Affidavits over 200K; V.1 Revised 11-29-16 1

University of Maryland College Park

Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 00042061

For Roof-top Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Project(s) at UMCP

Issue Date: June 22, 2026 Pre-Proposal Conference: June 29, 2026, 11:00 A.M. via Zoom Site Visit: July 8, 2026 at 9:00 A.M.

Deadline for Questions: July 22, 2026 at 2:00 P.M.

Proposal Due Date: August 12, 2026 at 3:00 P.M.

Contractors who have received this document from a source other than eMaryland Marketplace Advantage should visit the State’s eMaryland Marketplace (EMMA) website and register as a Vendor. The University uses this website to post solicitations and all solicitation amendments.

The University does not maintain a Proposers/Bidders list.

Contractors are cautioned not to make changes to any of the terms and conditions in this solicitation. Doing so may render a Contractor’s proposal unacceptable and subject to rejection. Questions and comments may be addressed to the point of contact identified in Section A-1, Item 9 of this document.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND RFP#00042061

Roof-top Solar PV Project(s) at UMCP

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 - Introduction and Background Information Introduction Background Information Scope of Work Role of the University Program Manager University Supplied Data

SECTION 2 - Instructions and Notices to Contractors

2.1 Issuing Office

2.2 Pre-Proposal Conference

2.3 Questions

2.4 Submission of Proposals

2.5 Due Date and Time

2.6 Treatment of Late Proposals

2.7 Duration of Proposal Offer

2.8 Amendments to the RFP

2.9 Alternate Proposals

2.10 Economy of Preparation

2.11 Unable to Propose

2.12 Public Information Act Notice

2.13 Cancellation of the RFP

2.14 One Volume Proposal

2.15 Vol 1-Contractor Qualifications, Technical Requirements/Specifications, Business

Requirements

2.16 Pricing – Volume II

2.17 Invoicing

2.18 Contract Term

SECTION 3 - Evaluation, Award, Contract Formation and Debriefing

3.1 Evaluation Method and Oral Presentations

3.2 Evidence of Responsibility

3.3 Solicitation, Proposal, Acceptance, Award and Discussion

3.4 Negotiation

3.5 Basis of Award

3.6 Formation of Agreement/Contract with Successful Contractor

3.7 Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers

3.8 Protests and claims

3.9 Contract Implementation Meeting

SECTION 4 - Requirements

4.1 Contractor Data

4.2 Contractor Qualifications

4.3 Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) Participation

4.4 Technical Requirements/Specifications/Scope of Work

SECTION 5 - Proposal and Contract Terms and Conditions

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1 – MEA Grant Agreement Attachment 2 – Description of System Template Attachment 3 – Expected Hourly Energy Production by Month Attachment 4 – Draft PPA Attachment 5 – Pricing Submittal Document Attachment 6 – Potential Project Site Data Sheets Attachment 6a – Roof Drawings Attachment 7 – Contractor Submission Checklist

SECTION 1

Introduction and Background Information

The University of Maryland College Park is requesting proposals from responsive and responsible Contractors for the evaluation and installation of solar PV project(s) at the parking lot of its Shuttle Bus Facility and on one or more of its newly constructed roofs.

The University of Maryland College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students and 14,000 faculty and staff. Located just outside Washington, D.C., we discover and share new knowledge every day through our renowned research enterprise and programs in academics, the arts, and athletics. And we are committed to social entrepreneurship as the nation’s first “Do Good” campus.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Driven by a campus-wide commitment to environmental responsibility and motivated by concerns about the impact of global climate change, the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) is dedicated to reducing its environmental footprint and serving as a leader among major universities nationwide. This includes the installation of more than 3MWdc of solar PV panels at campus locations, one of which is featured in the advertisement for this solicitation. These projects were completed by leveraging state funding and entering Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) with a third-party developer.

This RFP seeks to replicate past success using a similar model. Successful Contractors will be required to use the information presented in this proposal to review the feasibility of developing approximately 1,300kWdc of Solar PV projects at one or more of the proposed project sites. At this time, UMD is not considering developing any roofs that would require replacement as part of the project development.

Contractors must prepare pricing for a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) agreement for execution.

This funding for the project includes a state grant secured through Maryland Energy Association (MEA’s) Fiscal Year 2025 Higher Education Clean Energy Grant Pilot Program and other University funding sources.

Contractors must conform their bids to the stated requirements in that Funding Opportunity Announcement, including leveraging federal funding.

IMPORTANT DATES AND ESTIMATED TIMELINE

Table 1: Important Dates and Estimated Timeline

RFP Issue Date June 22, 2026 Virtual Pre-Proposal Conference June 29, 2026 at 11:00 A.M.

Site Visit July 8th, 2026 at 9:00 A.M.

RFP Questions Deadline July 22, 2026 at 2:00 P.M.

Proposal Due Date August 12, 2026 at 3:00 P.M.

