RFP_1100_DCM3050_BID_DOC_2_v2.pdf

SOLICITATION

INSTRUCTIONS

Revision 1 (9/18/2026)

Solicitation No.

RFP 1100 DCM3050

Solicitation Instructions Page 1

Revised 06/15/2026

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

1.1 Invitation. The City of Austin invites all Responsible Offerors to submit Proposals to provide the goods and/or services described in this Solicitation.

1.2 Documents. This Request for Proposals (“RFP” or “Solicitation”) is composed of all documents listed in the Attachments section of the Solicitation Cover Sheet.

1.3 Process. The process described in this RFP is the Competitive Sealed Proposals process. This process is procedurally compliant with the competitive proposal processes prescribed by Texas Local Government Code Ch. 252 and Ch. 271.

1.4 Changes. The City may change or revise any of the contents of this Solicitation through the issuance of a written Addendum. Any Addenda issued will be added to the Attachments section of the Solicitation Cover Sheet. The Version number displayed in the Solicitation Cover Sheet will indicate the number of Addenda issued. Any explanation, clarification, interpretation or change to the Solicitation made in any other manner is not binding upon the City, and Offerors shall not rely upon such explanation, clarification, interpretation, or change. Oral explanations or instructions given before the award of the Contract are not binding.

1.5 Review of Documents. Offerors shall review the entire Solicitation, as revised. Offerors shall notify the Authorized Contact Person(s) listed on the Solicitation Cover Sheet in writing of any omissions, ambiguities, inconsistencies or errors in the Solicitation prior to the Offer Due Date and Time displayed in the Important Dates section of the Solicitation Cover Sheet. Offerors shall also notify the City of any Solicitation contents the Offeror believes may be unreasonably restrictive.

1.6 Cancellation. The City reserves the right to cancel this Solicitation at any time for any reason and to resolicit the goods and services included in this Solicitation.

2 PUBLICATION AND NOTICES

2.1 Publication. This Solicitation was published on the City’s financial services website, Austin Finance Online, as of the Published date displayed in the Solicitation Cover Sheet section.

2.2 Email Notices. On the Solicitation’s Published date, email notices regarding this Solicitation were issued to all vendors registered in Austin Finance Online, that had previously selected the NIGP Codes displayed in the Solicitation Cover Sheet section. All subsequent email notices regarding this Solicitation will be limited to those vendors or other persons that subscribe to this Solicitation in Austin Finance Online.

2.3 Newspaper Notices. If applicable, one or more notices of this Solicitation were published in the newspaper as required by statute.

2.4 Third-Party Notices. Austin Finance Online is the only source of official notices regarding this Solicitation.

Prospective Offerors shall not rely on any notices concerning this Solicitation received from sources other than Austin Finance Online.

CITY OF

AUSTIN

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3 COMMUNICATIONS AND MEETINGS

3.1 Authorized Contact Persons. The names and contact information for the authorized contact persons for this Solicitation are displayed in the Solicitation Cover Sheet. Offerors needing assistance contacting an Authorized Contact Person regarding this Solicitation may also contact Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement’s main line at (512) 974-2500 and request assistance from any member of Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement’s management team. Offerors may direct specific questions concerning subcontractors and responding to the Minority-owned Business Enterprise and Women-owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program requirements to the ASMBR contact, also listed on the Solicitation Cover Sheet.

3.2 Questions. Offerors shall submit any questions concerning this Solicitation in writing via e-mail to the Authorized Contact Persons displayed on the Solicitation Cover Sheet. The City will respond to all questions received by the Questions Due Date and Time displayed on the Solicitation Cover Sheet. The City will publish one or more Addenda displaying all timely received questions and the City’s responses to each for any information not already contained in the solicitation.

3.3 Vendor Help Desk. For general questions concerning the City’s online financial services system, Austin Finance Online, Vendor Connection (“Vendor Connection”), Offerors may contact the Vendor Help Desk at (512) 974-2018. Assistance from the Vendor Help Desk is limited to navigating and using Vendor Connection only. The Vendor Help Desk will not respond to any questions concerning a specific Solicitation.

