STATE OF WASHINGTON

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

RFP NO. 2026 FEMA O & E

NOTE: Please read this entire document before submitting a response. Responses that do not meet one or more requirements stated herein may be disqualified and not scored.

PROJECT TITLE: N

PROPOSAL DUE: August 13 at 5:00pm, Pacific Time, Olympia, WA

ESTIMATED TIME PERIOD FOR CONTRACT: 10/10/2026 – 05/02/2027

PROPOSER ELIGIBILITY: This procurement is open to registered 501c3 organizations with expertise in community outreach and education addressing individual, household, critical infrastructure, and community energy resilience and which satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein and are available for work in Washington State.

FUNDING SOURCE AND METHOD: This is federal funding. Payments will be made on a reimbursement basis for deliverables accepted and/or allowable time and expenses.

CONTENTS OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

1. Introduction

2. General Information for Proposers

3. Proposal Contents

4. Evaluation and Award

5. Exhibits

A. Certifications and Assurances

B. Diverse Business Inclusion Plan

C. Workers’ Rights Certification

D. Contract Template with General Terms and Conditions

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 3 of 18

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK

OBJECTIVES

SCOPE OF WORK

DELIVERABLES and TARGET METRICS:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

FUNDING

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

CONTRACTING WITH CURRENT OR FORMER STATE EMPLOYEES

DEFINITIONS

ADA

2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSERS

RFP COORDINATOR

ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

THIS SECTION REMOVED

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

REVISIONS TO THE RFP

DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN

ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

COMPLAINT PROCESS

RESPONSIVENESS

MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

CONTRACT GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

COSTS TO PROPOSE

NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT

REJECTION OF PROPOSALS

COMMITMENT OF FUNDS

ELECTRONIC PAYMENT

INSURANCE COVERAGE

3. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES AND LETTER OF SUBMITTAL (MANDATORY)

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (SCORED)

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 4 of 18

MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL

COST PROPOSAL

4. EVALUATION AND CONTRACT AWARD

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

EVALUATION BREAKDOWN

VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS MAY BE REQUIRED

NOTIFICATION TO PROPOSERS

DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL PROPOSERS

PROTEST PROCEDURE

5. RFP EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT A: Certifications and Assurances EXHIBIT B: Diverse Business Inclusion Plan EXHIBIT C: Workers’ Rights Certification EXHIBIT D: Federal Services Contract Format with Terms and Conditions

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 5 of 18

1. INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The State of Washington Department of Commerce, hereafter called "COMMERCE,” is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit Proposals from those qualified and interested in conducting an outreach and education campaign addressing community energy resilience as part of the Energy Resilience Scoping Project for Eastern Washington and the North Olympic Peninsula.

This Energy Resilience Scoping Project for Eastern Washington and the North Olympic Peninsula is funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Grant DR-4481 and focuses on State Homeland Security (SHLS) Regions 2, 7, 8, and 9. The overall project will equip jurisdictions, tribes, electric utilities, and policymakers with the necessary data, information, and tools to incorporate and justify holistic mitigation strategies into integrated energy resilience infrastructure planning and to reduce future damage and hardship caused by outages and losses of energy infrastructure due to natural disasters.

This outreach and education campaign will provide reliable, data-driven, and unbiased information to disproportionately impacted and over-burdened communities and tribes, supporting them to make sound and informed energy resilience decisions. Successful Proposers will employ targeted and culturally relevant outreach and education practices to provide communities - particularly vulnerable individuals, households, and communities - within the project areas with reliable, data-driven and unbiased information to support energy resiliency before, during, and after a disaster.

OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK

OBJECTIVES

COMMERCE intends to award one or more contracts for a total not to exceed $230,000 to provide the services described in this RFP.

Proposer(s) that receive(s) funding through this RFP will be responsible for supporting the Project’s community outreach and education campaign in one or more of 22 Washington counties: Jefferson, Clallam, Okanagan, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Yakima, Franklin, Klickitat, Benton, Walla Walla, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, Whitman, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin.

These counties are located in Eastern Washington and the North Olympic Peninsula and comprise most of SHLS Region 2, and all of Regions 7, 8, and 9.

The Objectives for the outreach and education campaign include the following activities within the Project’s geographic scope:

Supporting an energy resilience mindset for individuals, households, businesses, and communities.

Providing data-driven and unbiased information to support good energy resilience decisions.

Educating community members about community resilience hubs.

Educating community members about critical infrastructure energy systems during power outages.