Contractor Award To be determined Purchase Order and Executed PPA To be determined Finalize Design & Construction Start October 23, 2026 Est. Commercial Operation Date December 31, 2027

Commercial Operation must be achieved no later than December 31, 2027.

SCOPE OF WORK (SOW)

The scope of work (SOW) for this effort is to develop a solar energy system at one or more sites on campus through a power purchase agreement between the Contractor and UMD. Technical requirements for completing the work are provided in Section 4.0.

The University is soliciting proposals for the development of a solar energy system(s) at one or more sites at its College Park campus. Specifically, UMD is seeking to develop a parking canopy project at its Shuttle Bus Facility and perhaps one additional rooftop site to achieve its 1,300kWdc development goal. At the highest level, UMD’s goals and objectives in developing this project are as follows:

• Host the installation of solar energy generation assets that will generate carbon-free electricity that UMD can purchase through a long-term PPA, including all associated environmental attributes.

• UMD requires that the Contractor abide by the terms and conditions of the PPA presented as Attachment 4.

• UMD has received a Grant from the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) that will be used to offset the costs of the project. UMD requires that the successful Contractor meet all requirements of the Grant Agreement (Attachment 1) to ensure that the MEA funds are fully utilized.

• UMD has reporting requirements that mandate access to real-time energy production from the arrays.

UMD is currently hosting several other large solar projects on-site and requires that these projects be incorporated into its existing Also Energy Dashboard for reporting.

• As part of the PPA, UMD requires full and exclusive ownership of the environmental credits generated by the developed solar project(s).

• For any roof-based project, contractors are required to evaluate the suitability of the roofs, including structural support, necessary to develop the desired project(s). UMD has proposed several new buildings for development, some of which are solar-ready. For this RFP, Contractors should include statements regarding the following in their proposal:

o The suitability of the selected roof for development o The condition of any other infrastructure critical to the development of the project(s) to ensure that pricing under the PPA accurately reflects expected development costs.

ROLES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND PROGRAM MANAGER AND PROCUREMENT OFFICER

The Procurement Officer is the University of Maryland’s authorized representative for all pre-contract matters related to this contract. Additionally, throughout the duration of the contract, the Procurement Officer shall be the only individual with authority to modify any provisions of this contract including, without limitation, the statement of work, pricing or any other sections.

The University of Maryland Director, Engineering and Energy (Susan Corry) and designated staff shall be the principal interface on behalf of the University of Maryland for post-award technical matters, and shall have the authority to explain and provide further details regarding the University of Maryland’s expectations concerning the work to be performed hereunder and/or the items to be provided herein.

UNIVERSITY SUPPLIED DATA

To assist Contractors in evaluating the development opportunity, the University has supplied data sheets for sites that, in its preliminary evaluation, have been identified as top potential candidates to host the desired project (Attachment 6).

SECTION 2

Instructions and Notices to Contractors

2.1 Issuing Office

The sole point of contact at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), for purposes of this Request for Proposal (RFP), is the Issuing Office. The Issuing Office as identified on the Solicitation/Contract Form provided as Exhibit 1 is:

The University of Maryland Department of Procurement & Business Services 2113-R Chesapeake Building College Park, MD 20742

All contact throughout the RFP process is to be made in writing, via email, except for information received as a result of a Pre-Bid Conference. Responses to inquiries will be made in writing and issued to all known participants.

Procurement Officer

Name Karen Elvidge Title Procurement Officer Email Address kelvidge@umd.edu

2.2 Pre-Proposal Conference

A pre-proposal conference will be held on, June 29, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. ET, virtually .

https://umd.zoom.us/j/7727457483?omn=91410997363&jst=3

Contractors attending the pre-proposal conference are requested to bring written copies of any questions they have to the conference. Answers to questions will be provided in accordance with Section 2, subsection 2.3 below. As stated above, attendance at the pre-proposal conference is strongly encouraged.

In addition to the pre-proposal conference a site visit will be conducted. UMD will escort interested parties to project locations under consideration. These walk-throughs are anticipated to take several hours.

The site visit will be held on July 8, 2026 at 9:00 A.M Location: University of Maryland, Shuttle Bus Facility, Building 424, College Park, MD 20742. The information presented in the pre-proposal conference will not be covered as part of the site visits, but be listed with minutes and posted at E-Maryland Marketplace Advantage.

Contractors planning to attend the site visit must register with the Issuing Office at least one week prior before the visit. Contractors are requested to limit their representatives to the site visit to no more than two. Please send email to kelvidge@umd.edu and copy Christopher Lindsey at clindse2@umd.edu with number of people to attend with name of company.

mailto:kelvidge@umd.edu https://umd.zoom.us/j/7727457483?omn=91410997363&jst=3 mailto:kelvidge@umd.edu mailto:clindse2@umd.edu

2.3 Questions

The Contractor is responsible for carefully reading and fully understanding the requirements, terms, and conditions of this RFP. All contact between Contractors and the University will be made formally at scheduled meetings or in writing through the Issuing Office with the identified Point of Contact.