3.4 Pre-Offer Conferences. The City may hold one or more pre-offer conferences to review the Solicitation and to receive verbal questions. The Solicitation Cover Sheet will display if a Pre-Offer Conference is being held and if attendance at this meeting is mandatory. If a Pre-Offer Conference is planned, the date, location, time, and any other necessary information regarding this meeting will also be displayed in the Solicitation Cover Sheet. Attendance at any Pre-Offer Conference will be recorded and will be included in an Addendum published following the meeting. As the Solicitation is subject to changes (See Solicitation Instruction, 1.4 Changes.) Offerors shall not rely on verbal exchanges that may occur at a Pre-Offer Conference. Offerors shall continue to submit all questions in writing. (See Solicitation Instructions, 3.2 Questions.)

3.5 No-Lobbying. In accordance with Austin City Code, sec. 2-7-101, et. seq., Austin City Ordinance no.

20180614-056, and applicable Administrative Rules, this Solicitation is subject to certain limits on communication by Offerors and their agents. The No-Lobbying period for this Solicitation starts on the Published Date displayed on the Solicitation Cover Page and continues through the earliest of the following: (i) the Solicitation is cancelled, (ii) the last of any resulting contract(s) are executed, or (iii) 60-days following Council authorization of the last contract resulting from this Solicitation. The No-Lobbying Period continues throughout the completion of the solicitation process. During the No-Lobbying Period, Offerors, Respondents and/or their Agents shall not make any prohibited communications to City Officials or City employees other than the Authorized Contact Persons. Respondents include both prospective and actual Offerors.

4 OFFER PREPARATION

4.1 Offer Submittals. Offerors intending to respond to this Solicitation shall download and complete each of the Submittal documents listed in the Solicitation Cover Sheet. Submittal documents will include additional Solicitation instructions specific to its contents. Offerors will complete each Submittal in

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Solicitation Instructions R1 Page 3 accordance with the instructions in the submittal. At a minimum, submittals will include a Price Offer, a Technical Offer, and an Offer and Certifications submittal.

4.2 Alternate Offers. Unless excluded elsewhere in the Solicitation, Offerors may submit alternative Offers, in addition to their primary Offer. Offerors seeking to submit an alternative Offer may include with their completed Submittals, any alternative Submittals as applicable.

4.3 Exceptions. Offerors shall indicate if they take exception to any portions of the Solicitation in their Proposal. Any exceptions included in the Proposal may negatively impact the City’s evaluation of the Proposal or may cause the City to reject the Proposal entirely.

4.4 Offer Acceptance Period. All Offers are valid for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days subsequent to the RFP closing date unless a longer acceptance period is offered in the proposal.

4.5 Proprietary and Confidential Information. All Offers received and opened by the City are subject to the Texas Government Code, Ch. 552, and will be made available to the public. Offerors seeking to keep any portions of their Offer confidential shall mark each such portion as “Proprietary.” The City will, to the extent allowed by law, endeavor to protect such information from disclosure. The City may request a review and determination from the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Texas, of any Proposal contents marked as “Proprietary.” A copyright notice or symbol is insufficient to identify proprietary or confidential information.

4.6 Cost of Offer Preparation and Participation. Offerors are responsible for all costs related to the preparation of their Offer and incurred while participating in this Solicitation process.

4.7 Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) Procurement Program. If the solicitation includes an MBE/WBE Program Compliance Plan, the Offeror shall comply with the provisions of Chapters 2-9A and B, of the Austin City Code and the terms of the Compliance Plan or Subcontractor Utilization Plan as approved by the City (the “Plan”).

4.8 Wage Theft. This Solicitation is subject to City Code, Chapter 4-22 Wage Theft (Ordinance No. 20221201- 031 | Code of Ordinances | Austin, TX | Municode Library). In accordance with City Code, Ch. 4-22, any Employer that submits an Offer to the City is required to provide certification (see the Employer Certification Wage Theft Ordinance – Responsibility Criteria included in this the Solicitation) that they have not been adjudicated for Wage Theft related incidents within five (5) years prior to the date set forth within the Employer Certification Wage Theft Ordinance – Responsibility Criteria. Additionally, City Code, Ch. 4- 22 Wage Theft, requires all Employers to complete a training program designed by the Wage Theft Coordinator on federal and state wage laws and the provisions of City Code, Ch. 4-22 Wage Theft. All Employers must complete the City of Austin Wage Theft Training within 30 days of being awarded a contract with the City. Contact the Wage Compliance Training to register for training or additional information at wagetheft@austintexas.gov.

