KGS1173830 Natural Gas Transport Services.pdf

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina State University

Request for Proposal #: 63-KGS1173830

Natural Gas Transport Services

Date of Issue: October 22, 2026

Proposal Opening Date: November 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Kristen Shelton, NCCM, CPPB Procurement Specialist

Email: kgshelto@ncsu.edu mailto:kgshelto@ncsu.edu

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Request for Proposal #63-KGS1173830 - Natural Gas Transportation Services

For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of proposals, provide your company’s eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public.

This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential , before the procurement file is made available for public inspection.

This page shall be filled out and returned with your proposal.

Failure to do so may subject your proposal to rejection.

Vendor Name

Vendor eVP#

Note : For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered Vendor in good standing. You must enter the Vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal). If you do not have a Vendor number, register at https://evp.nc.gov/SignIn

Electronic responses ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation through the EUNA (Bonfire) Portal, https://ncsu.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities.

Ver: 11/2025 https://evp.nc.gov/SignIn

Proposal Number 63-KGS1173830 Vendor: __________________________________________

Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Kristen Shelton kgshelto@ncsu.edu

Request for Proposal #63-KGS1173830 - Natural Gas Transportation Services

Proposals will be publicly opened: 2:00 PM, November 20, 2026 Using Agency: NC State University Commodity No. and Description: 831016 - Oil and gas utilities &

781021 - Pipeline services Requisition No.: 0001173830

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Proposals (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.

By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:

● this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54),

● none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and

● it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.

Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that:

● it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.

As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.

As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of any Contract arising from this solicitation.

G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public contracts; or awarding or administering public contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public contract of any gift from anyone with a contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor’s entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor is not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

By executing this proposal, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the ATTACHMENTS page within this document.

Ver: 11/2025 2

Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal may render proposal invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late proposals shall not be accepted.

COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE

NUMBER:

TOLL FREE TEL. NO:

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR:

VENDOR’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE* : DATE: EMAIL:

VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least sixty 60 days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated here: 90 days , or if extended by mutual agreement of the parties in writing. Any withdrawal of this offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFP.

ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL

If your proposal is accepted, all provisions of this RFP, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute the written agreement between the parties (“Contract”). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS are incorporated herein and shall apply. Depending upon the Goods or Services being offered, other terms and conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.

FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on

The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.

(Authorized Representative of NC State University)

