HOWARD COUNTY, MARYLAND

OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT

AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 226, Columbia, MD 21046 https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/County-Administration/Procurement-and-Contract-Administration

Formal RFPs and RFP Results are available on our website

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Via eProcurement System

RFP NO. 03-2027

COMMUNITY SOLAR SUBSCRIBER COORDINATION SERVICES

OPENING: AUGUST 26, 2026 AT 11:00 A.M.

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: AUGUST 5, 2026 AT 10:00 A.M.

BUYER: Dean Hof, Procurement Administrator

PHONE: 410-313-4239 EMAIL: dhof@howardcountymd.gov https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/County-Administration/Procurement-and-Contract-Administration https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/County-Administration/Procurement-and-Contract-Administration mailto:dhof@howardcountymd.gov

Request For Proposals No. 03-2027

Howard County, Maryland Page 2 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

Rev. 7.16.24

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION A – KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY

SECTION B – PURCHASE ORDER TERMS AND CONDITIONS

SECTION C – GENERAL CONDITIONS

1. Definitions

2. Reservations

3. Competition

4. Period of Validity

5. Delivery

6. Governing Law

7. Protest

8. Disputes

9. Authority

10. Cash Discounts

11. Unit Prices

12. Non-Waiver

13. Patents

14. Maryland Registration

15. Availability of Funds

16. Integration and Modification

17. Non-Assignment of Agreement

18. Agreement

19. Public Information/Proprietary/Confidential Information

20. Cooperative Purchase

21. Award Notification

22. Termination

SECTION D – SPECIFICATIONS

1. Background

2. Statement of Work

3. Pre-Proposal Conference

4. Inquiries and Addenda

5. Contractor’s Qualifications

6. Background Checks and Investigations

7. Agreement Period

8. Estimated Annual Contract Value

9. Price Adjustment

10. Non-Exclusivity

11. Estimated Quantities

12. Insurance

13. Method of Ordering

14. Evaluation of Offers

15. Work Schedule

16. Billing and Payment

SECTION E – SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Instructions

2. Proposal Documents and Copies

3. Exceptions

Howard County, Maryland Page 3 of 18 Office of Procurement

IMPORTANT: ADVISE THE ISSUING OFFICE IMMEDIATELY

IF ANY OF THE ABOVE SECTIONS ARE NOT ENCLOSED IN THIS DOCUMENT.

Howard County, Maryland Page 4 of 18 Office of Procurement

SECTION A

KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY

RFP Number:

03-2027

RFP Name:

Community Solar Subscriber Coordination Services

Buyer:

Dean Hof

Pre-Proposal

Conference Date:

August 5, 2026 at 10:00 A.M.

Pre-Proposal Location and Registration:

A meeting will be held virtually via WebEx. Please see PlanetBids for the meeting link.

Please register by selecting the RSVP button in the eProcurement system

(PlanetBids).

Questions Due and to Whom:

Questions due no later than 4:00 p.m. on August 6, 2026

Questions must be submitted to the Buyer via the County’s eProcurement system.

Proposal Due:

August 26, 2026 PRIOR TO 11:00 A.M. EST

Agreement Term:

One year with five renewal options exercisable in one-year increments

Bid Deposit/

Performance Bond:

Not Applicable

EBO Subcontracting

Participation:

15% EBO Subcontracting Goal

MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES are encouraged to respond to this Solicitation. For more information, please contact the Equal Business Opportunity Coordinator at 410-313-3694.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING ADDENDA

Addenda to Solicitations often occur prior to bid opening. It is the potential Contractor’s responsibility to visit the Office of Procurement and Contract Administration eProcurement system (PlanetBids) for updates to Solicitations.

Howard County, Maryland Page 5 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

SECTION C

GENERAL CONDITIONS

1 DEFINITIONS:

1.1 Addenda – Formal alteration of a Solicitation or Agreement in writing (when applicable, Addenda are available on the advertising website).

1.2 Agreement – The executed document between the County and selected Contractor constituting official award of this Solicitation.

1.3 Alternate Bids – A second bid for a single item that intentionally offers a substitute product or service that varies from the stated specifications.

1.4 Buyer – The County’s Purchasing Representative for the resulting Agreement.

1.5 Certified Local Business – A business which has been certified by the County verifying its principal place of business in Howard County. Firms can register at https://www.howardcountymd.gov/procurement-contract-administration/local-business-initiative.

In order to be considered a Certified Local Business for bidding purposes, eligible firms must be certified by the County prior to bid opening or must have submitted a completed certification application prior to bid opening, determining eligibility under the Local Business Initiative program.

1.6 County – Howard County, Maryland.

1.7 County Purchasing Agent – The Chief Administrative Officer for the County.

1.8 Contractor – Any Offeror; most often the successful Offeror.

1.9 Designee – Specifically appointed alternate signatory or decision maker.

1.10 Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) – The County’s minority business enterprise program.

1.11 Issuing Office –The Howard County Office of Procurement and Contract Administration.

1.12 Offeror – Any entity that submits a response to this Solicitation.

1.13 Proposal – All information submitted by the Contractor in response to this Solicitation.

1.14 Purchase Order – The document by which the Contractor receives formal notification to perform work or deliver goods.

