DOER RFR-ENE-2027-013 Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program Administration Services Request for Response 10.29.2026.pdf

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESOURCES

ELIZABETH MAHONY, COMMISSIONER

100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02114

Request for Response (RFR)

Document Title: Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships

Program Administration Services

COMMBUYS Bid Number: BD-27-1041-ENE01-ENE01-134960 Agency Document Number: RFR-ENE-2027-013

Issued October 29, 2026

Please Note: This is a single document associated with a complete Bid (also referred to as Solicitation) that can be found on www.COMMBUYS.com.

All Bidders are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information, forms and requirements for the entire Bid, which are all incorporated into the Bid. Bidders may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or the COMMBUYS Helpline at 1-888-MA- STATE. The Helpline is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal, state and Suffolk County holidays.

http://www.commbuys.com/ mailto:COMMBUYS@state.ma.us

REQUEST FOR RESPONSE (RFR)

Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program Administration Services RFR-ENE-2027-013 /COMMBUYS Open Market Bid BD-27-1041-ENE01-ENE01-134960

Table of Contents

I. Description or Purpose of Procurement

II. Applicable Procurement Law

III. Acquisition Method

IV. Whether Single or Multiple Contractors are Required for Contract

V. Entities Eligible to Use the Resulting Contract

VI. Expected Duration of Contract (Initial Duration and any Options to Renew)

VII. Anticipated Expenditures, Funding, or Compensation

VIII. Contract Performance and Business Specifications

IX. Evaluation Criteria

X. Estimated Procurement Calendar

XI. Instructions for Submission of Responses

XII. Standard Required Forms

XIII. RFR Attachments

XIV. Acceptable Forms of Signature

XV. Security and Confidentiality

XVI. Invoice Policy

RFR-ENE-2027-013 /COMMBUYS Open Market Bid BD-27-1041-ENE01-ENE01-134960

Purchasing Department Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Address 100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor City, State Zip Code Boston, MA 02114 Procurement Contact Person Christina Moroney-Ebarb Telephone Number (617) 626-7341 E-Mail Address christina.moroney-ebarb@mass.gov RFR Name/Title Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships Program

Administration Services RFR Number RFR-ENE-2027-013 COMMBUYS Bid Number BD-27-1041-ENE01-ENE01-134960

I. Description or Purpose of Procurement

A) Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (“DOER”) develops and implements policies and programs aimed at ensuring the adequacy, security, diversity, and cost-effectiveness of the Commonwealth's energy supply to create a clean, affordable, equitable, and resilient energy future for all in the Commonwealth.

B) Background for Solicitation

The purpose of this Request for Response (“RFR”, “Solicitation” or “Bid”) is to procure the services of a contractor (“Contractor”) from this RFR’s bidders (“Bidder”) via the Bidder’s submission of a bid (“Bid”) in response to this RFR, to assist the DOER in its responsibilities as the recipient of an award (the “Grant Agreement”) under the Topic Area 2 of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (“DOE”) Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (“GRIP”) Program. The DOER was awarded the Grant Agreement in response to a multi-state application on behalf of the six New England states to implement Power Up New England (“Power Up Project” or “Project”).

The Power Up Project is comprised of significant investments in regional electric infrastructure including proactive upgrades to points of interconnection in Southeast Massachusetts and Southeast Connecticut, and to deploy an innovative, multi-day battery energy storage system in Northern Maine to enhance grid resilience and optimize the delivery of renewable energy. In the administration of the Power Up Project, the DOER is the pass-through entity to the three developers implementing the three projects; National Grid, Eversource, and Form Energy Inc.

(collectively, “Subrecipients”).

mailto:christina.moroney-ebarb@mass.gov

II. Applicable Procurement Law

Check Appropriate Box (“X”):

Type of Purchase Applicable Laws

Executive Branch Goods and Services

Goods and Services MGL c. 7, § 22; c. 30, § 51, § 52; 801

CMR 21.00

Human and Social Services MGL c. 7, § 22, § 22N; c. 30, § 51, § 52;

801 CMR 21.00; 808 CMR 1.00

Legal Services MGL c. 30, § 51, § 52 and § 65; c. 7, § 22; and 801 CMR 21.01(2) (b)

Grants MGL c. 7A, § 7; St. 1986 c. 206, § 17;

815 CMR 2.00

III. Acquisition Method

Check All Applicable (“X”):

Category

Fee-For-Service

Outright Purchase

Rental (not to exceed 6 months)

Term Lease

License

Other:

IV. Whether Single or Multiple Contractors are Required for Contract

Check One (“X”):

Single Contractor

Multiple Contractors

A) Estimated Number of Awards

The target maximum number of Contractors, not including subcontractors, is one (1); the Purchasing Department may award more or fewer contracts, if it is in the best interests of the Commonwealth to do so.

