Sources_Sought_SMEF_Engineering_support.pdf

Solicitation Number:

N/A Notice Type:

Sources Sought

INTRODUCTION

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a U.S. government agency, seeks market research (sources sought) regarding individuals or firms able to provide in-house engineering support for OPIC finance and insurance transaction teams. This engineering team would be used to perform technical due diligence on prospective OPIC renewable energy projects – with a particular focus on Power Africa and “Beyond the Grid” projects (on a demand-driven basis) – to facilitate the underwriting process of potential OPIC financing and insurance transactions.

The team of engineers will provide in-house engineering services that are often performed by independent engineering firms on financing transactions, as well as supervise external independent engineering firms on an as-needed basis. The team will advise OPIC on all technical issues that could lead to additional capital expenditure requirements, shortfalls in performance, or any other technical or operating risks that could impact the ability of the OPIC-supported renewable energy projects to service debt or maintain value as operating assets. The engineers will provide support for distributed generation, off-grid and utility scale projects.

BACKGROUND

OPIC is the U.S. Government’s Development Finance Institution. OPIC provides financial products, such as loans and guaranties; political risk insurance; and support for investment funds, all of which help American businesses expand into emerging markets. By mobilizing private capital to help solve critical development challenges, OPIC advances U.S. foreign policy, and catalyzes revenues, jobs and growth opportunities both at home and abroad.

In each of the last four fiscal years, OPIC has committed roughly $1 billion dollars per year – in the form of financing and/or political risk insurance – towards renewable energy projects in emerging markets worldwide. OPIC is a key implementing partner of President Obama’s Power Africa initiative, the “Beyond the Grid” sub-initiative, and the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative.

Through this Sources Sought notice, OPIC is seeking information regarding individual or business organizations with experience working on the technical underwriting aspects of renewable energy projects in order to expedite the underwriting timeline for OPIC projects, as well as to lower the transaction costs associated with OPIC financing and insurance commitments (especially for smaller transactions). Following this Sources Sought, OPIC may issue an official solicitation.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

The following qualification requirements must be met in order to be deemed a source for the subject position (OPIC reserves the right to include additional requirements to be met in the official solicitation):

Contractor must be reputable, professionally organized, and knowledgeable in the engineering and technical underwriting aspects of renewable energy projects.

Contractor must demonstrate experience in providing engineering analysis related to 3rd-party financed (debt, equity) renewable energy projects.

Contractor to demonstrate experience with technical underwriting aspects of renewable energy projects including: energy production analysis; evaluation of technologies (photovoltaic modules, wind turbines, storage and power electronic technologies, etc.); system design and engineering; sponsor and management capabilities for implementation of the project; warranty evaluation; contract review and evaluation; evaluation of engineering procurement and construction (EPC) and operation and maintenance (O&M) contractors; evaluation of construction and operation risks and mitigants; and technical aspects of the project financial model. While an understanding of a broad range of technology is viewed favorably, experience in the technical underwriting of solar projects is a fundamental requirement.

Contract must be capable of drafting scopes of work for independent engineering work to be performed and be able to review third party engineering reports for completeness and accuracy.

Contractor must demonstrate experience with the technical-, regulatory-, and process-related aspects of interconnecting renewable energy projects.

Contractor must be able to provide full-time availability and transaction support.

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE, NOT A SOLICTATION. VERBAL

REPLIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. ALL INQUIRIES MUST BE PROVIDED IN

WRITING VIA E-MAIL.

Interested individuals or companies shall provide a Letter of Interest to respond to this announcement as soon as possible but no later than 5 PM Eastern Daylight Time May 1, 2015.

Interested parties shall provide this Letter of Interest in pdf format via email to

Juliet Felent at email address:jfelent@opic.gov.

The Letter of Interest is limited to [5] pages of single spaced text of 12-point font with minimum 1" margins all around. Brevity is encouraged.

The Letter of Interest shall include:

Name and address of the individual or company

Small business status (e.g., 8(a), SDVOSB, Not a SB, etc.)

GSA schedule information, if applicable

Point of contact including name, title, phone and email address

Address how each of the qualification requirements listed above is met.

If possible, a copy of the resume(s) or CV(s) of individual(s) who may reasonably expected be performing the work under a possible future contract award (to include description of relevant work experience).

Contracting Office Address:

Juliet Felent Director of Procurement Overseas Private Investment Corporation 1100 New York Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20527

Place of Performance:

Overseas Private Investment Corporation 1100 New York Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20527