4.9 Pricing Requirements – Non-Specified Items.

4.9.1 The City may purchase additional related items that are available from the Contractor in various quantities. Pricing for these non-specified items will be calculated based on a percentage markup over Contractor’s cost as identified in the Price Sheet under the Non-Specified Parts Section.

4.9.2 Offeror shall bid a percentage markup to their cost.

4.9.2.1 The percentage markup shall be fixed throughout the term of the Contract and are not subject to increase. They shall also remain firm through subsequent renewal periods if the City and the Contractor choose to renew the Contract.

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4.9.2.2 The Offeror may offer a different percentage discount or markup amount per manufacturer for any Non-Specified Part; however, parts within each manufacturer’s product line shall be priced by taking the stated list price and applying that percentage discount or markup.

4.10 Recycled Products.

4.10.1 The City prefers that Offerors offer products that contain recycled materials. When a recycled product is offered by the Offeror, the Offeror must state in their Offer the percentage of the product that is recycled and must include a list of the recycled materials that are contained in the product.

4.10.2 The recycled content of paper products offered to the City shall be in accordance with the Federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Recycled Product Procurement Guidelines. These guidelines are available at http://www.epa.gov/cpg/.

4.10.3 Contract award for paper products will be made for recycled products unless the cost is more than 10% above the lowest price for non-recycled paper products as required in the City’s Comprehensive Recycling Resolution.

5 OFFER SUBMISSION

5.1 Electronic Offers. All Offers in response to this solicitation shall be submitted electronically (electronic documents) to the City of Austin using the Solicitation’s eResponse function, available through the City’s online financial system, Austin Finance Online. To submit Electronic Offers using the eResponse function, Offeror’s must first be registered as a vendor with the City of Austin in Austin Finance Online. See Instructions, Submitting Offers in Austin Finance Online. For any questions or problems concerning eResponse, please contact vendor@austintexas.gov and copy the Procurement Specialist listed on the Cover Sheet. For immediate attention, call 512-974-2467.

5.2 Due Date and Time for Electronic Offers. Electronic Offers in response to this Solicitation shall be submitted via eResponse by the Offer Due Date and Time displayed in the Important Dates section of the Solicitation Cover Sheet. The system time within Austin Finance Online shall be the official time of record for Electronic Offers.

5.3 Withdrawing Electronic Offers. Electronic Offers submitted online in response to this Solicitation may be withdrawn, revised, and resubmitted using the eResponse function any time prior to the Solicitation’s Due Date and Time. Withdrawn Electronic Offers may be resubmitted, with or without modifications, up to the Solicitation’s Due Date and Time.

5.4 Late Electronic Offers. The Solicitation’s eResponse function in Austin Finance Online will not allow Electronic Offers to be submitted past the Solicitation’s Due Date and Time.

5.5 Opening Electronic Offers. The information regarding Electronic Offers will become available on or shortly after the Offer Opening Date and Time stated on the Solicitation’s Cover Sheet. When Electronic Offers are opened, the names of each Offeror would be displayed within the Solicitation’s eResponse section. For Solicitations conducted via Competitive Sealed Bidding, the Price Offer for each Offeror will also be displayed in the eResponse section.

6 OFFER EVALUATION

6.1 Bases of Competition. The City may compare Offers based on groups or categories and will choose the basis or bases of competition that best meets the City’s needs for the resulting contracts. The basis or bases of competition for each RFP will be described in section 11, Evaluation of Offers below.

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6.2 Minimum Responsiveness. Proposals are Minimally Responsive when they include all of the Submittals listed in this Solicitation, completed and with sufficient detail in each to evaluate the Proposal in accordance with the Solicitation’s Instructions. Proposals that are not Minimally Responsive may be deemed non-responsive and rejected.