B) Adding Contractors after initial Contract Award

If, over the life of the contract, the Purchasing Department determines that additional Contractors may be added, these may be drawn from qualified companies that responded to this Solicitation and not awarded contracts. If necessary to meet the requirements of the Commonwealth, the Solicitation may be reopened to obtain additional bids.

V. Entities Eligible to Use the Resulting Contract

Check One (“X”):

Eligible Entities

Limited User Contract – Restricted to Use by Defined Entities Only. Any Contract(s) resulting from this Bid will be open for use by the issuing Purchasing Department and the following other entities:

Limited User Contract – Restricted to Use by Issuing Entity Only.

VI. Expected Duration of Contract (Initial Duration and any Options to Renew)

Contract Duration Number of Options Number of Years/Months

Initial Duration Two (2) years

Renewal Options Three (3) options to renew Three (3) options to renew for one year each

Total Maximum Contract Duration Five (5) years

VII. Anticipated Expenditures, Funding, or Compensation

Estimated Value of Procurement: Not to exceed seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000).

The funding for any contract resulting from this Solicitation is conditioned upon the availability of federal funds to DOER pursuant to the Grant Agreement.

VIII. Contract Performance and Business Specifications

A) Bidder Qualifications:

At a minimum, the Bidder’s qualifications and experience should include the following elements.

A selected Bidder’s qualifications and types of experience may be met through one or more Bid Subcontracting relationships. If the Bidder (including Bid Subcontractors) has comparable qualifications to those that are listed below but does not have the exact qualifications, the Bid should explain so.

1. Project Management o Significant experience managing infrastructure, energy, utility, or comparable projects with complex multi-year timelines and several project stakeholders, including multiple subrecipients, contractors, utilities, lawyers, governmental agencies, and other project stakeholders.

o Demonstrated experience managing a project of similar size and/or budget.

o Experience with project accountability and documentation including creating project management tools, timelines, digital organizational structures, stakeholder lists, meeting agendas and minutes, and action items.

o Experience being the primary point of contact and the management of sub-contractors.

o Ability to provide management continuity over the life of the project.

2. Transmission-Level Energy Project Review o Substantial experience with transmission-level energy projects including project construction, federal and state energy regulations, and utility business structures.

o Understanding of cost and price analysis for utility and energy procurement.

o Experience with project construction in New England including siting and permitting and environmental reviews.

o Experience working in New England regional energy policy, including grid modernization, grid resilience, transmission planning, interconnection ISO-NE processes.

3. Federal Grant Compliance Monitoring o Working knowledge of Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200, applicable DOE financial assistance requirements under 2 CFR Part 910, Terms and Conditions of federal awards, and other relevant federal policies.

o Experience in monitoring Subrecipient compliance with federal policy requirements and award terms and conditions, especially requirements applicable to Build America, Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, and environmental and permitting review processes.

o Ability to develop comprehensive and well-documented subrecipient monitoring policies and internal controls, including those involving risk assessments, monitoring plans, desk reviews, and site visits.

4. Federal Grant Reporting o Demonstrated experience with meeting and managing federal grant program reporting requirements, including qualitative and quantitative performance reports, federal financial reports, audit reports, and other project/award reports.

o Ability to establish and maintain streamlined reporting processes that lead to successful and timely program reporting.

5. Federal Grant Budgeting and Management o Knowledge of federal cost principles, including the determination of allowable, allocable, and reasonable and necessary costs related to the associated costs of transmission-level energy projects.

o Experience in the development and maintenance of federal award budgets, multi-year spending plans, and expenditure reports.

o Familiarity with coordinating reimbursement requests from various stakeholders, including key tasks such as collecting and summarizing invoices, reviewing expenditures to ensure adherence to terms and conditions of awards, organizing and/or preparing applicable supporting documentation, and tracking reimbursement statuses through approval workflows.