Building relationships with local community organizations in project counties.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Energy Resilience and Mitigation Program (ERMP), within COMMERCE'S Energy Resilience & Emergency Management Office (EREMO), is leading the Energy Resilience Scoping Project for Eastern Washington and North Olympic Peninsula, which includes an outreach & education campaign

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 6 of 18 addressing community energy resilience. The community outreach and education campaign will focus on supporting an energy resilience mindset for individuals, households, and communities, including topics such as community resilience hubs and critical infrastructure energy systems.

Applicants may propose to serve a subset of the Project’s geographic scope. They may propose to serve, for example, a single county, a State Homeland Security Region, group of counties, or a specifically distinct group within a defined geographic footprint, such as Spanish speakers in all 20 Eastern Washington counties. The geographic scope of a proposal serving a subset of the 22 counties must be well-defined and appropriate population-specific characteristic data included when proposing to serve a subset of the general population. The proposed budget should match the footprint of the scope of proposed work. The proposed deliverables should include the number of event activities and contribute to achieving the overall minimum event goals outlined in the Deliverables Section below.

An organization that receives funding will support the outreach and education campaign by working collaboratively with COMMERCE Project staff to:

carry out approved community outreach and education activities to address individual, household, and community energy resilience, including community resilience hubs and critical infrastructure energy systems.

use existing, and co-develop with COMMERCE new, outreach and educational materials, activities, and presentations to support an energy resilience mindset within project communities.

attend community events, meetings, and other public gatherings to inform and educate both youth and adults on relevant energy resilience topics.

maintain records of outreach and education campaign activities conducted, numbers of people engaged (metrics), and any demonstrated outcomes from engagement.

When considering project scope, please consider the following guidelines:

All outreach activities and materials must be approved by the COMMERCE Project Manager (or their designee) before use or engagement. Proposers are highly encouraged to account for some staff time in their budget to work with COMMERCE staff on materials development at the beginning of the project.

Any needed materials such as language translation, interpretation services (including American Sign Language (ASL), or captioning services will be obtained and paid for by COMMERCE upon request.

It is expected that a significant portion of outreach and education activities will include actively engaging with a range of local community organizations with the purpose of targeting:

o small, rural communities;

o historically underserved communities and populations; and o communities and populations disproportionately impacted by disaster.

State Homeland Security Region Project Counties:

Region 2: Clallam and Jefferson Counties Region 7: Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, and Okanogan Counties Region 8: Benton, Franklin, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima Counties Region 9: Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Spokane, and Whitman Counties

It is envisioned that the outreach and education campaign will utilize existing public events, meetings, etc.

to share energy resilience information with the public. This may be a table or booth at a fair, community celebration, or other public gathering or appropriate meeting. Examples of other outreach activities might be presenting a workshop, tabling at a community location designed to reach a specific audience, planning an energy resilience activity with a youth group, etc. Creativity to reach under-served populations are encouraged. Proposals should detail planned activities, their intended audience, and any specific energy resilience messaging for that activity.

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 7 of 18

DELIVERABLES and TARGET METRICS:

Documented community outreach and education campaign activities, incorporating existing events, meetings, and other community/public opportunities, with the purpose of supporting an energy resilience mindset within communities; minimum targets are six (6) in Region 2, twelve

(12) each in Regions 7 and 8, and eighteen (18) in Region 9. Documentation of activities could include photos, media articles, marketing materials, feedback/reactions from participants, sign-in sheets, staff notes (including estimates of # of people reached), and other appropriate documentation.

NOTE: Proposals are not required to serve all counties within the Project scope but must contribute to the overall target Project Deliverables above. Proposals must clearly outline which project areas and or populations they intend to serve and how many events in each county they propose to engage in. See Section 1.2 Objectives and Scope of Work above for a table of counties in each Region and details about project activities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

This RFP is open to proposers that are registered 501c3 organizations with expertise in community outreach and education addressing individual, household, critical infrastructure, and community energy resilience.

Minimum qualifications include:

Proposers must be a registered 501c(3) organization within Washington State.

A minimum of 5 years of experience developing and conducting community outreach and education campaigns in rural, tribal, and disaster-impacted communities.

A minimum of 3 years of experience supporting community education on energy resilience topics, including community resiliency, microgrids, solar, wind, and ground energy systems, petroleum fuel-based back-up systems, and energy storage.

A minimum of 3 years of experience in community engagement in Eastern Washington.

Proposals that do not clearly meet or exceed all minimum qualifications listed above will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated.

Desired qualifications include:

Experience in community engagement in the North Olympic Peninsula (specifically Region

2; Jefferson and Clallam Counties).

3 years of experience supporting communities, tribes, and utilities in resilience and hazard mitigation planning.

