Q&A for EJ & Community Engagement_ 3.21.24.docx

Q & A Responses from the WA State Dept. of Commerce, Clean Buildings Unit RFP # 92720-003, Environmental Justice and Community Engagement Planning In reference to the IRA Home Energy Rebate programs

Answers submitted on 3/21/2024; a second batch will be submitted 3/26/2024:

· Question: Can we select a subcontractor now to join our proposal effort, or do we need to wait until the contract is awarded?

· Answer: Proposers should identify at this time any subcontractors that they aim to work with if awarded this contract. Please see Section 3.4 Management Proposal in the RFP and also complete Exhibit B / Diverse Business Inclusion Plan located in the RFP.

· Question: Should the cost proposal include costs for time and materials for developing marketing materials (flyers, social media advertisements, etc.), or will Commerce produce and fund marketing materials separately?

· Answer: Commerce will not produce and/or fund marketing materials. See Section 3.5 Identification of Costs, “Please submit a detailed budget including staff costs and any expenses necessary to accomplish the tasks and to produce the required deliverables. You are required to collect and pay Washington state sales and use taxes if applicable. Costs for work to be completed by subcontractors are to be broken out separately.”

· Question: Does "state certified" small business mean only Washington State, or does certification in another state also hold that weight?

· Answer: RCW 39.26.010: Definitions. (wa.gov), Section (22) Small business" means an in-state business, including a sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity, that:

· Question: The timeline for performance so tight and what flexibility to extend the period of performance might be possible after a vendor is under contract?

· Answer: The timeline is tight for two reasons: 1) task 1 and task 2 deliverables are needed for submission to DOE (in Q4 2024 most likely) as part of our full application or blueprint before program launch; 2) Commerce seeks to launch the programs to the public in early 2025 and now that we are fully staffed, we are moving forward quickly to hire consultants and complete required deliverables. It is unlikely that extensions will be granted.

· Question: Will there be an implementation RFP published at a later date?

· Answer: We are in the planning phase for the Home Energy Rebate programs’ implementer. We will be hiring implementer(s) and will post that RFP in the coming months.

· Question: Will the "Outcome and Performance" be measured based on how many single-family versus multi-family homes the applicant proposes to engage? Or what is being scored is more about how the outcomes are laid out, i.e. would a more comprehensive outcome/performance structure score better?

· Answer: We will look at the comprehensive outreach and education approach and not simply the numbers of engaged homes. We aim for the launched program to have 50% of participating households qualifying as low-income and 40% of those enrolled being located in disadvantaged communities. Considering the high costs of some of these appliances and retrofits, for example, we will be evaluating how your approach will best achieve these goals.

· Question: Regarding Task 1b, does Commerce expect three in-person events for the entire state or three in-person events for the western side of the state and the eastern side (six total)?

· Answer: We would like to see a minimum of three in-person events statewide, but more may be needed in order to execute deliverables. Please propose what you think makes sense to meet work objectives.

· Question: Regarding Task 1c do you have an ideal number of interviews that we are to perform?

· Answer: No, the goal is to interview enough stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding of what is needed and/or feasible in disadvantaged communities to meet the minimum equity requirements. For example, you will seek to understand what associated costs (if any) can be realistically paid for by low-income households for each region and state-wide.

· Question: Does submitting and/or winning the planning proposal disqualify a vendor from participating in the implementation RFP (if there will be one)?

· Answer: No, it does not.

· Question: Regarding scoring, will you say more about how staff experience is scored under "Management Proposal – at 20% of the total proposal score?" Is staff considered more qualified if they are from an organization that engages with landlords, etc.?

· Answer: No, not necessarily. Please refer to Section 3.4, Section B Experience of the Proposer,

1) Please indicate the experience that the Proposer has in the following areas. If the Proposer does not have the specified experience, explain whether they plan to seek a subcontractor or will follow another mitigation strategy. The proposer must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in the following areas:

a. Analyzing marketing and outreach methods for residential programs or projects that serve underserved communities.

b. Writing engagement strategies for underserved communities, ideally for a statewide program.

c. Working with community-based organizations to conduct outreach, education, and engagement and/or leading broad marketing and outreach efforts.

d. Demonstrated knowledge of residential building energy efficiency and weatherization measures.

e. Demonstrated knowledge of existing Washington State stakeholders in the energy efficiency or weatherization space.

2) Indicate any other relevant experience that shows the qualifications of the Proposer for the performance of the potential contract.

We have uploaded a sample scoring sheet in the Box folder for your review.

· Question: How soon will the presentation slides be sent out?

· Answer: The slides and recording were uploaded to the Box folder on March 12, 2024. Basic DOE templates have been saved in the Box folder as well; the templates are a rough guide and our work as part of this RFP will be specific to Washington State and other templates may be provided at that time.