1.15 Request for Proposals (RFP) – All documents identified in the Table of Contents, including any addenda.

1.16 Solicitation – The Request for Proposals.

1.17 User Agency – County department or office for which goods and/or services are being purchased.

1.18 Local Business Initiative – The County’s local business program. Refer to the following link for more information:

https://www.HowardCountyMD.Gov/Departments/County-Administration/Purchasing

1.19 Local Business – A Contractor that maintains its principal place of business in Howard County.

1.20 Task Order – The document issued by the County Solicitor describing a specific service or project which the County Solicitor requests the Contractor to perform.

2 RESERVATIONS:

2.1 The County Purchasing Agent or Designee reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or parts of proposals when, in the County Purchasing Agent's or Designee’s reasoned judgment, the public interest will be served thereby.

2.2 The County Purchasing Agent or Designee, with the approval of the County Executive, may waive formalities or technicalities in proposals as the interest of the County may require.

2.3 The County Purchasing Agent or Designee reserves the right to increase or decrease the quantities to be purchased at the prices set forth in the proposal. The quantity intended to be purchased and the period and percentage amount of any such reservation will be stated in the Solicitation.

2.4 The County Purchasing Agent or Designee reserves the right to award Agreements or place orders on a lump sum or individual item basis, or such combination as shall, in the County Purchasing

Agent’s or Designee’s judgment, be in the best interest of the County.

https://www.howardcountymd.gov/procurement-contract-administration/local-business-initiative https://www.howardcountymd.gov/Departments/County-Administration/Purchasing

Howard County, Maryland Page 6 of 18 Office of Procurement

2.5 The County Purchasing Agent or Designee may waive minor differences in specifications provided these differences do not violate the specification intent nor materially affect the operation for which the item or items are being purchased, nor increase estimated maintenance and repair cost to the

County.

2.6 The County Purchasing Agent or Designee may reject any proposal which shows any omission, irregularity, alteration of forms, additions not called for, conditional or unconditional unresponsiveness, or proposals obviously unbalanced.

2.7 The County reserves the right to include a proposal evaluation factor for up to 10% of the total evaluation points for Certified Local Businesses, based on the goods and services being procured.

3 COMPETITION:

3.1 The name of any manufacturer, trade name, or manufacturer or vendor catalog number mentioned in this Solicitation is for the purpose of designating a minimum standard of quality and type. Such references are not intended to be restrictive. Bids will be considered for any brand that meets or exceeds the quality of the specifications unless otherwise stated in the Solicitation.

3.2 A Contractor may offer only one price on each item. Submission by a single Contractor of more than one price for a single item shall be sufficient cause for rejection of all prices for that item submitted by the Contractor. Alternate bids are prohibited and will be rejected.

4 PERIOD OF VALIDITY: Unless otherwise specified, all formal proposals submitted shall be irrevocable for

120 days following the proposal opening date, unless the Contractor, upon request of the County Purchasing

Agent or Designee, agrees to an extension. Bids may not be withdrawn during this period.

5 DELIVERY:

5.1 Contractors shall guarantee delivery of supplies in accordance with such delivery schedule as may be provided in the Solicitation.

5.2 All items shall be delivered F.O.B. Destination, Inside Delivery, and delivery costs and charges included in the price offered, unless otherwise stated in the Solicitation.

5.3 The County Purchasing Agent or Designee reserves the right to charge the Contractor for each day the supplies or services are not delivered in accordance with the delivery schedule. The per diem charge may be invoked at the discretion of the County Purchasing Agent or Designee and said sum to be taken as liquidated damages and deducted from the final payment or charged back to the

Contractor.

5.4 The County Purchasing Agent or Designee reserves the right to procure the supplies/services elsewhere on the open market if delivery is not made as specified, in which event, the extra cost of procuring the supplies/services may be charged against the Contractor and deducted from any monies due or which may become due.

6 GOVERNING LAW:

6.1 The Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of

Maryland without regard to any choice of law principles that would dictate the laws of any other jurisdiction. The parties agree that the exclusive venue for any and all actions related hereto shall be the appropriate Federal or State court located within the State of Maryland.

6.2 The laws of Maryland and Howard County shall govern the resolution of any issue arising in connection with the Agreement, including, but not limited to, all questions on the validity of the

Howard County, Maryland Page 7 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

Rev. 7.16.24

Agreement, the capacity of the parties to enter therein, any modification or amendment thereto, and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder.

7 PROTEST: Any protest concerning the award of an Agreement shall be decided by the County. Protests shall be made in writing to the Issuing Office and shall be filed within ten days of issuance of award notification. A protest is considered filed when received by the Issuing Office. The written protest shall include the name and address of the protestor, identification of the procurement, a statement of the specific reason for the protest and supporting exhibits. The Issuing Office will respond to the written protest within ten days. The County’s decision is final.

8 DISPUTES: In cases of disputes as to whether or not an item or service quoted or delivered meets specifications, the decision of the County Purchasing Agent or Designee shall be final and binding on all parties. All other disputes arising under or related to the Agreement will be resolved, to the extent possible, by negotiation and settlement between the parties. Pending resolution, the Contractor shall proceed diligently with performance of the Agreement unless otherwise directed in writing.