3 years of collaborative experience working with technical experts and other project staff to support community involvement with project discussions and decision-making.

FUNDING

COMMERCE has budgeted an amount not to exceed $230,000 (total) for this community outreach and education project. Proposals in excess of this amount will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated. Proposals are expected to clearly outline proposed activities, and their associated costs, and budgets will be evaluated for appropriateness and alignment to activities.

Any contract awarded as a result of this procurement is contingent upon the availability of funding.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 8 of 18

The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFP is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about October 10, 2026, and to end on May 2, 2027. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of COMMERCE.

COMMERCE reserves the right to extend any contract for two one-year periods.

CONTRACTING WITH CURRENT OR FORMER STATE EMPLOYEES

Specific restrictions apply to contracting with current or former state employees pursuant to chapter

42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington. Proposers should familiarize themselves with the requirements prior to submitting a proposal that includes current or former state employees.

DEFINITIONS

Definitions for the purposes of this RFP include:

Apparent Successful Contractor/Bidder/Vendor/Grantee/Awardee: The proposer selected as the entity to perform the anticipated services, subject to completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract.

Contract: A written, legally binding agreement to perform the services proposed, also called a Grant or Interagency Agreement.

Contractor: Proposer(s) whose proposal has been accepted by COMMERCE and is awarded a fully executed, written contract. Also called Grantee, Awardee, Recipient, or Vendor.

COMMERCE or AGENCY: The Department of Commerce is the agency of the state of Washington that is issuing this RFP.

Critical infrastructure: the physical and virtual assets, systems, and networks that are so vital to a society that their incapacitation or destruction would debilitate security, the economy, or public health and safety

Energy resiliency: the ability of a community’s energy infrastructure to withstand and reduce the magnitude and/or duration of a disruptive event and includes the capability to anticipate, absorb, adapt to, and rapidly recover from such an event

Energy system: the interconnected network of technologies that produce, convert, transmit, and deliver energy to end-users

Exhibit: Document attached to this RFP, also referred to as Attachment.

Hazard mitigation: any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risks to human life and property from hazards

Microgrid: a localized, self-contained energy system that can operate independently or while connected to the traditional, large-scale power grid

Proposal: A formal offer submitted in response to this solicitation.

Proposer: Individual, firm, organization, company, or other entity or group of entities that submits a proposal in order to attain a contract with COMMERCE.

Resilience: the ability to prepare, mitigate and plan for, withstand, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events and changing conditions, and reorganize in an equitable manner that results in a new and better condition.

Request for Proposals (RFP): Formal procurement document in which a service or need is identified but no specific method to achieve it has been chosen. The purpose of an RFP is to permit the proposer community to suggest various approaches to meet the need at or below a given funding level.

Tribe/tribal nation/tribal government/: The government of any federally recognized Indian tribe whose traditional lands and territories included parts of Washington, designated subdivisions and

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 9 of 18 agencies (such as a Tribal Housing Authority), or any other entities or authorities of a federally recognized tribal government in corporate form or otherwise.

Veteran-owned business: A business certified by the Washington Department of Veteran Affairs.

ADA

COMMERCE complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Proposers may contact the RFP Coordinator to receive this Request for Proposals in Braille or on tape.

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 10 of 18

2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PROPOSERS

RFP COORDINATOR

The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in COMMERCE for this procurement. All communication between the Proposer and COMMERCE upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator, as follows:

Name Bryce Davis

E-Mail Address bryce.davis@commerce.wa.gov

Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on COMMERCE. Proposers are to rely on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Proposer.

ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES

All dates in the table below are in the year 2026 unless otherwise stated.

Issue Request for Proposals July 13

Question & answer period July 13 – August 5

Answers to Q&A posted no later than August 5

Pre-Proposal Conference July 20 at 2:00pm

Proposals due August 13 at 5:00pm

Evaluate proposals August 13 – 24

Conduct oral interviews with finalists, if required August 26 – 27

Announce “Apparent Successful Contractor” and send notification via e-mail to unsuccessful Proposers

September 7

Hold debriefing conferences (if requested) September 14

Negotiate contract September 22 – October

Begin contract work October 10

COMMERCE reserves the right to revise the above schedule.

mailto:bryce.davis@commerce.wa.gov

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 11 of 18

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

A pre-proposal conference is scheduled to be held on July 20th at 2:00p.m., Pacific time. The pre-proposal conference will be virtual only. All prospective Proposers are encouraged attend; however, attendance is not mandatory.