6.3 Responsibility. An Offeror is responsible if they have the financial and practical ability, resources, expertise, past performance, and positive compliance history with all City ordinances. An Offer may be rejected if an Offeror is determined to not be responsible.

6.4 Clarifications. Any time after the opening of Proposals, the City may contact Offerors to ask questions about their Proposal’s contents in order to better understand these contents as-written. Responses to clarification questions, whether done verbally or submitted in writing, do not change the Proposal’s contents. Clarifications are not to be confused with Discussions as described herein.

6.5 Evaluation. Proposals that are Minimally Responsive will be evaluated based on the Evaluation Factors listed in Section 11.1 of the Solicitation Instructions. Evaluation Factors correspond to their specified Submittals and shall indicate their respective weighting next to each. Proposal submittals not identified as Evaluation Factors will be evaluated on a pass / fail basis in accordance with the Solicitation’s Instructions and any further instructions within each Solicitation. Although minimum responses are required in all Submittals, the Submittals identified as Evaluation Factors will be used to differentiate the Proposals and to identify which Proposal(s) represent the Best Value to the City. The City’s evaluation may be made without Clarifications or Discussions with Offerors. Proposals should, therefore, include the Offeror’s most favorable terms.

6.6 Discussions and Proposal Revisions. After completing initial evaluations, the City may enter into discussions (communications which may include negotiations and feedback about the Proposal submitted) with one or more Offerors submitting the highest rated Proposal(s). Following the completion of Discussions, the City may request Proposal revisions from these Offerors. The City may seek multiple rounds of Discussions and Proposal revisions as deemed necessary by the City. The City may revise its initial evaluations depending on the contents of any Proposal revisions received following these Discussions.

6.7 Interviews/Presentations. The City may require that one or more Offeror submitting the highest rated Proposals participate in interviews and/or presentations.

7 CONTRACT AWARD AND EXECUTION

7.1 Award Determination. City staff will recommend Contract award to the Offeror(s) submitting the highest rated Proposal(s) based on the Evaluation Factors set forth in this Solicitation. The Award Determination will be published to Austin Finance Online and notice will be sent to all Offerors subscribed to the Solicitation.

7.2 Multiple Awards. If the City determines that multiple contracts are needed, the City will award one or more additional contracts to the Offeror(s) submitting the next highest rated Proposal(s).

7.3 Contract Execution. Contracts within the City Manager’s authority will be awarded and executed simultaneously. Contracts above the City Manager’s authority will be executed following their authorization by the Austin City Council.

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8 ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

8.1 Solicitation File. All documents included in this Solicitation, and all timely received Offers in response to this Solicitation, except for Offer contents deemed by Offerors to be proprietary and confidential, will be available for public inspections upon the execution of the contract.

8.2 Debriefings. Offerors may request a debriefing meeting to ask any questions concerning the Solicitation’s contents, process, or the evaluation of their Offer. Debriefing meetings are informal exchanges and may be requested anytime following the earlier of (i) after the contract resulting from this Solicitation is executed, or in the case of multiple awards, the last contract is executed; (ii) the date the Solicitation is cancelled. Debriefings are not public called meetings in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act and are usually limited to a single Offeror and any of their representatives. Only information regarding the Solicitation documents and the Offeror’s Offer (including City’s evaluation of the Offer) in response to the Solicitation will be discussed.

8.3 Reservations. The City reserves the right to: (i) specify approximate quantities in the Solicitation; (ii) extend the Solicitation due date and time; (iii) add additional terms or modify existing terms in the Solicitation; (iv) reject an Offer containing exceptions, additions, qualifications or conditions not called for in the Solicitation; (v) reject an Offer received from an Offeror who is currently debarred or suspended by the City, State, or Federal Government; (vi) reject an Offer that contains fraudulent information; (vii) reject an Offer that has material omissions; (viii) reject any or all Offers; (ix) procure any goods or services included in this Solicitation by other means; (x) consider and accept alternate Offers, if specified in the Solicitation, when most advantageous to the City; (xi) reject an Offer if prices in the Offer are unbalanced (some prices are significantly high and other prices are significantly low) and/or (xii) waive any minor informality in any Offer or procedure so long as the deviation does not affect the competitiveness of the Solicitation process.