9 AUTHORITY: Solicitations are issued pursuant and subject to the provisions of Article VIII, Howard County

Charter; Sections 4.100 through 4.123, Howard County Code, 2003; and the rules and regulations as prescribed by the County.

10 CASH DISCOUNTS: If applicable, cash discounts will be taken into consideration in determining the award.

However, an offer of a cash discount must allow a reasonable period of not less than 30 days in order to be included in evaluation of proposal pricing. A proposal offering a cash discount in a period of less than 30 days will be evaluated as a proposal without a cash discount offer. If the Contractor obtains an award by reason of their gross price, the County will hold the offer of a cash discount and make every effort to obtain such discount.

11 UNIT PRICES: Unless the Contractor clearly shows that it is the intent that a reduced total price is being offered on the basis of receiving an award of all items covered by the total, any totals should be the actual sum of the extension of unit prices. Otherwise, in the event of any discrepancy between a unit price(s), extended price(s), and/or total price(s), unit prices will govern, and the bid will be refigured accordingly.

12 NON-WAIVER: Any waiver of any breach of covenants herein contained to be kept and performed by the

Contractor shall not be deemed or considered as a continuing waiver and shall not operate to bar or prevent the County from declaring a forfeiture for any succeeding breach either of the same condition of covenant or otherwise.

13 PATENTS: If applicable, the Contractor shall defend any suit or proceeding brought against the County so far as based on a claim on any equipment, or on any part thereof, furnished under this Agreement which constitutes an infringement of any patent of the United States, if notified promptly in writing and given authority, information and assistance (at the Contractor's expense) for the defense of same, and the Contractor shall pay all damages and costs awarded therein against the County. In case said equipment or any part thereof, in such suit is held to constitute infringement and the use of said equipment or part if enjoined, the

Contractor shall, at its own expense, either procure for the County the right to continue using said equipment or part, or replace same with non-infringing equipment or part, or modify so that it becomes non-infringing.

14 MARYLAND REGISTRATION: Contractors must be registered to do business in, and must be in good standing in, the State of Maryland. Contractors not registered must obtain registration information from the

Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation website at: www.dat.state.md.us/ or by calling 410-767-

1184 or Toll Free 888-246-5941.

15 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: The contractual obligation of the County under this Agreement is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for this Agreement can be made.

16 INTEGRATION AND MODIFICATION: This Solicitation, the Contractor's response to this Solicitation, subsequent Purchase Order(s), and, if applicable, the legal Agreement represents the entire understanding http://www.dat.state.md.us/

Howard County, Maryland Page 8 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

Rev. 7.16.24 between the parties. Any additions or modifications shall only be made in writing and executed by both parties.

17 NON-ASSIGNMENT OF AGREEMENT: Neither the County nor the Contractor shall assign, sublet or transfer its interest or obligations under the resulting Agreement to any third party, without the written consent of the other. Nothing herein shall be construed to create any personal or individual liability upon any employee, officer or elected official of the County, nor shall the resulting Agreement be construed to create any rights hereunder in any person or entity other than the parties to this Agreement.

18 AGREEMENT:

18.1 The County and Contractor must execute an Agreement resulting from the award of this Solicitation.

This process typically takes approximately three weeks from the date the successful Contractor is identified. In order to expedite this process, a sample Agreement is attached for review as part of this Solicitation. Exceptions, if any, to the County’s sample Agreement (Exhibit I) must be noted in the proposal to be considered during evaluation. Exceptions to the County’s Agreement may result in rejection of the proposal. The County will not accept any exceptions to the Agreement after the opening date and time of this Solicitation.

18.2 Do not fill in or sign the sample Agreement attached as Exhibit I. The County will prepare an

Agreement specific to this Solicitation for execution by the successful Contractor.

19 PUBLIC INFORMATION/PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION:

19.1 The County operates under a public information law, which permits access to most records and documents.

19.2 Proposals will be available for public inspection after the award announcement, except to the extent that a Contractor designates trade secrets or other proprietary data to be confidential. Material designated as confidential must be readily separable from the remainder of the proposal to facilitate public inspection of the nonconfidential portion of the proposal. A Contractor's designation of material as confidential will not necessarily be conclusive, and the Contractor may be required to provide justification as to why such material should not be disclosed, on request, under the Maryland Access to Public Records Act, State

Government Article, Sections 10-611 through 10-628, of the Annotated Code of Maryland.

20 COOPERATIVE PURCHASE:

20.1 The County reserves the right to extend all of the terms, conditions, specifications, and unit or other prices of any Agreement resulting from this Solicitation to any and all public bodies, subdivisions, school districts, community colleges, colleges, and universities including non-public schools. This is conditioned upon mutual agreement of all parties pursuant to special requirements, which may be appended thereto. The Contractor agrees to notify the issuing body of those entities that wish to use any Agreement resulting from this Solicitation and will also provide usage information, which may be requested.