Register for the pre-proposal conference at this link:

https://wastatecommerce.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uev7dqsCTFeZ1lncbpq0ig#/registration

COMMERCE will be bound only to COMMERCE written answers to questions. Questions arising at the pre-proposal conference or in subsequent communication with the RFP Coordinator will be documented and answered in written form. A copy of the questions and answers will be sent to each prospective Proposer that has received a copy of the RFP or made the RFP Coordinator aware of its interest in this procurement.

THIS SECTION REMOVED

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS:

The proposal must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 5:00p.m., Pacific Time, in Olympia, Washington, on August 13, 2026.

Proposals must be submitted electronically through the SmartSheet form:

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019f425c885a7ab5b5fcef6e08d8fdd7

Attachments to the application shall be in Microsoft Word format, PDF, and any other formats listed in Section 3 Proposal Contents. Zipped files cannot be received by COMMERCE and cannot be used for submission of proposals. The cover submittal letter and the Certifications and Assurances form must have a scanned signature of the individual within the organization authorized to bind the Proposer to the offer. COMMERCE does not assume responsibility for problems with Proposer’s e-mail. If COMMERCE email is not working, appropriate allowances will be made.

Proposals may not be transmitted using facsimile transmission.

Proposers should allow sufficient time to ensure timely receipt of the proposal by the RFP Coordinator.

Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration, unless COMMERCE e-mail is found to be at fault at COMMERCE’S sole determination.

Proposals should be sent in one email, however if more than one email is needed all must be received by the due date and time. Exceptions will not be made for partial submissions. Requests for deadline extensions will not be granted. All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of COMMERCE and will not be returned.

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

Proposals submitted in response to this competitive procurement shall become the property of COMMERCE. All proposals received shall remain confidential until the Apparent Successful Contractor is announced; thereafter, the proposals shall be deemed public records as defined in Chapter 42.56 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).

Any information in the proposal that the Proposer desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for the nondisclosure of your document, must be clearly designated. The information must be clearly identified and the particular exemption from disclosure upon which the Proposer is making the claim must be cited. Each page containing the information claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified by the words “Proprietary Information” printed on the lower right hand corner of the page. Marking the entire proposal exempt from disclosure or as Proprietary Information will not be honored.

https://wastatecommerce.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uev7dqsCTFeZ1lncbpq0ig#/registration https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019f425c885a7ab5b5fcef6e08d8fdd7

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 12 of 18

If a public records request is made for the information that the Proposer has marked as "Proprietary Information," COMMERCE will notify the Proposer of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the requester unless the Proposer obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If the Proposer fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, COMMERCE will release the requested information on the date specified. If a Proposer obtains a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction enjoining disclosure pursuant to Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for nondisclosure, COMMERCE shall maintain the confidentiality of the Proposer's information per the court order.

A charge will be made for copying and shipping, as outlined in RCW 42.56. No fee shall be charged for inspection of contract files, but twenty-four (24) hours’ notice to the RFP Coordinator is required. All requests for information should be directed to the RFP Coordinator.

REVISIONS TO THE RFP

In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be provided via e-mail to all individuals who have made the RFP Coordinator aware of their interest. Addenda will also be published on Washington’s Electronic Bid System (WEBS). The website can be located at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/. For this purpose, the published questions and answers and any other pertinent information shall be provided as an addendum to the RFP and will be placed on the website.

Such addenda will also be published on an Agency page, located at http://www.commerce.wa.gov/serving-communities/current-opportunities/.

If you downloaded this RFP from the Agency website located at www.commerce.wa.gov, you are responsible for sending your name, e-mail address, and telephone number to the RFP Coordinator in order for your organization to receive any RFP addenda.

COMMERCE also reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFP in whole or in part, prior to execution of a contract.

DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN

Proposers are required to submit a Diverse Business Inclusion Plan with their proposal. In accordance with legislative findings and policies set forth in RCW 39.19, the state of Washington encourages participation in all contracts by firms certified by the office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE), set forth in RCW 43.60A.200 for firms certified by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, and set forth in RCW 39.26.005 for firms that are Washington Small Businesses. Participation may be either on a direct basis or on a subcontractor basis. However, no preference on the basis of participation is included in the evaluation of Diverse Business Inclusion Plans submitted, and no minimum level of minority- and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE), Washington Small Business, or Washington State certified Veteran Business participation is required as a condition for receiving an award. Any affirmative action requirements set forth in any federal governmental rules included or referenced in the contract documents will apply.

COMMERCE has the following agency goals:

10% participation by Minority Owned Business

6% participation by Women Owned Business

5% participation by Veteran Owned Business

5% participation by Small Businesses

ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

Proposals must provide 60 days for acceptance by COMMERCE from the due date for receipt of proposals.