Ver: 11/2025 3

Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND 5

1.1 CONTRACT TERM 6

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 6

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT 6

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE 6

2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS 6

2.4 RFP SCHEDULE 7

2.5 SITE VISIT or PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE 7

2.6 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS 7

2.7 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL - EUNA DBA Bonfire 7

2.8 PROPOSAL CONTENTS 8

2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS 9

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS 9

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD 9

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION 9

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS 10

3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA 11

3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES 12

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES 12

4.0 REQUIREMENTS 13

4.1 PRICING 13

4.2 FINANCIAL STABILITY 13

4.3 HUB PARTICIPATION 14

4.4 VENDOR EXPERIENCE 14

4.5 REFERENCES 14

4.6 BACKGROUND CHECKS 14

4.7 PERSONNEL 15

4.8 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS 15

4.9 QUESTIONS TO VENDORS 15

4.10 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION 15

4.11 SUBCONTRACTORS 16

4.12 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION 16

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK 16

5.1 GENERAL 16

5.2 FUEL SWITCHING & LDC CONDITIONS 17

5.3 TASKS/DELIVERABLES 17

5.4 PROJECT ORGANIZATION 18

5.5 TECHNICAL APPROACH 18

5.6 CERTIFICATION AND SAFETY LABELS 18

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION 18

Ver: 11/2025 4

6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE 18

6.1.1 COMMUNICATIONS & ACCOUNT ACCESS 19

6.1.2 NYMEX STRIP PURCHASE EXECUTION 19

6.1.3 CALENDAR MONTH INVOICING BASELINES 19

6.2 INVOICES 19

6.2.1 MANDATORY MID-JUNE CLOSEOUT INVOICING 20

6.3 POST AWARD BUSINESS REVIEW MEETINGS 20

6.4 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT 20

6.5 PERIODIC REPORTING 20

6.6 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK 20

6.7 FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE 21

6.8 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE 21

6.9 DISPUTE RESOLUTION 21

6.10 CONTRACT CHANGES 21

7.0 ATTACHMENTS 22

ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL / BID TABLE (BT-05AX) 22

ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS 23

ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS 23

ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION 23

ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM 23

ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR 23

ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION 23

LOBBYING ACTIVITY CERTIFICATION FOR FEDERAL GRANTS 23

Appendix A 24 Appendix B 25 Appendix C 26 Appendix D 27

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

NC State University’s Campus Operations and Maintenance, Energy Management Department (hereafter referred to as "the University") seeks formal, sealed proposals from qualified, Enbridge Gas (formerly Dominion Energy)-certified natural gas providers (hereafter referred to as "the Vendor") to deliver a firm, full-requirements natural gas supply and transportation service. This procurement ensures the continuous, uninterrupted operation of the University’s critical heating infrastructure, central utility facilities, academic zones, and campus residential sectors in Raleigh, North Carolina.

All utility service accounts within this Request for Proposals (RFP) are located behind Enbridge Gas Company’s Local Distribution Company (LDC) physical franchise system and operate under third-party transportation rate rules. The University consumes approximately two (2) million dekatherms (Dth) of natural gas annually across its diverse portfolio of central energy plants and research facilities.

The University intends to contract with one (1) single provider for the natural gas Fixed Basis Cost component across all main campus utility accounts. Following contract execution and stabilization of the basis pricing margin, the University intends to purchase fixed-price NYMEX futures strips and short-term monthly market natural gas based on seasonal market trends and the University's buying plans. The University provides no minimum or maximum volume

Ver: 11/2025 5 guarantees under any resulting contract.

The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Contract.

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The length of any contract resulting from this competitive solicitation shall commence on July 1, 2028, for a period of twelve (12), twenty-four (24), or thirty-six (36) months as determined by the University. Proposers must submit firm pricing for all three options:

● 12-month contract from July 2028 through June 2029

● 24-month contract from July 2028 through June 2030

● 36-month contract from July 2028 through June 2031

The University will select one (1) option at award. The awarded vendor is contractually required to accept the duration option selected. No renewals will be included. The State reserves the right to extend the Contract after the active term.

At contract execution, the awarded Vendor must grant the ability for a trigger or pre-purchase commodity for delivery during any month or months of the contract term.

Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

This RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award, which are incorporated herein by reference.

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

ATTENTION: The E-Procurement fee may apply to this solicitation. See the paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT of the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions.

General information on the E-Procurement Services can be found at: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/ .

2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors are also responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP.

If Vendors have questions or issues regarding any component of this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in the PROPOSAL QUESTIONS Section. If the State determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. The State may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer period, prior to contract award.

Other than through the process of negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, the State rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor’s proposal or otherwise.

This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to

Ver: 11/2025 6 http://eprocurement.nc.gov/ further negotiation. Vendor’s proposal shall constitute a firm offer that shall be held open for the period required herein (“Validity Period” above).

The State may exercise its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this RFP Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded unless expressly agreed upon through negotiation and incorporated by way of a Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor’s proposal as nonresponsive.

2.4 RFP SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Event Responsibility Date and Time Issue RFP NC State October 22, 2026 Submit Written Questions Vendor November 5, 2026 by 5:00PM Provide Response to Questions NC State On or before November 11, 2026 Submit Proposals Vendor November 20, 2026 by 2:00PM Contract Award NC State On or before February 18, 2027

2.5 SITE VISIT or PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

A site visit or pre-proposal conference is not scheduled for this RFP process. Proposers must review historical utility consumption datasets attached hereto to inform their capacity assessments.

2.6 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the “Submit Written Questions” date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum.

Written questions shall be emailed to kgshelto@ncsu.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP # 63-KGS1173830: Natural Gas Transport Services Questions” as the subject for the email. Question submittals should include a reference to the applicable RFP section and be submitted in the format shown below:

Reference Vendor Question

RFP Section, Page Number Vendor question …?

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the State will be posted in the form of an addendum to the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), https://evp.nc.gov , and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any State personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in the RFP and an addendum to this RFP.

2.7 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL - EUNA DBA Bonfire

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure its proposal has been received as described in this RFP by the specified time and date of opening . The time and date of receipt will be marked on each proposal when received. Any proposal or portion thereof received after the proposal deadline will be rejected.