20.2 The County assumes no authority, liability or obligation, on behalf of any other public or non-public entity that may use any Agreement resulting from this Solicitation. All purchases and payment transactions will be made directly between the Contractor and the requesting entity. Any exceptions to this requirement must be specifically noted in the bid response.

21 AWARD NOTIFICATION:

21.1 Award notification will be by U.S. Mail, e-mail, or a combination thereof.

21.2 The awarded Contractor(s) will be required to return an Insurance Certificate naming “Howard

County, Maryland, its officials, employees, agents and volunteers” as Certificate Holder and as

Howard County, Maryland Page 9 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

Rev. 7.16.24

Additional Insured, the executed Agreement, the completed EBO Schedule of Participation and a

Maryland Registration Certificate of Good Standing.

22 TERMINATION:

22.1 Termination for Convenience: The County may terminate the Agreement, in whole or in part, if the

County determines that such termination is in the best interest of the County, without showing cause, upon giving at least 30 days written notice to the Contractor. The County shall pay all reasonable costs incurred by the Contractor up to the date of termination. However, in no event shall the Contractor be paid an amount which exceeds the price bid for the work performed. The Contractor shall not be reimbursed for any profits which may have been anticipated but which have not been earned up to the date of termination.

22.2 Termination for Default: When the Contractor has not performed or has unsatisfactorily performed one or more material terms of the Agreement, the County may terminate the Purchase Order for default. Upon termination for default, payment may be withheld at the discretion of the County.

Failure on the part of the Contractor to fulfill the contractual obligations shall be considered just cause for termination of the Agreement. If the damages exceed the undisbursed sums available for compensation, the County shall not be obligated to make any further disbursements hereunder. The

Contractor will be paid for work satisfactorily performed prior to termination less any excess costs incurred by the County in reprocuring and completing the work.

Howard County, Maryland Page 10 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

SECTION D

SPECIFICATIONS

1 BACKGROUND:

Howard County Government is committed to creating a more vibrant, healthy, resilient, prosperous and sustainable community. The County published Howard County Climate Forward: Climate Action and Resiliency Plan in 2023.

Climate Forward establishes the County’s ambitious greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) goal: reduce GHG emissions

60% below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2045. Increasing renewable energy is a key strategy to achieve this goal. Climate Forward sets specific targets for renewable energy: Increase installed solar capacity from a 2022 baseline of 108 MW DC to 437 MW DC by 2030 and 1,133 MW DC by 2045. Although this is a county-wide goal and includes solar installations of all types on public and private property, the County recognizes the importance of leading by example and maximizing solar installations on County-owned property.

Howard County also is committed to providing low cost, clean energy options for all of its residents and businesses, with a particular emphasis on low- and moderate-income households. Community solar often is an excellent option for residents with limited income, especially those who rent their homes or are otherwise unable to install rooftop solar.

Howard County has been awarded several grants from Maryland Energy Administration to develop community solar projects at five County-owned sites. These community solar projects will benefit low- and moderate-income residents.

The projects include a ballasted ground mount over a retired landfill and four solar canopies over parking lots. Howard

County will serve as the project developer and intends to maintain ownership of these solar projects throughout their useful life.

These systems are expected to begin generating electricity during calendar years 2027 and 2028 and will supply approximately 500 subscribing residential households with solar energy. Subscribers must meet criteria for low or moderate income. All of the subscribers to the system located on the retired landfill must be low-income. Maryland’s

Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) will enroll subscribers to receive free power from the landfill project to support a portion of their energy use. These households will be available as referrals to Howard County to work with and may be interested in subscribing for the rest of their power from the community solar projects. Approximately half of all subscriptions are expected to result from referrals by nonprofit organizations that Howard County collaborates with and the County expects the selected Contractor to offer financial compensation for these referrals to the nonprofit organization from which they originate.

2 STATEMENT OF WORK:

Howard County, Maryland (the “County”) seeks a qualified firm (the “Contractor”) to furnish subscriber coordination and program management services for Howard County’s 4-MW Community Solar Program. The selected Contractor will provide Howard County with end-to-end subscriber acquisition, onboarding, customer service, program management and compliance reporting services in accordance with all applicable State and Utility requirements. The

Contractor will also coordinate with and compensate local nonprofit organizations recruiting subscribers on Howard

County’s behalf.

2.1 Deliverables and responsibilities of the selected firm shall include but are not limited to:

2.1.1 End-to-end subscriber acquisition, enrollment, and onboarding.

2.1.2 Customer service and account management.

2.1.3 Utility coordination, allocation management, and billing verification for both Howard County and subscribers.

2.1.4 Compliance reporting in accordance with applicable state and utility requirements.

Howard County, Maryland Page 11 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

Rev. 7.16.24

2.1.5 Obtaining and managing subscriber documentation to prove low-income status (likely only for the landfill community solar project subscribers, for the purposes of Federal ITC reporting to obtain the low-income adder tax credit).