COMPLAINT PROCESS

Vendors may submit a complaint to COMMERCE based on any of following:

https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ http://www.commerce.wa.gov/serving-communities/current-opportunities/ http://www.commerce.wa.gov/

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 13 of 18

a) The solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition;

b) The solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair; or

c) The solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

A complaint may be submitted to COMMERCE at any time prior to 5 days before the bid response deadline. The complaint must meet the following requirements:

a) The complaint must be in writing;

b) The complaint must be sent to the RFP coordinator in a timely manner;

c) The complaint should clearly articulate the basis for the complaint; and

d) The complaint should include a proposed remedy.

The RFP coordinator will respond to the complaint in writing. The response to the complaint and any changes to the solicitation will be posted on WEBS. The Director of COMMERCE will be notified of all complaints and will be provided a copy of COMMERCE’S response. The complaint may not be raised again during the protest period. COMMERCE’S action or inaction in response to the complaint will be final. There will be no appeal process.

RESPONSIVENESS

All proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFP. The Proposer is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of the RFP may result in disqualification of the proposal as incomplete and/or non-responsive.

Disqualified Proposers will be notified after the announcement of the Apparently Successful Contractor(s).

Disqualified Proposers will be afforded a Debriefing consistent with Section 4.5.

COMMERCE reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities.

MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

COMMERCE reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted.

Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Proposer can propose. There will be no best and final offer procedure. COMMERCE reserves the right to contact a Proposer for clarification of its proposal.

The Apparent Successful Contractor should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some, or all, of the Proposer’s proposal. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to COMMERCE.

CONTRACT GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

The apparent successful contractor will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same as the sample contract and its general terms and conditions attached as Exhibit D. This sample contract is for information and review only and should not be returned with your proposal. In no event is a Proposer to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this solicitation.

The Proposer may submit proposed edits as allowed in the Certifications and Assurances form, Exhibit A to this solicitation. All proposed edits to the contract terms and conditions must be submitted as an attachment to Exhibit A, Certifications and Assurances form. COMMERCE will review requested exceptions and accept or reject the same at its sole discretion.

COSTS TO PROPOSE

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 14 of 18

COMMERCE will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, travel to or conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.

NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT

This RFP does not obligate the state of Washington or COMMERCE to contract for services specified herein.

REJECTION OF PROPOSALS

COMMERCE reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.

COMMITMENT OF FUNDS

The Director of COMMERCE or delegate is the only individual who may legally commit COMMERCE to the expenditures of funds for a contract resulting from this RFP. No cost chargeable to the proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract.

ELECTRONIC PAYMENT

The state of Washington prefers to utilize electronic payment in its transactions. The successful contractor will be provided a form to complete with the contract to authorize such payment method.

INSURANCE COVERAGE

The Contractor is to furnish COMMERCE with a certificate(s) of insurance executed by a duly authorized representative of each insurer, showing compliance with the insurance requirements set forth within the contract.

The Contractor shall, at its own expense, obtain and keep in force insurance coverage which shall be maintained in full force and effect during the term of the contract. The Contractor shall furnish evidence in the form of a Certificate of Insurance that insurance shall be provided, and a copy shall be forwarded to COMMERCE within fifteen (15) days of the contract effective date. Standard insurance requirements are included within the sample contract and its special terms and conditions attached as Exhibit D.

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 15 of 18

3. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS:

Proposals must be written in English and submitted electronically to the RFP Coordinator in the order noted below:

1. Certifications and Assurances (Exhibit A to this RFP)

2. Technical Proposal

3. Management Proposal

4. Cost Proposal

5. Diverse Business Inclusion Plan (Exhibit B to this RFP)

6. Workers’ Rights Certification (Exhibit C to this RFP)

7. Small or Veteran-Owned Business Certification (Exhibit D to this RFP)

Proposals must provide information in the same order as presented in this document with the same headings. This will not only be helpful to the evaluators of the proposal but should assist the Proposer in preparing a thorough response.

Items marked “mandatory” must be included as part of the proposal for the proposal to be considered responsive, however, these items are not scored. Items marked “scored” are those that are awarded points as part of the evaluation conducted by the evaluation team.

CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES AND LETTER OF SUBMITTAL (MANDATORY)

The Certifications and Assurances form (Exhibit A to this RFP) and the Proposer’s Letter of Submittal each must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Proposer to a contractual relationship, e.g., the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship.

Along with introductory remarks, the Letter of Submittal must include the following information about the Proposer:

A. Name, address, principal place of business, telephone number, and fax number/e-mail address of legal entity or individual with whom contract would be written.