Ver: 11/2025 7 mailto:kgshelto@ncsu.edu https://evp.nc.gov/

All proposal responses shall be submitted electronically at Bonfire using the link below:

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS ARE REQUIRED THROUGH BONFIRE. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT PAPER OR FAXED RESPONSES.

https://ncsu.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/235230

For Technical Information Contact: EUNA Support via email, https://help.eunasolutions.com/hc/en-us/, or phone 1-800-354-8010 Ext. 2, Monday – Friday from 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM ET.

Failure to submit a proposal in strict accordance with these instructions shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a Vendor’s proposal(s). Vendors are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to upload proposals.

Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this RFP. It is important that all Vendors responding to this RFP periodically check the State’s eVP website for any Addenda that may be issued prior to the bid opening date. All Vendors shall be deemed to have read and understood all information in this RFP and all Addenda thereto.

If confidential and proprietary information is included in the proposal, also submit one (1) signed, REDACTED copy of the proposal. Such information may include trade secrets defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-152 and other information exempted from the Public Records Act pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §132- 1.2. Vendor may designate information, Products, Services or appropriate portions of its response as confidential, consistent with and to the extent permitted under the statutes and rules set forth above. By so redacting any page, or portion of a page, the Vendor warrants that it has formed a good faith opinion, having received such necessary or proper review by counsel and other knowledgeable advisors, that the portions determined to be confidential and proprietary and redacted as such, meet the requirements of the Rules and Statutes set forth above. However, under no circumstances shall price information be designated as confidential.

If the Vendor does not provide a redacted version of the proposal with its proposal submission, the Department may release an unredacted version if a record request is received.

2.8 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized signature where requested. Failure to provide all required items, or Vendor’s submission of incomplete items, may result in the State rejecting Vendor’s proposal, in the State’s sole discretion.

Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and attachments, which shall be arranged in the following order and must be uploaded in the corresponding location listed on EUNA:

1. Cover Letter: which must contain the following: (i) a statement that confirms that the proposer has read the RFP in its entirety, including all links, and all Addenda released in conjunction with the RFP, (ii) a statement that the Vendor agrees to perform in accordance with the scope of work, requirements, and specifications contained herein; and (iii) Vendor’s agreement to comply with all instructions, terms and conditions, and attachments.

2. Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Proposal Number.

3. Execution Pages: Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP.

4. Addenda: Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP, if required to be returned.

5. Technical Proposal Narrative: Vendor’s Proposal addressing all Specifications of this RFP. Complete written responses to all sections within Sections 4.0 (Requirements), 5.0 (Scope of Work) and 6.0 (Contract Administration).

6. Technical and Operational Response Questionnaire (Q-15HY): As part of the technical narrative outlined above (#2), vendors must download and complete this questionnaire.

a. Operational Capabilities: Identify delivery pipelines, confirm inclusion of fuel/transport in the Basis, and provide monthly historical volumes depth behind the Enbridge City Gate for FY25 (Ref. July 2024 to June 2025) or a Firm Transportation Agreement (FTA) demonstrating the Proposer has an

Ver: 11/2025 8 established firm pipeline capacity behind the Enbridge City Gate for FY29 that is similar to the University's annual consumption volumes.

b. Risk Management & Service Conditions: Define the process for fixed-price swaps and triggers, including any associated execution fees ($/Dth), and confirm credit line approvals or required financial assurances.

7. Section 7 Cost Proposal (BT-05AX): Download and Complete version of ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL / BID

TABLE (BT-05AX)

8. Required Supplemental Attachments: Completed versions of ATTACHMENT D (HUB), ATTACHMENT E (References), ATTACHMENT F (Worker Location), and ATTACHMENT G (Financial Condition Certification).

2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

Relevant definitions for this RFP are provided in 01 NCAC 05A .0112 and in the Instructions to Vendors found below which are incorporated herein by this reference.

The following definitions, acronyms, and abbreviations are also relevant to this RFP:

Basis Price: The fixed comprehensive pricing component of natural gas representing all upstream transportation, asset management fees, marketing margins, line fuel retention losses, and city gate delivery charges ($/Dth).

BTU (British Thermal Unit): The standard metric utilized to measure the energy content of natural gas volumes.

CUP (Central Utility Plant): High-volume campus infrastructure plants supplying primary district energy networks.

Dekatherm (Dth): The standard commercial billing unit for natural gas volume, equal to ten (10) therms or 1,000,000 BTUs.

Enbridge Gas (NC): The Local Distribution Company (LDC) holding the local public utility franchise network in Raleigh, NC.