2.1.6 Compensation of partnering nonprofits for referrals.

2.1.7 Ongoing subscriber acquisition as needed over the lifetime of the project to address subscriber churn.

2.1.8 Platform setup and operational readiness (timeline to be proposed by Contractor).

2.1.9 Subscriber acquisition and enrollment (timeline to be proposed by Contractor).

2.1.10 Customer service and account management.

2.1.11 Utility coordination, allocation management, and billing verification.

2.1.12 Reporting to the County and for state/utility compliance purposes.

2.1.13 Comply with all data security and privacy requirements and notify the client of any breaches within 24 hours.

2.1.14 Obtaining and managing subscriber documentation to prove low-income status (likely only for the landfill community solar project subscribers, for the purposes of federal ITC reporting to obtain the low-income adder tax credit).

2.1.15 Compensation of Designated Non-Profit Partner(s) on a per subscriber basis for subscription referrals and income-verification documentation.

2.1.16 Customer portal with real-time data access.

2.1.17 Monthly performance reporting.

2.1.18 Subscriber enrollment documentation.

2.1.19 Compliance reporting.

2.2 Definitions

2.2.1 Subscriber: A customer enrolled in the Community Solar Program.

2.2.2 LMI Subscriber: A low- or moderate-income customer as defined by Maryland program rules.

2.2.3 Program Rules: Applicable laws, regulations, and utility requirements.

2.2.4 Utility: The electric utility serving the project (i.e., Baltimore Gas and Electric - BGE).

2.3 Roles and Responsibilities

2.3.1 Contractor: Responsible for subscriber acquisition, subscriber account management, reporting, and coordination with the County and the Utility. Provides compensation on a per-subscriber basis to nonprofit partners designated by the County for customer acquisition and/or customer income documentation.

2.3.2 The County: Provides project data and approvals. Provides designated nonprofit partner contacts.

Promotes project through press releases, newsletters and social media.

2.3.3 Designated Non-Profit Partner(s): Provides assistance with customer acquisition and/or customer income documentation.

2.3.4 Utility: Provides bill crediting and consolidated billing. (Contractor is responsible for verifying bill credits and charges.)

2.4 Performance-Based Requirements: Contractor shall propose performance targets and service levels for each of the following:

2.4.1 Acquisition strategy and ramp-up timelines to achieve 100% subscription.

2.4.2 Customer service response times.

2.4.3 Subscriber replacement timelines.

2.4.4 Portal development timeline, portal capabilities, and portal uptime.

2.5 Permits and Licenses

Contractor shall possess and maintain all required licenses, registrations and permits required to perform the functions of a community solar subscriber coordinator within the State of Maryland. The Contractor shall also have the ability to obtain a Subscription Coordinator Number from the Maryland Public Service

Commission. Contractor shall obtain, and maintain, any and all Program Documents and/or governmental approvals necessary or required for the Contractor to perform all aspects of this Solicitation.

Howard County, Maryland Page 12 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

2.6 Pricing Structure

Contractor shall provide pricing for each of three subscriber types: (1) subscriptions resulting from

Contractor’s outreach and advertising efforts and not requiring income verification documentation; (2) subscriptions resulting from Contractor’s outreach and advertising efforts that require income verification documentation, and (3) subscriptions resulting from referrals by nonprofit organizations collaborating with the County. For each subscriber type, the Contractor shall provide detailed pricing specific to each of these elements:

2.6.1 Initial Acquisition

2.6.2 Income-verification Documentation (when required)

2.6.3 Customer Management

2.6.4 Customer Churn/Replacement

2.6.5 Compensation to Designated Non-Profit Partner(s) for:

2.6.6 Subscriber referrals

2.6.7 Low-income verification documentation services

All proposed pricing must be clearly identified and itemized. Any proposed price escalation, including the basis for the escalation and the applicable escalation schedule, must be clearly described.

All costs, fees, charges and expenses related to providing the services shall be included in the submitted cost file. The Contractor shall not be reimbursed for any fees outside of their price proposal.

3 PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE:

3.1 A pre-proposal conference will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams on the date and time specified in Section A to discuss objectives and answer questions relating to this Solicitation. Contractor’s attendance is not required but is strongly encouraged. Additionally, attendance may facilitate the

Contractor’s understanding and ability to meet the County’s Equal Business Opportunity goals.

Please see PlanetBids for the meeting link.

3.2 It is strongly recommended that Contractors read the Solicitation prior to attending the conference and bring a copy to the conference.

3.3 Please confirm attendance by selecting the RSVP button at the Pre-Proposal Meeting Information section in the eProcurement system.

3.4 If there is a need for language interpretation and/or other special accommodations, please advise our office at purchasing@howardcountymd.gov so that reasonable efforts may be made to provide special accommodations.

4 INQUIRIES AND ADDENDA:

4.1 The Buyer in the Issuing Office is the sole point of contact for this Solicitation. Questions must be submitted to the Buyer via the County’s eProcurement system (PlanetBids) no later than the date and time specified in Section A.

4.2 Addenda to Solicitation s often occur prior to the proposal opening, sometimes within a few hours of the opening. It is the potential Contractor’s responsibility to visit the Office of Procurement and

Contract Administration’s eProcurement system to obtain and acknowledge Addenda. Addenda, when issued, must be acknowledged within the eProcurement system.