B. Name, address, and telephone number of each principal officer (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, etc.)

C. Legal status of the Proposer (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, etc.) and the year the entity was organized to do business as the entity now substantially exists.

D. Federal Employer Tax Identification number or Social Security number and the Washington Uniform Business Identification (UBI) number issued by the state of Washington Department of Revenue. If the Proposer does not have a UBI number, the Proposer must state that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the Apparently Successful Contractor.

E. Location from which the Proposer would operate.

F. Identify any state employees or former state employees employed or on the firm’s governing board as of the date of the proposal. Include their position and responsibilities within the Proposer’s organization. If following a review of this information, it is determined by COMMERCE that a conflict of interest exists, the Proposer may be disqualified from further consideration.

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (SCORED)

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 16 of 18

The Technical Proposal must contain a comprehensive description of services including the following elements:

A. Project Approach/Methodology: Include a complete description of the Proposer’s proposed approach and methodology for the project. This section should convey Proposer’s understanding of the proposed project.

B. Work Plan: Include all project requirements and the proposed tasks, services, activities, etc.

necessary to accomplish the scope of the project defined in this RFP. This section of the technical proposal must contain sufficient detail to convey to members of the evaluation team the Proposer’s knowledge of the subjects and skills necessary to successfully complete the project. Include any required involvement of COMMERCE staff. The Proposer may also present any creative approaches that might be appropriate and may provide any pertinent supporting documentation.

C. Project Schedule: Include a project schedule indicating when the elements of the work will be completed. Project schedule must ensure that any deliverables requested are met.

D. Outcomes and Performance Measurement: Describe the impacts/outcomes the Proposers propose to achieve as a result of the delivery of these services including how these outcomes would be monitored, measured and reported to the state agency.

E. Risks: The Proposer must identify potential risks that are considered significant to the success of the project. Include how the Proposer would propose to effectively monitor and manage these risks, including reporting of risks to the COMMERCE contract manager.

F. Deliverables: Fully describe deliverables to be submitted under the proposed contract.

Deliverables must support the requirements set forth in Section 1.2, Objectives and Scope of Work.

MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL

A. Project Management (SCORED)

1. Project Team Structure and Internal Controls: Provide a description of the proposed project team structure and internal controls to be used during the course of the projectProvide an organizational chart of your firm indicating lines of authority for personnel involved in performance of this potential contract and relationships of this staff to other programs or functions of the firm. This chart must also show lines of authority to the next senior level of management. Include who within the firm will have prime responsibility and final authority for the work.

2. Staff Qualifications and Experience: Identify staff who will be assigned to the potential contract, indicating the responsibilities and qualifications of such personnel, and include the amount of time each will be assigned to the project. Provide resumes for the named staff, which include information on the individual’s particular skills related to this project, education, experience, significant accomplishments and any other pertinent information.

The Proposer must commit that staff identified in its proposal will actually perform the assigned work. Any staff substitution must have the prior approval of the AGENCY.

B. Experience of the Proposer (SCORED)

1. Indicate the experience the Proposer has in the following areas:

a. Developing and carrying out community outreach and education campaigns in rural, tribal, and disaster-impacted communities.

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 17 of 18

b. Conducting community engagement within Eastern Washington (required).

Additional experience in community engagement in the North Olympic Peninsula (specifically Jefferson and Clallam Counties) is desired.

c. Supporting community education on energy resilience topics, including community resiliency, microgrids, solar, wind, and ground energy systems, petroleum fuel-based back-up systems, and energy storage.

d. Supporting communities, tribes and utilities in resilience and hazard mitigation planning.

2. Indicate other relevant experience that indicates the qualifications of the Proposer for the performance of the potential contract.

3. Include a list of contracts the Proposer has had during the last five years that relate to the Proposer’s ability to perform the services needed under this RFP. List contract reference numbers, contract period of performance, contact persons, telephone numbers, and fax numbers/e-mail addresses.

C. Related Information (MANDATORY)

1. If the Proposer contracted with the state of Washington during the past 24 months, indicate the name of the agency, the contract number and project description and/or other information available to identify the contract.

2. If the Proposer’s staff was an employee of the state of Washington during the past 24 months, or is currently a Washington State employee, identify the individual by name, the agency previously or currently employed by, job title or position held and separation date.

3. If the Proposer has had a contract terminated for default in the last five years, describe such incident. Termination for default is defined as notice to stop performance due to the Proposer’s non-performance or poor performance and the issue of performance was either

(a) not litigated due to inaction on the part of the Proposer, or (b) litigated and such litigation determined that the Proposer was in default.