NYMEX Strip: Financial or physical gas futures contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange utilized for commodity price lock triggers.

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a general list of criteria the State shall use to award contracts, as supplemented by the additional criteria herein. The Goods or Services being procured shall dictate the application and order of criteria; however, all award decisions shall be in the State’s best interest. All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the specific RFP Specifications and achieving the highest and best final evaluation, based on the criteria described below.

While the intent of this RFP is to award a Contract(s) to a single Vendor, the State reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items or to cancel this RFP in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so.

The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received.

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

While this RFP is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and vendors, is prohibited from engaging in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See Paragraph 29 of the Instructions to Vendors entitled COMMUNICATIONS BY VENDORS.

Each Vendor submitting a proposal to this RFP, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, vendors, subsidiaries and affiliates, is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency;

issuing agency; other government agency office or body (including the procurement lead named above, any Ver: 11/2025 9 department secretary, agency head, members of the General Assembly and Governor’s office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s proposal or qualifications, the content of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor’s qualifications or ability to perform a resulting contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals, the award of a contract, or both.

Any Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from evaluation and award. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its subcontractor and/or vendor engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active ( i.e. , the issuance date of the procurement until the date of contract award or cancellation of the procurement). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this RFP or inquiries directed to the procurement lead named in this RFP regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

Only responsive submissions will be evaluated.

The State will conduct a One-Step evaluation of Proposals:

Proposals will be received according to the method stated in the Proposal Submittal Section above.

All proposals must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the State reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the State.

At the date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum, the proposal from each responding Vendor will be opened publicly and all offers (except those that have been previously withdrawn, or voided bids) will be tabulated. The tabulation shall be made public at the time it is created. When negotiations after receipt of bids are authorized pursuant to G.S. 143-49 and 01 NCAC 05B.0503, only the names of offerors and the Goods and Services offered shall be tabulated at the time of opening. If negotiation is anticipated, cost and price shall become available for public inspection at the time of the award. Interested parties are cautioned that these costs and their components are subject to further evaluation for completeness and correctness and therefore may not be an exact indicator of a Vendor’s pricing position.

At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor.

If negotiation is anticipated under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, pricing may not be public until award.

Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State will make award(s) based on the evaluation and post the award(s) to the State’s eVP website under the RFP number for this solicitation. Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the State.

The State reserves the right to negotiate with one or more vendors, or to reject all original offers and negotiate with one or more sources of supply that may be capable of satisfying the requirement, and in either case to require Vendor to submit a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) based on discussions and negotiations with the State.

Ver: 11/2025 10

3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

In addition to the general criteria in G.S. 143-52 which may or may not be relevant to this RFP, all qualified proposals will be evaluated, and award made based on considering the following criteria, to result in an award most advantageous to the State:

BEST VALUE : "Best Value" procurement methods are authorized by N.C.G.S. §§143-135.9 and 143B-1350(h). The award decision is made based on multiple factors, including: total cost of ownership, meaning the cost of acquiring, operating, maintaining, and supporting a product or service over its projected lifetime; the evaluated technical merit of the Vendor's offer; the Vendor's past performance; and the evaluated probability of performing the specifications stated in the solicitation on time, with high quality, and in a manner that accomplishes the stated business objectives and maintains industry standards compliance. The intent of "Best Value" procurement is to enable Vendors to offer and the Agency to select the most appropriate solution to meet the business objectives defined in the solicitation and to keep all parties focused on the desired outcome of a procurement.

A ranking method of source selection will be utilized in this procurement using evaluation criteria listed in order of importance in the Evaluation Criteria section below to allow the State to award this RFP to the Vendor(s) providing the Best Value and recognizing that Best Value may result in award other than the lowest price or highest technically qualified offer. By using this method, the overall ranking may be adjusted up or down when considered with, or traded-off against, other non-price factors.

EVALUATION METHOD : Narrative and by consensus of the evaluating committee, explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal and why the recommended awardee(s) provide the best value to the State.

All proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria below with a total weight of 100%:

SCREENING CRITERIA : Complete proposal response (as outlined in Section 2). All items requested are included in the response package and submitted as instructed. All files are transmitted to the Bonfire site without password or other lockdown requirements and proof of insurance demonstrates existing coverage meeting required minimum limits.

Incomplete responses will not be considered further.