5 CONTRACTOR’S QUALIFICATIONS:

5.1 Contractors must be engaged in community solar subscriber coordination and program management services and must have been actively engaged in end-to-end subscriber acquisition, enrollment, onboarding, customer service, account management, utility coordination and billing verification for mailto:purchasing@howardcountymd.gov

Howard County, Maryland Page 13 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

Rev. 7.16.24 a period of no less than three years. The experience of owner(s) may be imputed to a newly formed company/contractor provided the owner(s) has/have at least three years of demonstrated experience of reliability and meets the criteria set forth herein.

5.2 The County reserves the right to perform such investigations as may be deemed necessary to ensure that competent personnel and management will be utilized in the performance of the Agreement.

5.3 In accordance with Howard County Code Sec. 4.117 (a) (4), the quality of performance of previous contracts or services shall be considered in determining the award. Quality of performance may be determined through contracts or services provided to the County or to other entities. Quality of performance to other entities will be determined from reference checks when references are required. The determination of quality performance includes the Contractor’s history of reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction and the Contractor’s businesslike concern for the interests of the customer. The County reserves the right to reject any bid deemed not responsible or non-responsive.

6 BACKGROUND CHECKS AND INVESTIGATIONS:

6.1 If a Contractor’s employees or subcontractors are on-site in County buildings working without a

County escort, each employee or subcontractor of the Contractor shall agree to a background check or investigation consisting of national criminal database search covering misdemeanors and felonies and the release of that information to the County in the event that it is required.

6.2 The Contractor shall assume the cost to have background checks completed for each employee or subcontractor assigned to each facility. The County may bill the Contractor $100 for each standard background check. Public safety buildings require a higher level of security and in-depth background checks referred to as “investigations”. The County may bill the Contractor $250 for each in-depth background investigation. This fee, when billed to the Contractor, shall be payable to the County prior to the check or investigation being conducted.

6.3 The background checks or investigations shall include all employees, new employees, subcontractors and replacement employees to be completed prior to assignment of a building.

6.4 The Contractor shall not assign any individual convicted of the following offenses which shall include, but are not limited to: Abduction, Homicide, Rape, Aggravated Assault, Sex Offender, Assault with Intent to Murder, or Assault with Intent to Rob.

6.5 The Contractor shall not assign any individual convicted or having incomplete probation for the following offenses which shall include, but are not limited to: Burglary, Breaking and Entering, Carrying or Wearing a Weapon, Destruction of Property, Possession of a Controlled Dangerous

Substance with Intent to Distribute, Explosives, Kidnapping, Theft/Larceny, Maiming, Manslaughter, Sexual Assault, Hate Crimes, Robbery, and Distribution of a Controlled Substance.

6.6 The Contractor reserves the right to seek exception to the above guidelines governing acceptability for assignment to the facility by providing documented specifics pertaining to convictions of the employee or subcontractor in question. The County will, at its sole discretion, accept or reject the requested exception.

8 AGREEMENT PERIOD: The Agreement period shall be for one year commencing on or about November

1, 2026 after approval and proper execution of the Agreement documents, with a renewal option for five additional years in one-year increments, exercisable at the sole discretion of the County.

9 ESTIMATED ANNUAL CONTRACT VALUE: The estimated annual contract value group for this contract is _E_ as defined by the schedule below:

A - $30,000 to $75,000

B - $75,001 to $100,000

C - $100,001 to $250,000

Howard County, Maryland Page 14 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

Rev. 7.16.24

D - 250,001 to $500,000

E - $500,001 to $1,000,000

F - Over $1,000,000

10 PRICE ADJUSTMENT:

10.1 Prices offered shall be firm against any increase for one year from the effective date of the

Agreement. Prior to the commencement of subsequent renewal periods, it shall be the Contractor’s responsibility to notify the Issuing Office in advance of any requested price changes.

10.2 Requests for price adjustments shall be submitted to the Issuing Office, not the User Agency.

10.3 The County may entertain requests for escalation in accordance with the current Consumer Price

Index at the time of the request or up to a maximum 5% increase on the current pricing, whichever is lower. (For purposes of this section, “Consumer Price Index” shall be the Mid-Atlantic

Consumer Price Index-All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, All

Items, Not Seasonally Adjusted, as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of

Labor Statistics.) All written requests shall be issued to the Office of Procurement and Contract

Administration and such requests shall include detailed justification for the price adjustment, as well as all countermeasures developed by the Contractor to offset cost increases. The County reserves the right to grant or deny the request for a price increase and will do so in writing. If the price increase is granted, the price increase will be effective upon written approval and will remain firm through the renewal period.

10.4 If a price increase is requested following Agreement renewal and it has been longer than one year since the last increase, the County may entertain a request for escalation if it is in the County’s best interest. If the price increase is granted, the price increase will be effective upon approval and will remain firm through the renewal period, or for one year, at the County’s sole discretion.

11 NON-EXCLUSIVITY: Nothing herein is intended nor shall be construed as creating any exclusive arrangement with Contractor. The Agreement shall not restrict the County from acquiring similar, equal or like goods and/or services from other entities or sources.