4. Submit full details of the terms for default including the other party's name, address, and phone number. Present the Proposer’s position on the matter. COMMERCE will evaluate the facts and may, at its sole discretion, reject the proposal on the grounds of the past experience. If no such termination for default has been experienced by the Proposer in the past five years, so indicate.

D. References (MANDATORY)

List names, addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers/e-mail addresses of three (3) business references for the Proposer and three (3) business references for the lead staff person for whom work has been accomplished and briefly describe the type of service provided.

Do not include current COMMERCE staff as references. By submitting a proposal the Proposer and any partners or agents authorize COMMERCE to contact these references and others, who from COMMERCE’S perspective, may have pertinent information. COMMERCE may or may not, at COMMERCE’S discretion, contact references. COMMERCE may evaluate references at COMMERCE’S discretion.

E. OMWBE Certification (OPTIONAL AND NOT SCORED)

Include proof of certification issued by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) if certified minority-, women-, or veteran-owned firm(s) will be participating on this project. For more information please visit: http://www.omwbe.wa.gov.

COST PROPOSAL

http://www.omwbe.wa.gov/

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 18 of 18

The maximum fee for this contract must not exceed the amount specified in section 1.4 to be considered responsive to this RFP.

The evaluation process is designed to award this procurement not necessarily to the Proposer(s) of least cost, but rather to the Proposer(s) whose proposal(s) best meets the requirements of this RFP.

However, Proposers are encouraged to submit proposals which are consistent with state government efforts to conserve resources.

A. Identification of Costs (SCORED)

Identify all costs in U.S. dollars including expenses to be charged for performing the services necessary to accomplish the objectives of the contract. The Proposer is to submit a fully detailed budget including staff costs and any expenses necessary to accomplish the tasks and to produce the deliverables under the contract. Proposers are required to collect and pay Washington state sales and use taxes, as applicable.

B. Computation

The score for the cost proposal will be computed through evaluation and scoring of proposal budget and its alignment with the proposed Scope of Work and geographic footprint served.

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 19 of 18

4. EVALUATION AND CONTRACT AWARD

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Responsive proposals will be evaluated strictly in accordance with the requirements stated in this solicitation and any addenda issued. The evaluation of proposals shall be accomplished by an evaluation team(s), to be designated by COMMERCE, which will determine the ranking of the proposals.

COMMERCE, at its sole discretion, may elect to invite the top-scoring Proposers as finalists for an oral presentation.

The RFP Coordinator may contact the Proposer for clarification of any portion of the Proposer’s proposal. Proposers are not permitted to submit, or resubmit, any materials of any kind after the date and time stated in section 2.5 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS.

EVALUATION BREAKDOWN

The following weighting will be assigned to the proposal for evaluation purposes:

Technical Proposal – 80% Project Approach/Methodology Work Plan Project Schedule Outcome and Performance Measurement Risks Deliverables

Management Proposal – 20% Project Team Structure Internal Controls Staff Qualifications and Experience

Cost Proposal is computed in accordance with section 3.4(B) and the result is then added to the combined score for the Technical and Management Proposals.

Workers’ Rights Certification – Those Proposers that certify they do not require their employees to sign an individual arbitration clause as a condition of employment will receive an extra 5% of their awarded points added to their final score (see Exhibit C).

COMMERCE reserves the right to award the contract to the Proposer whose proposal is deemed to be in the best interest of COMMERCE and the state of Washington.

VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS MAY BE REQUIRED

After evaluating the written proposals COMMERCE may elect to schedule virtual presentations of the finalists. Should oral presentations become necessary, COMMERCE will contact the top-scoring firm(s) from the written evaluation to schedule a date, time, and location. Commitments made by the Proposer at the oral interview, if any, will be considered binding.

The scores from the written evaluation and the oral presentation combined together will determine the Apparent Successful Contractor.

NOTIFICATION TO PROPOSERS

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 20 of 18

COMMERCE will notify the Apparent Successful Contractor(s) of their selection in writing upon completion of the evaluation process. Proposers who were not selected for further negotiation or award will be notified separately by e-mail.

DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL PROPOSERS

Any Proposer who has submitted a proposal and received notice that they were not selected for contract award may request a debriefing. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the RFP Coordinator within three (3) business days after the Unsuccessful Proposer Notification is e-mailed or faxed to the Proposer. Debriefing requests must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 5:00 PM, local time, in Olympia, Washington, on the third business day following the transmittal of the Unsuccessful Proposer Notification. The debriefing must be scheduled within three (3) business days of the request.