Proposals meeting the screening criteria will then be further evaluated by the following weighted criteria in order to select the Contractor providing the best overall value to the department requesting these services:

40% - Technical Evaluation:

20 points Vendor Stability and Experience - Sections 4 (4.2-4.4, 4.6-4.12) and 6

The proposal will be evaluated based on the Proposer’s demonstrated stability, financial strength, relevant experience, personnel qualifications, and historical performance. Evaluation will consider the Proposer’s ability to successfully manage natural gas transportation and supply projects of similar size and complexity, including experience with projects involving 2M+ Dth annually.

Failure to provide required financial documentation may result in disqualification or a score of zero for the Financial Stability & Strength component.

Vendor Stability and Experience Evaluation Subcategory Points

Financial Stability & Strength (Dun & Bradstreet report or equivalent audited financial reports ) 5 Points

Relevant Experience & Project Scale (2M+ Dth annually) 5 Points

Personnel Qualifications (Technical competence, industry certifications, relevant experience) 5 Points

Past Performance & Client History (including public-sector experience and prior University performance, if applicable) 5 Points

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10 points Deliverables and Expectations - Section 5

The proposal demonstrates the Proposer’s ability to deliver the services identified in the scope of work and can provide services before, during, and after the procurement of natural gas. These services may include, but are not limited to, assistance in planning, training, troubleshooting, system access and upgrades, and accurate invoices and payment processes. Other services include the capability and willingness to prepare mid-month invoices, particularly during the month of June, and the ability to accommodate the University’s gas usage patterns.

10 points References - Section 4.5

References will be evaluated to confirm that the Proposer has a successful history of providing services similar in nature and scope to those requested in this RFP. The University reserves the right to contact references provided in the proposal, as well as other customers known to the University, to verify the Proposer’s ability to meet delivery timelines, invoice accuracy, and responsiveness to operational constraints.

60% Cost Evaluation:

60 points - Cost Proposal - Section 4.1 and ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL / BID TABLE (BT-05AX)

Vendor shall provide aggressively competitive pricing – pricing reserved for its largest and most important accounts – both at the outset of the relationship and on an ongoing basis. Cost scores are calculated by dividing each score into the lowest total cost proposal/proposed solution total cost x 60. The lowest cost proposal receives all of the 60 available points. The remaining proposals scores are calculated by dividing their cost into the low cost and multiplying that result by 0.60.

EXAMPLE

Vendor A’s proposed total cost = $0.37 Vendor B’s proposed total cost = $0.35 Vendor C’s proposed total cost = $0.30 (lowest total cost proposed)

Cost scores would be calculated as follows:

Vendor C: (0.30/0.30) x 60 = 60 points Vendor B: (0.30/0.35) x 60 = 51.43 points Vendor A: (0.30/0.37) x 60 = 48.65 points

3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFP, the State may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States , how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the State:

a) Total cost to the State

b) Level of quality provided by the Vendor

c) Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

d) Protection of the State’s information and intellectual property

e) Availability of pertinent skills

f) Ability to understand the State’s business requirements and internal operational culture

g) Particular risk factors such as the security of the State’s information technology

h) Relations with citizens and employees

i) Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This RFP serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the State; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this Ver: 11/2025 12 procurement. The use of phrases such as “shall,” “must,” and “requirements” are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether proposals should be evaluated or rejected, the State will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the State’s needs as described in the RFP. Except as specifically stated in the RFP, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the State exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this RFP. By submitting a proposal, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements, and terms and conditions stated in this RFP. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification, or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the State to receive a better proposal, the Vendor is urged to submit these items in the form of a question during the question-and-answer period in accordance with the Proposal Questions Section above.

4.1 PRICING

Pricing shall be submitted strictly as a firm, fixed Basis Price per Dekatherm ($/Dth) to the Enbridge Gas City Gate for the main campus utility footprint. Proposers must input basis rates to exactly four (4) decimal places (e.g., $0.1234) as outlined in ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL (BT-05AX). This rate must be inclusive of all upstream pipeline transportation fees, fuel retention/losses, and marketing margins required to provide Primary Firm transportation service. The pricing provided in ATTACHMENT A, or resulting from any negotiations, is incorporated herein and shall become part of any resulting Contract.

INVOICES MAY NOT BE PAID UNTIL AN INSPECTION HAS OCCURRED AND THE GOODS OR SERVICES ACCEPTED.