12 ESTIMATED QUANTITIES: The estimated annual quantities stated are provided as a general guide for bidding and are not guaranteed. Actual quantities may be more or less than those estimated. The County reserves the right to add or delete services as may be deemed necessary by the County.

13 INSURANCE: The Contractor will be required to purchase and maintain during the life of the Agreement, including any subsequent renewal terms, Commercial General Liability Insurance, Automobile Liability

Insurance, and Worker's Compensation Insurance with limits of not less than those set forth below:

13.1 Commercial General Liability Insurance: Combined Single Liability limits of $1,000,000 each occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate naming, “Howard County, Maryland, its officials, employees, agents and volunteers” Additional Insured and “Howard County, Maryland” as Certificate Holder.

13.2 Automobile Liability Insurance: Combined Single Liability limit of $1,000,000 any one accident.

13.3 Worker's Compensation Insurance: Statutory coverage for Maryland jurisdiction, including

Employer's Liability coverage, with a limit of at least $100,000.

13.4 The Contractor shall assure that all subcontractors or independent contractors performing services in accordance with this Solicitation carry identical insurance coverage as required of the Contractor, either individually or as an Additional Insured on the policies of the Contractor. Exceptions may be made only with the approval of the County. The Contractor shall indemnify the County for any uninsured losses relating to contractual services involving subcontractors, including workers' compensation claims.

Howard County, Maryland Page 15 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

Rev. 7.16.24

13.5 The Contractor shall provide the County with Certificates of Insurance within ten days of award notification, naming “Howard County, Maryland, its officials, employees, agents and volunteers”

Additional Insured and “Howard County, Maryland” as Certificate Holder. Failure to provide the certificates as required shall result in rejection of award by the County. Such certificates shall provide that the County be given at least 30 days prior written notice of any cancellation of, intention to not renew, or material change in such coverage.

13.6 The providing of any insurance required herein does not relieve the Contractor of any of the responsibilities or obligations assumed by the Contractor in the Agreement awarded or for which the Contractor may be liable by law or otherwise.

13.7 Failure to provide and continue to enforce such insurance as required above shall be deemed a material breach of the Agreement and shall operate as an immediate termination thereof.

13.8 Failure to comply with this requirement at any time during the initial term and any subsequent renewals may be sufficient cause for termination for default.

14 METHOD OF ORDERING:

14.1 Purchase Orders will be issued from time to time for such quantities as may be required by the

County. Purchase Orders issued against the Agreement, even if not completed within the term of the Agreement, shall continue to be bound by the terms and conditions until completion.

14.2 Small purchases may also be made by the County’s procurement card (currently Visa). The

Contractor agrees to accept the card for such quantities as may be required by the County.

Contractors are prohibited from charging additional fees over and above their bid prices to process payments on procurement cards.

15 EVALUATION OF OFFERS:

15.1 The County intends to make award to the responsible Contractor whose proposal represents the best value to the County.

Proposals will be evaluated in two phases; the first based on the technical and price submittals and the second on the oral discussions. The first phase will be evaluated based on the following criteria listed in order of importance:

15.1.1 Demonstrated experience and technical competence of the firm in performing end-to-end subscriber acquisition, enrollment, and onboarding; customer service and account management; utility coordination, allocation management, and billing verification;

compliance reporting; and compensation to nonprofit partner organizations for referrals;

15.1.2 References from past clients regarding the firm’s performance of similar scopes of work to that listed in this Solicitation.

15.1.3 Financial compensation and any other creative or innovative methods proposed to compensate and partner with nonprofit partner organizations identified by the County to assist with customer acquisition.

15.1.4 Demonstration that the firm possesses all required licenses, registrations and permits required to perform the functions of a community solar subscriber organization in the

State of Maryland, including a Subscription Coordinator Number from the Maryland

Public Service Commission.

15.1.5 Identified risks associated with this project.

15.1.6 Certified Local Business.

15.1.7 Completeness of proposal.

15.1.8 Price.

Howard County, Maryland Page 16 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

Rev. 7.16.24

15.2 After identifying the short list of the most qualified Contractor(s) based on the evaluation criteria, representative(s) may be required to clarify their proposals through presentations and/or oral discussions.

15.3 The County may enter into negotiations with the Contractors and invite best and final offers as deemed to be in the best interest of the County. Negotiations may be in the form of face-to-face, telephone, facsimile, email or written communications, or any combination thereof, at the County’s sole discretion.

15.4 Contractors are strongly advised not to prepare their proposal submissions based on any assumption or understanding that negotiations will take place. Contractors are advised to respond to this

Solicitation fully and with forthrightness at the time of submission.

15.5 Following the submittals of proposals, Contractors are strongly cautioned not to contact elected officials or members of the evaluation team regarding the selection process. Inappropriate efforts to lobby or influence individuals, or Contractors involved in this selection may result in dismissal from further consideration, at the County’s sole discretion.

16 BILLING AND PAYMENT:

16.1 The Contractor shall submit separate invoices for each Purchase Order issued. Invoices shall be sent to Office of Community Sustainability, 9200 Berger Road, Columbia, MD 21046. Invoices in the proper form and approved by the County shall be paid by the County within 30 days of receipt.