B) Scope of Services:

The Scope of Services generally includes the responsibilities associated with the Bidder Qualifications listed above. The Bidder’s responsibilities will include but will not be limited to:

1. Project Management:

• Facilitate and coordinate regular meetings with DOER, Subrecipients, partnering states, and other Project partners. This may include preparation for and participation in meetings with DOE.

• Track and manage DOER’s obligations related Project tasks, deliverables and deadlines in accordance with state and federal law requirements and the Grant Agreement. This includes compliance with the federal terms and conditions associated with the Grant Agreement and attached hereto as Appendices C2 and C3.

2. Subrecipient Monitoring

• Track and manage Subrecipient obligations related to tasks, deliverables, and deadlines in accordance with state and federal requirements and the requirements of each subrecipient agreement. This includes compliance with the federal terms and conditions associated with the subrecipient agreements and attached hereto as Appendices C2 and C3.

3. Implement Project Governance Structure:

• Implement and assist the Power Up New England oversight board, which is the

Project’s governance structure made up of representatives from each of the New England states.

4. Federal Grant Reporting:

• Manage all reporting requirements pursuant Project’s Federal Assistance Reporting

Checklist (“FARC”) attached hereto as Appendix C1.

5. Project Evaluation:

• Measure, track and report Project success and timelines.

• Advise DOER on Project progress, including recommending actions such as seeking a longer period of performance for the Grant Agreement or other modifications necessary for Project success.

6. Subrecipient Reimbursement Process Management and Follow-Through:

• Collect, review, and confirm readiness of reimbursement request forms, invoices, and supporting materials associated with Subrecipient reimbursement requests in accordance with the structure of the subrecipient agreement .

• Notify Subrecipients of any deficiencies in the information in reimbursement requests and work with them to cure such deficiencies in accordance with the structure of the subrecipient agreement.

IX. Evaluation Criteria

Bidder scores will be used to rank Bidders and will determine which Bidders will proceed to subsequent stages of the evaluation and/or enter negotiations with the Commonwealth to receive a Contract award. The selected Bidder is required to have the experience, ability, and skills to complete projects of this type on time and within budget.

Evaluation criteria include the following:

• Bidder Qualifications & Experience:

Bidder’s organization demonstrates that it meets desired qualifications including under Bidder Qualifications. Bidder has demonstrated experience in providing project management for related programs or projects to this RFR, and of comparable scale and scope, inclusive of tasks listed

RFR-ENE-2027-013 /COMMBUYS Open Market Bid BD-27-1041-ENE01-ENE01-134960 under Scope of Work. Experience working with state or other government entities is a desirable experience-type.

• Bidder’s Proposed Approach to Meeting the Scope of Work:

Bidder’s proposed approach to meeting the Scope of Work is sufficiently thorough and comprehensive, addressing each aspect of the Scope of Work; and is reasonable, well thought-out, and well suited for this particular project and its needs.

• Price:

Bidder presents a reasonable budget with expected hours of work, billing rates and availability of qualified personnel which is inclusive of all ancillary costs.

• Capacity & Team Organization:

Bidder presents a reasonable bid that demonstrates sufficient capacity to deploy project management services as requested by the DOER. This may include staffing level committed to this project, weekly hours dedicated to this project from staff, and sufficient types of staff available with required levels of experience. Years of team member experience, type of experience inclusive of tasks listed under Scope of Services, and scale of staff experience will be considered.

X. Estimated Procurement Calendar

Procurement Activity Date

Request for Response Posted to COMMBUYS 10/29/2026

Deadline for Submission of Questions through COMMBUYS 11/12/2026

Official Answers for Bid Q&A published (Estimated) 11/20/2026

Deadline for Quotes/Bid Responses (Bid Opening Date/Time) 12/08/2026 at 4:00PM EST

Notification of Apparent Successful Bidder(s) (Estimated) 12/15/2026-12/23/2026

Estimated Contract Start Date 1/1/2027

Bidders are required to monitor COMMBUYS for changes to the procurement calendar for this Bid.