4.2 FINANCIAL STABILITY

As a condition of contract award, the Vendor must certify that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue to perform its obligations under the Contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering into this Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction.

Although Enbridge Gas-certified vendors are assumed to meet the University’s minimum financial requirements in order to pre-qualify as an Enbridge Gas vendor, apparent relative financial strength and stability will be considered.

Each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by submitting the following financial documentation as an attachment to its Proposal:

● Mandatory Submittal: Proposers must include their comprehensive, official Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Credit Report with their response. This report must feature a generation date timestamped after January 1, 2026 .

● If a D&B report is unavailable, the Proposer must complete ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The State is requiring this certification to minimize potential issues from contracting with a Vendor that is financially unstable. From the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the State within thirty (30) days of any occurrence or condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this Certification. The Contract Manager may require annual recertification of the Vendor’s financial stability.

Financial information, statements and/or documents submitted with a Proposal shall be evaluated to determine:

whether the Vendor has sufficient ability to perform the Contract; whether the Vendor is able to meet its short term obligations, debts, liabilities, payroll, and expenses; whether Vendor has provided complete, reliable and accurate financial information regarding its business operation; whether the Vendor is financially solvent; and whether Vendor has sufficient cash flow and/or available financing from a financial institution to perform the proposed contract for 60

Ver: 11/2025 13 days without receiving payment from the State. Financial information of non-public entities may be marked as confidential in accordance with the Paragraph of the Instructions to Vendors entitled Confidential Information.

4.3 HUB PARTICIPATION

Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute G.S. 143-48, it is State policy to encourage and promote the use of small, minority, physically handicapped, and women contractors in purchasing Goods and Services. As such, this RFP will serve to identify those Vendors that are minority owned or have a strategic plan to support the State’s Historically Underutilized Business program by meeting or exceeding the goal of 10% utilization of diverse firms as 1st or 2nd tier subcontractors. Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION.

4.4 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

In its Proposal, Vendor shall demonstrate experience with public and/or private sector clients with similar or greater size and complexity to the State. The Proposer must be certified by Enbridge Gas serving as the LDC, as a prequalified distributor with a successful history of providing the services outlined herein. Vendors must have a minimum of five

(5) years of experience providing natural gas transportation services to entities with a similar load profile (approx. 2 million dth/year). Vendors must demonstrate experience working within the Enbridge Gas (NC) Local Distribution Company (LDC) service territory and the specific rate classes (145/175, 150/180).

4.5 REFERENCES

Vendor shall provide at least three (3) references, using ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM, for which it has provided Services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein. References shall not be from the same company or from the soliciting State entity. At least one reference from a public sector or government entity is preferred, but not required. In addition, Vendor shall provide references for and identify other government contracts it has received, for which your company has provided services of similar size and scope.. The references provided must demonstrate experience with accounts similar in size, nature and scope to that described herein.

The State shall contact these users to determine whether the Services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and whether Vendor’s performance has been satisfactory. The information obtained shall be considered in the evaluation of the Proposal. Failure to obtain a response from references within forty-eight (48) hours of contact by the University may result in the reference being considered unresponsive for evaluation purposes.

4.6 BACKGROUND CHECKS

Any personnel or agent of Vendor performing Services under any Contract arising from this RFP may be required to undergo a background check at the expense of the Vendor, if so requested by the State.

a) Any criminal felony conviction, or conviction of any crime involving moral turpitude, including, but not limited to fraud, misappropriation or deception, by Vendor, its officers or directors, or any of its employees or other personnel to provide Services on this project, of which Vendor has knowledge, or provide a statement that Vendor is aware of none;

b) Any criminal investigation for any offense involving moral turpitude, including, but not limited to fraud, misappropriation, falsification or deception pending against Vendor of which it has knowledge, or provide a statement Vendor is aware of none;

c) Any regulatory sanctions levied against Vendor or any of its officers, directors or its professional employees expected to provide Services on this project by any state or federal regulatory agencies within the past three years or a statement that there are none. As used herein, the term “regulatory sanctions” includes the revocation or suspension of any license or certification, the levying of any monetary penalties or fines, and the issuance of any written warnings;

Ver: 11/2025 14

d) Any regulatory investigations pending against Vendor or any of its officers, directors or its professional employees expected to provide Services on this project by any state or federal regulatory agencies of which Vendor has knowledge or a statement that there are none.

e) Any civil litigation , arbitration, proceedings, or judgments pending against Vendor during the three (3) years preceding submission of its proposal herein or a statement that there are none.