8.4 Protests. Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement has the authority to settle or resolve any claim of an alleged deficiency or protest. The procedures for notifying the City of Austin of an alleged deficiency or filing a protest are listed below. If you fail to comply with any of these requirements, Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement may dismiss your complaint or protest.

8.4.1 Protest regarding the Solicitation (Pre-Submittal Protest). Any protest regarding the Solicitation by the City shall be filed no later than five (5) business days prior to the due date and time for proposals.

Any protest filed after that date which raises issues regarding the Solicitation will not be considered.

8.4.2 Protests regarding the evaluation of Proposals. Any protest regarding the evaluation of Proposals by the City shall be filed with the City no later than five (5) business days after the notification of award recommendation is posted on Austin Finance Online, or notification that the protestor’s status as a Offeror has changed, such as notification that an Offer has been found to be non-responsive or an Offeror has been found to be non-responsible. Any protest filed after such date which raises issues regarding the evaluation will not be considered. Offerors may only protest the evaluation of their Proposal.

8.4.3 Protest Regarding Award of Contract (Post-Award Protest). Any protest regarding the award of the contract shall be filed no later than ten (10) business days after the date of award. Any protest regarding the award of the contract filed after such date will not be considered.

8.4.4 You shall submit your protest in writing, and it shall include the following information: (i) your name, address, telephone, and email address; (ii) the Solicitation number; (iii) the specific facts and/or law upon which the protest of the Solicitation or the award is based, including all pertinent documents and evidence thereto; and (iv) the form of relief requested.

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8.4.5 Your protest shall be concise and presented logically and factually to help with the City’s review.

8.4.6 When the City receives a timely written protest, Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement will determine whether the grounds for your protest are sufficient. If Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement decides that the grounds are sufficient, Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement will schedule a protest hearing, usually within five (5) business days. If Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement determines that your grounds are insufficient, the City will notify you of that decision in writing.

8.4.7 The protest hearing is informal and is not subject to the Open Meetings Act. The purpose of the hearing is to give you a chance to present your case, it is not an adversarial proceeding. Those who may attend from the City are: representatives from the department that requested the purchase, the Department of Law, Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement, and other appropriate City staff. You may bring a representative or anyone else that will present information to support the factual grounds for your protest with you to the hearing.

8.4.8 A decision will usually be made within fifteen (15) calendar days after the hearing.

8.4.9 The City will send you a copy of the hearing decision after the appropriate City staff has reviewed the decision.

8.4.10 When a protest is filed, the City usually will not make an award until a decision on the protest is made. However, the City will not delay an award if the City Manager or Austin Financial Services - Central Procurement determines that the City urgently requires the supplies or Services to be purchased, or failure to make an award promptly will unduly delay delivery or performance. In those instances, the City will notify you and make every effort to resolve your protest before the award.

8.5 Interested Parties Disclosure. As a condition to entering the Contract, the Business Entity constituting the Offeror must provide the following disclosure of Interested Parties to the City prior to the award of a contract with the City on Form 1295 “Certificate of Interested Parties” as prescribed by the Texas Ethics Commission for any contract award requiring council authorization. The Certificate of Interested Parties Form must be completed on the Texas Ethics Commission website, printed, and signed by the authorized agent of the Business Entity with acknowledgment that disclosure is made under oath and under penalty of perjury. The City will submit the “Certificate of Interested Parties” to the Texas Ethics Commission within 30 days of receipt from the successful Offeror. The Offeror is reminded that the provisions of Local Government Code 176, regarding conflicts of interest between the Offerors and local officials remain in place. Link to Texas Ethics Commission Form 1295 process and procedures below:

https://ethics.state.tx.us/filinginfo/1295/. (Include only if the resulting contract may need to be authorized by Council.)

9 DEFINITIONS. Whenever a term defined by the Uniform Commercial Code, as enacted by the State of Texas, is used in the Contract, the UCC definition shall control, unless otherwise defined in the Contract.