A) Online Questions (Bid Q&A)

Written Questions must be entered using the “Bid Q&A” tab for the Bid in COMMBUYS no later than the “Online Questions Due” date and time indicated in the Estimated Procurement Calendar (above). The issuing department reserves the right to not respond to questions submitted after this date. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to verify receipt of questions.

It is the responsibility of the prospective Bidder/awarded Contractor to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s contact person and prospective contract manager, if awarded a contract, and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the Purchasing Department, including requests for clarification. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s computer, network, or internet service provider (ISP) cause email communications sent to/from the prospective Bidder/awarded contractor and the Purchasing Department to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering.

Written Responses to Questions will be released on or about the “Responses to Questions Posted Online” date indicated in the Estimated Procurement Calendar (above).

(Written questions and responses will be posted on the Bid Q&A Tab for this Bid in

COMMBUYS.)

B) Bid Amendments

The Purchasing Department reserves the right to make amendments to the Bid after initial publication. It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for amendments, addenda, or modifications to this Bid, and any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

C) Quotes (Bid Responses) Deadline (Bid Opening Date/Time)

See the Quotes (Bid Responses) and Deadline (Bid Opening) Date and Time indicated in the Estimated Procurement Calendar (above).

a. Estimated Contract Start Date

This is the approximate start date. The actual start date will be the Contract Effective Date which is the date the Contract is executed by the parties.

XI. Instructions for Submission of Responses

Only electronic quotes submitted via COMMBUYS will be accepted in response to this RFR.

Responses must be sent via the “Create Quote” functionality in COMMBUYS. For instructions concerning how to submit a Quote, please see Appendix B.

Any submission that fails to meet the submission requirements of the RFR may be found non-responsive without further evaluation unless the evaluation team, at its discretion, determines that the non-compliance is insubstantial and may be corrected may be considered in its incomplete form. In these cases, the evaluation team may allow the vendor to make minor corrections to the submission.

A) Response Format

It is recommended but not required for documents to be in font size 12, spacing between 1 to 1.5, margins between .75” to 1”, with Times New Roman or other standard font. The DOER may request specific file types from Bidders after submittal for more efficient Bid processing.

A. Bidder Qualifications & Experience

i. Document the Bidder’s qualifications as it relates to the Bidder Qualifications section, as well as it relates to performing the tasks described in the Scope of Services section. Describe examples of Bidder’s experience managing contracts and/or projects similar to the Contract that may result from this RFR, including but not limited to similarities and differences of that previous work and this RFR; how long each similar project was for; for whom or what entity it was for; and if it included any federal grant-related aspects, as applicable. (Document A – no longer than 6 pages)

B. Bidder’s Proposed Approach to Meeting the Scope of Services

i. Describe the Bidder’s approach to providing services listed in the Scope of

Services. Bidder should include any aspects to their proposed approach that may be outstanding from this RFR’s Scope of Services section if justifiably necessary for the success of the Project. (Document B - no longer than 4 pages)

C. Cost Proposal

i. Submit table of high-level budget, including direct labor costs, Bid Subcontracts as applicable, and other cost categories. More than one sheet or table may be used if showing varying levels of total Contract price that may result from this RFR (no more than 3 total sheets or tables in one document). (Document C1 –)

ii. Submit description of costs/charges, and justifications for costs. (Document C2 –1- 3 pages)

D. Capacity & Team Organization

i. Provide a current resume (within the last two years) for all team members identified in D2 of this section, including job classification and description, relevant experience, education, academic degrees and professional licenses. The recommended length for the resumes is up to two pages for each team member. (Document D1 - one combined document)

ii. Identify and list all Bidder staff inclusive of, if applicable, all Bid Subcontractors and their staff, who will be committed to and/or working on the Project, and describe their roles. Describe the team’s professional awards, if applicable. Identify the percentage of time each team member will be available throughout the contract. Describe method of services, meaning if 100% remote or some remote and some in-person is proposed.