Vendor’s response to these requests shall be considered a continuing representation, and Vendor’s failure to notify the State within thirty (30) days of any criminal litigation, investigation or proceeding involving Vendor or its then current officers, directors or persons providing Services under this Contract during its term shall constitute a material breach of contract. The provisions of this paragraph shall also apply to any subcontractor utilized by Vendor to perform Services under this Contract.

4.7 PERSONNEL

Vendor warrants that qualified personnel shall provide Services under this Contract in a professional manner.

“Professional manner” means that the personnel performing the Services will possess the skill and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Proposers must designate a dedicated Account Manager with a minimum of three (3) years of experience in energy markets to serve as the primary point of contact for nominations, balancing, billing inquiries, and related account management activities. The Account Manager shall be responsible for timely response and resolution of account issues within twentyfour (24) hours.

Vendor will serve as the prime contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s) that may be approved by the State. Names of any third-party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor’s obligations hereunder. Vendor will retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by third party subcontractor(s).

Should the Vendor’s proposal result in an award, the Vendor shall be required to agree that it will not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of the Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall further agree that it will notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor’s recommended substitute personnel. The State will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The State may, in its sole discretion, terminate the Services of any person providing Services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the State may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract Services provided by such personnel.

4.8 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

If Vendor’s Proposal results in an award, Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of the State under the Contract. If any Services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this solicitation are required for Vendor’s proper performance, provision and delivery of the Service and deliverables under a resulting Contract, or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such Service, they will be deemed to be implied by and included within the scope of the Contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in the Contract. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish all of its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and/or other Deliverables.

4.9 QUESTIONS TO VENDORS

Proposers must provide complete answers within the Bonfire Technical Questionnaire (Q-15HY) addressing firm upstream capacity commitments, scheduling notification workflows, and credit facility details.

4.10 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION

A. Default Insurance Coverage from the General Terms and Conditions applicable to this Solicitation:

Ver: 11/2025 15

Small Purchases

Contract value in excess of the Small Purchase threshold, but up to $1,000,000.00

X Contract value in excess of $1,000,000.00

4.11 SUBCONTRACTORS

No portion of the work shall be subcontracted without prior written consent of the State. In the event that the Vendor desires to subcontract some part of the work specified herein, the Vendor shall furnish with their bid the names, qualifications, and experience of their proposed subcontractors. The Vendor shall, however, remain solely and fully liable and responsible for the work done by its subcontractor(s) and shall assure compliance with all the requirements and specifications of the contract.

4.12 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

Prior to entering into a contract with the State, the awarded Vendor(s) must complete registration with the NC Secretary of State. Upon notification of award, the selected Vendor(s) must furnish evidence of filing within 10 business days. Failure to provide this documentation may result in the disqualification of the Vendor(s) bid from further consideration for the award.

No purchase orders shall be issued prior to confirmation of completed registration with the Secretary of State.

A contract award under the above-referenced solicitation, and the resulting purchase orders, will produce repeated orders and transactions in North Carolina and will constitute “transacting business” in the State, which requires a certificate of authority from the North Carolina Secretary of State as provided in G.S. §55-15-01 (corporations) or §57D-7-01 (LLCs). Please go to: https://www.sosnc.gov/ to register.

Vendor registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State: Yes☐ No ☐

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

The awarded Vendor shall perform all activities necessary to provide the University’s natural gas supply for the contract period. The Vendor shall fulfill the following core requirements:

● 5.1.1 Provide firm, full requirements for natural gas supply to the utility city gate for the University’s facilities from reliable sources of supply and for the length of any resulting contract.

● 5.1.2 Arrange for firm transportation of the gas from the source of supply over any applicable gathering lines, intrastate pipeline(s) and interstate pipeline(s), to the Enbridge Gas Delivery Point.

● 5.1.3 Provide all natural gas balancing to accommodate the University’s gas usage patterns and any imbalances that might be incurred on the applicable pipeline(s), and/or the Local Distribution Company (LDC).

● 5.1.4 Nominate and deliver natural gas volumes on a daily/monthly basis to meet the full requirements (100% swing) of the University’s facilities.

PAST USAGE

In fiscal years 2023, 2024 and 2025, the University used in excess of…