“Addendum” means a written instrument issued by the Contract Awarding Authority that modifies or clarifies the Solicitation prior to the Due Date. “Addenda” is the plural form of the word.

“Austin Financial Services – Central Procurement” refers to the line of business within the City of Austin’s, Austin Financial Services, responsible for the City’s procurement business function.

“Best Offer” means the best evaluated Offer in response to a Request for Proposals or Request for Qualifications/Statements.

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“Best Offeror” means the Offeror submitting the Best Offer.

“City” means the City of Austin, a Texas home-rule municipal corporation.

“Offer” means a complete signed response to a Solicitation including, but not limited to, a Request for Proposals.

“Offeror” means a person, firm, or entity that submits an Offer in response to this Solicitation. Any Offeror may be represented by an agent after submitting evidence demonstrating the agent’s authority. The agent cannot certify as to his own agency status.

“Proposal” means a complete, properly signed Offer to a Request for Proposals.

“Chief Procurement Officer” means the officer of Austin Financial Services – Central Procurement and the principal recipient of procurement authority from the City Manager.

“Request for Proposals” means all documents utilized for soliciting Proposals.

“Responsible Offeror” means the financial and practical ability of the Offeror to perform the Contract and takes into consideration resources, expertise, and past performance of the Offeror as well as compliance with all City ordinances concerning the purchasing process.

“Responsive” means meeting all the requirements of a Solicitation.

“Solicitation” means this Request for Proposals or RFP.

“Wage Theft” means any action by an employer that secures performance of a service by agreeing to provide compensation for the service and, after the service is rendered, fails to make full payment.

10 PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS.

10.1 Executive Summary

☐ Offerors shall provide an Executive Summary that summarizes your RFP response and confirms you will comply with the requirements, provisions, terms, and conditions specified in this solicitation. The Executive Summary should be in the form of a standard business letter on official business letterhead and signed by an authorized representative of Offeror. Include the complete name and address of your firm, telephone number, and email address of the person the City of Austin should contact regarding your firm’s response.

10.2 Authorized Negotiator:

☐ Offerors shall include name, address, email, and telephone number of a person in your organization authorized to negotiate Contract terms and render binding decisions on Contract matters.

10.3 Five (5) Year Implementation Plan.

☐ Offerors shall describe your firm’s high-level Executive Summary communication of proposed costs, benefits to the community, and expected operational savings. Page limit: Up to two (2) pages using a minimum 12-point font. At a minimum include the following:

a. Introduction to Strategic Energy Management methods and tools, community/facility benefits

b. Proposed project schedule and key milestones by Contract Year

c. Estimated Costs/Savings by Contract Year

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☐ Offerors shall describe Offerors 5-Year Implementation Plan (2-year base contract, three 1-year extension options). Page limit: No more than eight (8) pages using a minimum 12-point font. At a minimum include:

a. 1st year planning, kick-off, and customer engagement

b. Customer recruiting plan and recruiting milestones throughout contract term

c. Projected/Potential Savings by Contract Year

d. Annual progress milestones, activities, expected results by Contract Year

e. Recruitment methodology and approach

f. Energy analysis, modelling, and behavioral change methodology

10.4 Case Studies and Strategic Energy Management Team’s Experience. Offerors must include each of the required sections listed below.

☐ Offerors shall provide the names and qualifications of all professional personnel who will be assigned to this project. Identify key people by name and title. Provide all current resumes and certifications including qualifications for the Primary Members of the Strategic Energy Management team to include Primary Members, Manager/Executive Team Leader/Supervisor Qualified Field Staff Customer Engagement/Marketing Lead, and other Key Personnel based on Strategic Energy Management program needs. Page Limit: Up to two (2) pages per person using a minimum 12-point font.

☐ Offerors shall provide a chart or other visual representation of the project team indicating reporting structures for personnel from the primary firm that also indicates the reporting structure to primary firm of any subcontractors. Page Limit: Maximum one (1) page limit using a minimum 12-point font.

☐ Offerors shall provide description of the personnel with relevant current Strategic Energy Management experience and how they will be in direct coordination with Austin Energy staff. Page limit: Up to two (2) pages using a minimum 12-point font.