Invoices without the necessary information may be returned for correction prior to payment.

16.2 Each invoice shall include the following information:

16.2.1 Contractor’s name;

16.2.2 Address;

16.2.3 Federal tax identification number;

16.2.4 Contract number, if applicable (i.e., 44XXXXXXXX);

16.2.5 Purchase Order number (i.e., 2XXXXXXXXX);

16.2.6 Contract line number;

16.2.7 Unit price and extended price (unit price must match a contract line); and

16.2.8 Description of goods provided and/or services performed.

16.3 The County reserves the right to make payments on Visa procurement cards when orders are placed using procurement cards as indicated in Method of Ordering above. Contractors are not permitted to charge the County additional fees over and above their bid prices to process payments on procurement cards.

16.4 The County reserves the right to make payments via electronic funds transfer (a.k.a. ACH) on

Agreements for which this payment vehicle is appropriate.

16.5 Payment shall be made upon receipt of proper invoice from Contractor and authorized by the

County.

16.6 All amounts, costs, or prices referred to herein pursuant to this Agreement shall be United States of

America currency.

16.7 The proper form of County invoices requires that the necessary information be included on all invoices. Invoices without the necessary information may be returned for correction prior to payment. The County reserves the right to approve invoices, in its sole discretion, and to request such detail and additional information as the County, in its discretion deems appropriate.

Howard County, Maryland Page 17 of 18 Office of Procurement

Via eProcurement System

SECTION E

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1 INSTRUCTIONS:

1.1 All proposals must be signed by an authorized officer or agent of the Contractor submitting the proposal and uploaded into the eProcurement system prior to the time and date indicated. Proposals received after the time and date indicated will not be accepted or considered.

1.2 The submission of a proposal shall be considered an agreement to all the terms, conditions, and specifications provided herein and in the various bid documents, unless specifically noted otherwise in the proposal.

1.3 Each proposal shall be accompanied by the Affidavit regarding price fixing, gratuities, bribery, and discriminatory employment. When the Contractor is a corporation, a duly authorized representative of said corporation shall execute the Affidavit. The Affidavit is provided in the Solicitation package.

1.4 If a discrepancy in or omission from the specifications is found, or if a Contractor is in doubt as to their meaning, or feels that the specifications are discriminatory, the Contractor shall notify the

Buyer in the Issuing Office in writing not later than ten days prior to the scheduled proposal opening.

Exceptions taken do not obligate the County to change the specifications. The Issuing Office will notify all Contractors of any changes, additions or deletions to the specifications by Addenda posted on the Office of Procurement and Contract Administration eProcurement web site, PlanetBids.

1.5 The County will assume no responsibility for oral instructions or suggestions. All official correspondence in regard to the specifications shall be directed to and will be issued by the Issuing

Office.

2 PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS AND COPIES:

2.1 Contractors shall upload one original to the eProcurement system prior to the opening date and time specified in Section A. In accordance with Public Information/Proprietary/Confidential

Information, Section C, Paragraph 19, it is the responsibility of the Contractor to clearly identify each part of its proposal that is confidential commercial or financial information by marking each pertinent page with large bold face letters stating the words “CONFIDENTIAL” or

“PROPRIETARY”. Contractors must upload one entire version of the technical proposal as well as one redacted version of the same proposal.

2.2 The Contractor agrees that any portion of the proposal that is not stamped as proprietary or confidential will be deemed not to be proprietary or confidential. The Contractor shall include a written statement as to the basis for considering the marked pages confidential. A general statement of confidentiality (boiler plate statement) that is not appropriately referenced to a specific section of the RFP will not be sufficient to warrant protection by the County. Failure of the Contractor to appropriately designate confidential information in this manner will relieve the County of any obligation to protect this information as confidential.

2.3 Failure to return required documents may be cause for rejection of the proposal. This Solicitation requires the submission of the following documents:

2.3.1 Technical Submittal

2.3.1.1 Technical Proposal Cover Page

2.3.1.2 Contractor’s Qualification Information

2.3.1.3 Affidavit

Howard County, Maryland Page 18 of 18 Office of Procurement

2.3.1.4 Sufficient detail that demonstrates experience and knowledge of the services to be provided that minimally includes:

2.3.1.4.1 A brief overview of the company/firm and its experience with community solar customer acquisition and subscription management in

Maryland. Please include information to demonstrate that the firm possesses all required licenses, registrations and permits required to perform the functions of a Community Solar Subscriber Organization in the State of Maryland, including a Subscription Coordinator Number from the Maryland Public Service Commission.

2.3.1.4.2 Summaries of at least two projects of similar size and scope. Include an overview of the project, outcomes, successes, challenges, etc.

2.3.1.4.3 Three references from past projects of similar size and scope, including contact name, title, company, address, phone number, and email address.

2.3.1.4.4 A proposed plan and approach for completing each of the required tasks, including the individuals who will be assigned to complete the tasks as described in the Scope of Work. Please include a plan to coordinate subscriber acquisition efforts with County-identified nonprofit partner organizations, including any creative or innovative methods to compensate and partner with these organizations.

2.3.1.4.5 Based on the firm’s experience, describe the expectations…