal Meeting with City Staff.

B. Project Approach

a. Project Description and Populations Served: Describe the proposed work and how it helps achieve the Climate Resilience Starts at Home objectives and outcomes. Include details on the population(s) you intend to serve, including how you will identify and prioritize your target populations. Include information on number of staff who will participate in the project, how project will be implemented, and how information gathered during the project will be utilized to adapt the model to overcome identified barriers.

b. Community Outreach Strategy: Describe the project’s community outreach strategy, the engagement methods that will be used, the expected reach of each engagement method, and how it will be tailored for each targeted group. Include reasoning for why proposed strategies will be able to reach the target population. Describe how the proposed community engagement methods have been successfully used by your organization to in other programming.

c. Describe how your organization will leverage existing partnerships to deliver successful community engagement. If this is a collaborative proposal, describe the role each organization will play in implementing the community engagement strategy.

d. Work Plan and Timeline: Describe the key project tasks along with their expected timeframe, milestones, and deliverables. A milestone is a significant event that marks the completion of a key stage of a project, and a deliverable is a qualifiable good or service produced. The applicant should include scheduled time for quarterly and final report preparation. Your milestone schedule should support and/or supplement the clear descriptions you provide in the Project

Description section. If this is a collaborative proposal, identify the organization leading each task.

e. Language Access Plan: Describe how your organization provides outreach and services to those with language barriers. Describe the systems your organization utilizes to reach those whose primary language is not English. Include whether your organization is prepared to provide translation or interpretation services as part of the proposed project.

C. Proposed Budget

a. Budget Description: Provide a detailed budget description and requested funding amounts for each eligible expense type. Eligible expenses include:

i. Personnel - list all staff positions by title. Give annual salary, percentage of time assigned to the project, and total cost for the budget period.

ii. Fringe benefits - identify the percentage used, the basis for its computation, and the types of benefits included.

iii. Travel - Specify purpose of travel the mileage, per diem, estimated number of trips, number of travelers, and other costs for each type of travel.

iv. Equipment - Identify each item to be purchased which has an estimated acquisition cost of

$5,000 or more per unit and a useful life of more than one year.

v. Supplies - “Supplies” means all tangible personal property other than “equipment.”

vi. Contractual - Identify each proposed contract and specify its purpose and estimated cost.

vii. Other - Examples of costs that may be in this category are insurance, printing or photocopying, participant support costs such as non-employee training stipends. Additional information about participant support costs is contained in RAIN-2018-G05, “EPA

Guidance on Participant Support Costs.”

viii. Indirect costs – Applicants may use their federally negotiated indirect cost rate, if applicable, or the federal de minimis indirect cost rate of 15

b. In awarding grants, the City may identify specific uses for allocations. Capital expenses related to the purchase of vehicles or property are not eligible. All awarded funds must be utilized in the timeline outlined in resultant contracts. Funds not expended by the contract end date will not be reimbursed.

c. Budget Table: The budget table is an attachment to the application and does not count toward the Project Narrative’s page limit. Applicants should include applicable rows of costs for each budget category in their budget template to accurately reflect the proposed application budget for each year of the grant. EPA provides detailed guidance on budget development in the

Interim General Budget Development Guidance for Applicants and Recipients of EPA Financial

Assistance. Please use the budget table template below.

Table 2. Budget table template.

LINE ITEM AND ITEMIZED COST TOTAL COST

PERSONNEL

Position Title (Salary * % Annual FTE time spent on grant activities) $

Total Personnel $

FRINGE BENEFITS

Position Title (% Fringe) $

Total Fringe $

TRAVEL

Estimated miles * cost per mile $

Vehicle Lease Costs $

Total Travel $

EQUIPMENT

Equipment description (number of units * cost per unit) $

Total Equipment $

SUPPLIES

Supplies amount * cost per unit $

Total Supplies $

CONTRACTUAL

Contractor type and purpose of contract $

Total Contractual $

OTHER

Description of cost $ https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2018-g05 https://www.epa.gov/grants/rain-2018-g05

Total Other $

Indirect Charges

Negotiated federal indirect cost rate OR 15% de minimis $

Total Indirect $

Total Project Cost $

D. Experience and Qualifications. Describe the following for all organizations that would be funded through the proposed project.

a. Organization’s Mission: Describe your organization’s mission (or organizations’ missions if this is a collaborative proposal) and how your work is aligned with goals and intended outcomes of the

Climate Resilience Starts at Home Project. Explain why your organization is interested in building this capacity and how this capacity will serve the organization’s mission.

b. Organization’s Experience: Provide one or more examples of your organization’s demonstrated track record for quality program delivery on similar projects. Describe project deliverables and outcomes.

c. Staff Expertise and Qualifications: Describe the experience and qualifications of the staff who will be involved in this project.

d. Staff Resumes: Resumes for key staff should be included with the application and do not count toward the page limit.

e. Financial information: Include the last two years of 990 forms with the application. These do not count toward the page limit.

f. Staff turnover: Please list the percentage of staff turnover for the previous two years.

9 HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

Proposal Checklist

Submit your Proposal by the Deadline

Required Documents to Submit:

A project narrative – not to exceed 10 pages. Excess pages will not be reviewed. The budget table included in the project narrative does not count toward the page limit.

Resumes of key staff who will be working on the project. Resumes should be no longer than 2 pages each. They do not count toward the project narrative page limit.

990 forms for the last two years

Fiscal Agent Roles and Responsibilities form, if applicable. to the Sustainability applications mailbox, by the application due date. Fiscal agents will be required to meet with City staff. Please note that any written materials, including letters of support, brochures, pictures, or other materials not specifically requested in the application form will not be included in information given to reviewers or committee members, or considered in the evaluation of proposals.

Letters of commitment from partnering organizations, if applicable.

Required Forms to Submit:

Form A: Price Proposal and Signature Affidavit

Form B: References

Form C: Vendor Profile

RFP ADDENDUM

Check the bid websites for any addendum. See Section 3.1.

• You can use the area below to track addendums.

• An addendum might require you to submit additional documents. Make sure to read it carefully and send any additional documents.

Addendum # (if any) Have you read it?

Have you submitted any documents required by the addendum?

Addendum # _______

Addendum # _______

Submit your proposal by email to City of Madison Purchasing Services by Friday, August 8th, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time.

• Make sure your proposal is complete (see…