☐ Offerors shall provide at least two (2) and no more than four (4) current relevant Strategic Energy Management project experience case studies showcasing behavioral- or statistically focused Strategic Energy Management success located in Texas or comparable large commercial portfolio situations.

Case studies must be completed from projects in the last 5 years (or since 2021-2026). Specified Page Limit: Up to two (2) pages per case study using a minimum 12-point font.

☐ Offerors shall describe your firms familiarity with local utility programs and Texas ERCOT regulations, Local presence or ability to conduct on-site visits within 48 hours, Emergency technical support capability for Customer concerns.

☐ Offerors shall describe how your firm engages with Customers to establish data-driven energy optimization strategies, identify efficiency opportunities, support behavioral changes, recommend equipment upgrades, and calculate estimated and actual energy (peak) savings.

☐ Offerors shall provide copies of current Energy Manager Certifications and current ASHRAE Building Energy Assessment Professional Certifications.

☐ Offerors shall provide only relevant corporate experience and individual experience for personnel who will be actively engaged in the project. Do not include corporate experience unless personnel assigned to this project will actively participate for more than 40 hours. Do not include experience prior to 2021.

☐ Offerors shall provide a list of at least five (5) verifiable current projects and current references for which your company and proposed personnel have provided a similar scope of services. For each reference, provide the following: organization name, year of delivery; reference name, title, present address, phone number, and email address of a principal person who represents the organization and can speak to the

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Positive references from previous clients. Documented successes and lessons learned from similar projects

10.5 Scenarios Offerors shall respond in their Proposal to the following three (3) evaluated Scenarios, with a focus on process, methods, tools, and communications that will be employed in Austin.

Scenario 1

☐ Describe your process or methodology your firm uses to deliver a formal Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program for a large institutional customer, consistent with the expectations of this Request for Proposal. Your response must clearly demonstrate how your approach meets or exceeds all stated requirements for this scenario. Ensure that your explanation is thorough, logically structured, and directly aligned with the expectations outlined in the assessment criteria. Page Limit: Up to two (2) pages using a minimum 12-point font

Scenario 2

☐ Describe how your firm engages with large facilities managed by Educational Institutions in Austin.

Explain how you identify contacts, how you prioritize between customers and what your typical timing and level of engagement effort would be? Your response must clearly demonstrate how your approach meets or exceeds all stated requirements for this scenario. Ensure that your explanation is thorough, logically structured, and directly aligned with the expectations described in the assessment criteria.

Page Limit: Up to two pages using a minimum 12-point font

Scenario 3

☐ Describe how would you encourage the Customer to make operational, equipment, demand response, or other changes. Include how you identify and involve key stakeholders and explain how successful Strategic Energy Management programs have achieved sustained engagement, secured executive buy-in, and communicated results to stakeholders. Your response must clearly demonstrate how your approach meets or exceeds all stated requirements for this scenario. Ensure that your explanation is thorough, logically structured, and directly aligned with the expectations described in the assessment criteria. Page Limit: Up to three (3) pages using a minimum 12-point font.

10.6 Sample SEM Program Documentation. Page Limit: Up to ten (10) pages) using a minimum 12-point font ☐ Offerors shall provide copies of relevant examples of their work product. Examples may include, but are not limited to: Customer proposals, Audit reports, Estimated vs Actual Savings Reports, Progress reports, or marketing Fact Sheets). Submitted materials should clearly demonstrate the Offeror’s capabilities, experience, and approach in delivering Strategic Energy Management or related services.

☐ Offerors shall provide copies of Internal Communication documents, or other sample deliverables from similar Strategic Energy Management programs. Submitted materials should demonstrate the Offeror’s ability to support Customer engagement, communicate program progress, and deliver high-quality SEM-related documentation

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10.7 Outline of Price Proposal by Implementation Phase. Whichever Offeror offers the City the most competitive price will be awarded the maximum amount of points. Remaining points will be distributed on a pro-rated basis.

The following information is required to be provided by all Offerors: Page limit: Up to two (2) pages using a minimum 12-point font.