Discussion at the debriefing conference is strictly limited to the following:

Evaluation and scoring of that Proposer’s proposal;

Any written comments from evaluators;

Review of proposer’s final score in comparison with the other final scores without identifying the other Proposers or reviewing their proposals.

Comparisons between proposals or evaluations of the other proposals is not allowed. Debriefing conferences may be conducted on the telephone or by other electronic means and will be scheduled for a maximum of thirty (30) minutes.

PROTEST PROCEDURE

Protests may be made only by Proposers who submitted a response to this solicitation document and who have participated in a debriefing conference. Upon completing the debriefing conference, the Proposer is allowed five (5) business days to file a protest with the RFP Coordinator. Protests must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 5:00 PM, local time, in Olympia, Washington on the fifth business day following the debriefing. Protests must be submitted by email.

Proposers protesting this procurement shall follow the procedures described below. Protests that do not follow these procedures shall not be considered. This protest procedure constitutes the sole administrative remedy available to Proposers under this procurement.

All protests must be in writing, addressed to the RFP Coordinator, and signed by the protesting party or an authorized Agent. The protest must state the RFP number, the grounds for the protest from the list below with specific facts and complete statements of the action(s) being protested. A description of the relief or corrective action being requested should also be included.

Only protests stipulating an issue of fact concerning the following subjects shall be considered:

A matter of bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator;

Errors in computing the score;

Non-compliance with procedures described in this procurement document or COMMERCE policy.

Protests not based on procedural matters will not be considered. Protests will be rejected as without merit if they address issues such as: 1) an evaluator’s professional judgment on the quality of a proposal, or 2) COMMERCE’S assessment of its own and/or other agencies’ needs or requirements.

Upon receipt of a protest, a protest review will be held by COMMERCE. The COMMERCE Director or an employee delegated by the Director who was not involved in the procurement will consider the record

COMMERCE RFP No._____ Page 21 of 18 and all available facts and issue a decision within ten (10) business days of receipt of the protest. If additional time is required, the protesting party will be notified of the delay.

In the event a protest may affect the interest of another Proposer that also submitted a proposal, such Proposer will be given an opportunity to submit its views and any relevant information on the protest to the RFP Coordinator.

The final determination of the protest shall:

Find the protest lacking in merit and uphold COMMERCE’S action; or

Find only technical or harmless errors in COMMERCE’S process and determine COMMERCE to be in substantial compliance and reject the protest; or

Find merit in the protest and provide COMMERCE options which may include:

o Correct the errors and re-evaluate all proposals, or o Reissue the solicitation document and begin a new process, or o Make other findings and determine other courses of action as appropriate.

If COMMERCE determines that the protest is without merit, COMMERCE will enter into a contract with the Apparent Successful Contractor(s). If the protest is determined to have merit, one of the options above will be taken.

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5. RFP EXHIBITS

Exhibit A Certifications and Assurances Exhibit B Diverse Business Inclusion Plan Exhibit C Workers’ Rights Certification Exhibit D Service Contract Format with General Terms and Conditions

EXHIBIT A: Certifications and Assurances

CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES

I/we make the following certifications and assurances as a required element of the proposal to which it is attached, understanding that the truthfulness of the facts affirmed here and the continuing compliance with these requirements are conditions precedent to the award or continuation of the related contract:

1. I/we declare that all answers and statements made in the proposal are true and correct.

2. The prices and/or cost data have been determined independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement with others for the purpose of restricting competition. However, I/we may freely join with other persons or organizations for the purpose of presenting a single proposal.

3. The attached proposal is a firm offer for a period of 60 days following receipt, and it may be accepted by COMMERCE without further negotiation (except where obviously required by lack of certainty in key terms) at any time within the 60-day period.

4. In preparing this proposal, I/we have not been assisted by any current or former employee of the state of Washington whose duties relate (or did relate) to this proposal or prospective contract, and who was assisting in other than his or her official, public capacity. If there are exceptions to these assurances, I/we have described them in full detail on a separate page attached to this document.

5. I/we understand that COMMERCE will not reimburse me/us for any costs incurred in the preparation of this proposal. All proposals become the property of COMMERCE, and I/we claim no proprietary right to the ideas, writings, items, or samples, unless so stated in this proposal.

6. Unless otherwise required by law, the prices and/or cost data which have been submitted have not been knowingly disclosed by the Proposer and will not be knowingly disclosed by him/her prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other Proposer or to any competitor.

7. I/we agree that submission of the attached proposal constitutes acceptance of the solicitation contents and the attached sample contract and general terms and conditions. If there are any exceptions to these terms, I/we have described those exceptions in detail on a page attached to this document.

8. No attempt has been made or will be made by the Proposer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a…