(Document D2 – no more than 3 pages)

iii. Describe the organizational structure of the Bidder, including providing an organizational chart of the entire Bidding team. If Bid includes Bid Subcontractors, describe experience and capacity in managing Bid Subcontractors. Describe in detail any potential conflicts of interest that may exist or arise from any Contract that may result from this RFR, with the DOER and/or Project partners. (Document D3 – no more than 3 pages)

Form/Document Notes/Instructions Naming Convention

Documents to submit specific to this RFR – details listed above for each document*

Document A no longer than 6 pages CompanyName_DocA

Document B no longer than 4 pages CompanyName_DocB

Document C1 1 document (table format ideal) CompanyName_DocC1

Document C2 1-3 pages CompanyName_DocC2

Document D1 one combined document CompanyName_DocD1

Document D2 no more than 3 pages CompanyName_DocD2

Document D3 no more than 3 pages CompanyName_DocD3

RFR-ENE-2027-013 /COMMBUYS Open Market Bid BD-27-1041-ENE01-ENE01-134960

XII. Standard Required Forms

Responses to this RFR must contain the following documents:

Check if applicable (“X”)

Form/Document Notes/Instructions (If any)

Commonwealth Terms and Conditions

Electronic Submission

Standard Contract Form and Instructions

Electronic Submission

Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing

Electronic Submission

Request for Taxpayer Identification Number & Certification (Massachusetts Substitute W-9 Form)

Upon Contract Award – can be submitted electronically

Authorization for Electronic Funds Transfer

Upon Contract Award – can be submitted electronically

The above attachments are available as part of the Bid record on COMMBUYS

(WWW.COMMBUYS.COM).

XIII. RFR Attachments

Appendix A: Required Specifications https://www.mass.gov/doc/rfr-required-specifications-of-commodities-and-services

Appendix B: Electronic Quote Submission Instructions https://www.mass.gov/doc/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids

Appendix C: RFR – List of Additional RFR Attachments

• Appendix C1: Federal Assistance Reporting Checklist

• Appendix C2: DOE Standard Terms and Conditions

• Appendix C3: DOE Special Terms and Conditions

XIV. Acceptable Forms of Signature

Effective June 15, 2021, for all 1) CTR forms, including the Standard Contract Form, W-9s, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) forms, ISAs, and other CTR-issued documents and forms, or 2) http://www.commbuys.com/ https://www.mass.gov/doc/rfr-required-specifications-of-commodities-and-services https://www.mass.gov/doc/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids https://www.mass.gov/doc/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids

RFR-ENE-2027-013 /COMMBUYS Open Market Bid BD-27-1041-ENE01-ENE01-134960 documents related to state finance and within the statutory area of authority or control of CTR (i.e.

contracts, payrolls, and related supporting documentation), CTR will accept signatures executed by an authorized signatory in any of the following ways: 1. Traditional “wet signature” (ink on paper); 2. Electronic signature that is either: a. Hand drawn using a mouse or finger if working from a touch screen device; or Page 2 b. An uploaded picture of the signatory’s hand drawn signature 3. Electronic signatures affixed using a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign. If using an electronic signature, the signature must be visible, include the signatory’s name and title, and must be accompanied by a signature date. Please be advised that typed text of a name not generated by a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign, even in computer-generated cursive script, or an electronic symbol, are not acceptable forms of electronic signature.

XV. Security and Confidentiality

A contract resulting from this Solicitation may result in a Bidder being in possession of or privy to confidential information. The Bidder/awarded Contractor shall comply fully with all security procedures of the Commonwealth and Commonwealth Agencies in performance of the Contract.

The Bidder/awarded Contractor shall not divulge to third parties confidential information obtained by the Bidder/awarded Contractor or its agents, distributors, resellers, subcontractors, officers, or employees, including, but not limited to, security procedures, business operations information, personally identifiable information, or commercial proprietary information in the possession of the Commonwealth Agency.

XVI. Invoice Policy

Bidders must be able to comply with DOER’s invoicing policy. All invoices must be submitted to the DOER on a schedule and in a format to be agreed upon by the DOER and the Bidder/awarded Contractor. Invoices shall include sufficient documentation to support the amount being invoiced, including but not limited to:

• Contractor details (Name, Address, etc…)

• Contractor contact information (A/R contact)

• Contractor EIN

• Invoice Date

• Description of goods/services

• Amount due

• Hourly rate

• Hours spent on project(s)

• Payroll service dates