Note: The maximum budget allocated for this project is $250,000. Offerors are expected to propose solutions that align with the project requirements while remaining within this budget. (Note: Up to $200K annually for the SEM program with an additional “Results-Based” bonus of up $50K available at the end of each Contract year.)

The following services will be used in scoring pricing. All itemized pricing must be clearly broken out and summed to provide a Total Amount of Services Being Proposed.

10.7.1 Offeror’s Price Proposals will be evaluated with a strong preference for performance-based and results-based compensation structures, particularly for Years 2 through 5 of the contract term.

Offeror may propose a mix of fixed fees, milestone-based, and performance-based compensation tied to estimated and/or actual savings results.

10.7.2 Offeror shall provide a schedule of proposed all-inclusive fee, including an itemized breakdown by type of fee for each Contract Year.

10.7.2.1 Offeror’s proposed fee schedule shall include expected peak kW savings and GHGe savings for each Contract Year

10.7.3 Offeror shall provide their bonus criteria and performance measures along with pricing associated with these fees. At a minimum include:

10.7.3.1 Identification of the criteria to be considered

10.7.3.2 A description of the efforts, results, savings, or energy shift results, and any related criteria that your firm would consider as incentives for implementing a world-class SEM program in Austin

Note 1: Contract funds are separate from existing Austin Energy commercial rebate funds.

Note 2: Offerors are expected to propose detailed monthly activities, bonus milestones, and expectations of results that align with the SEM expectations set forth -- while remaining within this budget.

The following services will not be used in the scoring for pricing:

10.7.4 Offeror shall provide detailed optional service and special project pricing. At a minimum, materials mark-up percentages and hourly rates for key personnel. These services will not be used in the scoring for price but may be considered in the future.

10.7.5 Offeror may offer Additional Services in writing, in a separate section. These services will not be used in the scoring for price but may be considered in the future.

10.7.6 Offeror may not propose travel reimbursement. There is no travel and expense reimbursement for this project (total allowable reimbursement: $0).

SOLICITATION INSTRUCTIONS

Revision 1 (9/18/2026)

Solicitation Instructions R1 Page 12

10.8 Local Business Preference – Optional. The City of Austin seeks to promote additional opportunities for Local Businesses to participate under City contracts. Local Businesses responding to this Solicitation may be eligible to receive preference as described in the Local Business Preference Form, included with this Solicitation (see Offer and Certification Form). To receive this preference, Offerors must complete the form and include the completed form with their Offer.

Note: Local Business Preference may not be allowable, and will not be provided, in solicitations subject to federal funding.

10.9 Small Business Preference – Optional. The City of Austin seeks to promote additional opportunities for Small Businesses to participate under City contracts. Small Businesses responding to this Solicitation, and their subcontractors, may be eligible to receive preference as described in the Small Business Preference Form, included with this Solicitation. To receive this preference, Offerors must complete the form and include the completed form with their Offer. If the Solicitation includes an MBE/WBE Program Compliance Plan, only the Offeror/Prime is eligible for Small Business preference.

10.10 Local and Small Businesses Points. Proposals from Local Business and Small Businesses will be assigned points based on the following.

Total Proposal Value (Aggregate) Local

Points Small Points

(highest of either Prime or Sub)

Prime Sub

$78,000 to $499,999 10 10 4

$500,000 to $50 million 6 6 2

Above $50 million 0 0

11 EVALUATION OF OFFERS

11.1 Evaluation Criteria

11.2 Interviews and/or presentations, Optional. The City will score proposals on the basis or bases of the criteria listed above. The City may select a “short list” of Offerors based on those scores. “Short-listed” Offerors may be invited for presentations, demonstrations, or discussions with the City. The City reserves the right to re-score “short-listed” proposals as a result, and to make award recommendations on that basis or bases.

RFP Evaluation Factors Maximum Points Five (5) Year Implementation Plan 15 Case Studies and SEM Team’s Experience. 20 Scenarios 15 Outline of Cost Proposal by Implementation Phase 20 Sample SEM Program Documentation 10 Local Business Preference Up to 10 Small Business Preference Up to 10 Total Up to 100