Requests for clarification or additional information must be submitted in writing, via email, to the Point of Contact and received by the Issuing Office no later than July 22, 2026. These requests are to contain the following subject line: “QUESTIONS: RFP #00042061. Outside of the Pre-bid meeting, only written communications related to the procurement office will be responded to. It is the Contractor's responsibility to verify the University's receipt of their questions.

All questions will be answered in writing on or before as early as possible tentatively.

Questions and answers will be posted at E-Maryland Marketplace Advantage. Oral communications are not to be relied upon for proposal purposes. Any communication received from parties other than the identified Point of Contact is to be considered non-authoritative in nature.

To the extent that a question causes a change to any part of this RFP, an amendment shall be issued addressing such.

2.4 Submission of Proposals

Proposals must be:

(1) submitted in the designated format

(2) made in the official name of the firm or individual under which Contractor's business is conducted (including the official business address),

(3) signed by a person duly authorized to commit Contractor to the proposal, electronic signatures are acceptable

(4) submitted and clearly marked with the assigned RFP number and Contractor name as described below

(5) separated into Technical and Financial volumes, and

(6) addressed to the Procurement Officer identified as the Point of Contact in the Issuing Office

The Contractor must submit one electronic version of the Technical volume plus one electronic version of the Financial volume separately to the following Box folder no later than Wednesday, August 12, 2026 at 3:00 P.M:

https://umd.app.box.com/f/d888c4db916440c79aa3669265dba377 Commingling of technical and financial information or failure to submit the two volumes separately, as instructed, may result in the proposal being deemed non-acceptable. Submittals deemed non-acceptable will be rejected. The volumes, which contain the offer to be considered, must be clearly identified as follows:

• RFP #00042061 -Contractor Name, Technical Volume; and

• RFP #00042061 Contractor Name, Financial Volume.

https://umd.app.box.com/f/d888c4db916440c79aa3669265dba377

NOTE: PROPOSALS SUBMITTED THROUGH MEANS OTHER THAN THOSE IDENTIFIED WILL NOT BE

ACCEPTED.

2.5 Due Date

Proposals must arrive at the location identified in Section 2.4 of this document on or before , August 12, 2026, @ 3:00 P.M, as applicable, in the designated format.

Proposals, amendments to proposals, or requests for withdrawal of proposals arriving after the closing time and date shall not be considered.

There shall be no public opening of the proposals. The names of Contractors will not be released until after the award.

2.6 Late Proposals

Any proposal, request for withdrawal, or modification of a proposal, including a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) that is not received at the designated location by the designated due date and time will be considered late and will be rejected as non-acceptable. Delivery of the proposal to the specified location by the prescribed date and time is the sole responsibility of the Contractor. Exceptions may be authorized, at the sole discretion of the Procurement Officer, when the reason for the late proposal, late request for withdrawal, late modification of a proposal, or BAFO is due to the action or inaction of the University. A record of the late proposal, request for withdrawal, modification of a proposal, or BAFO will be retained in the appropriate procurement file.

2.7 Duration of Proposal Offer

Proposals will be valid for a minimum of 120 days following the closing date of this RFP. If an award is not made during that period, the proposal will automatically extend for another 120 days, unless the Contractor gives specific written notice to the Procurement Officer at least 15 days before the expiration of the then-current 120-day period. Proposals will automatically renew for an additional 120 days until such time as an award is made or proper written notice is given to the University of Contractor's intent to withdraw its proposal. By submitting a proposal, the Contractor guarantees that its offer shall remain firm for the period specified in this clause.

2.8 Amendments to the RFP

Suppose it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP. In that case, notice of the revision will be issued in the form of an Amendment posted to E-Maryland Marketplace Advantage. All Amendments shall become a part of this RFP. Each Contractor is required to acknowledge receipt of Amendments. Failure of a Contractor to acknowledge any Amendment will not relieve the Contractor of responsibility for complying with the content of the Amendment.

2.9 Alternate Proposals

No alternate proposals will be accepted.

2.10 Economy of Preparation

Each proposal is to be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the Contractor's offer and capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Emphasis is to be placed on clarity of content and providing a complete response.

2.11 Unable to Propose

If Contractor is unable or unwilling to submit a proposal in response to the requirements, Contractor must indicate this in writing to the Procurement Officer on or before the proposal due date. Electronic mail is an acceptable delivery method for submittal of the Contractor’s inability to submit a proposal. UMD requests that Contractors who are unable to respond include a brief explanation of the rationale for non-submission of a proposal.

2.12 Public Information Act Notice

Contractors are required to specifically identify those portions of their proposals that they deem to contain confidential, proprietary information, or trade secrets. The Contractor is further required to provide specific justification, with respect to each separate portion identified, as to why the materials, upon request, should not be disclosed by the State under the Access to Public Records Act, State Government Article, Title 10, Subtitle 6, Annotated Code of Maryland.

For claims of confidentiality to be considered, Contractors must clearly identify and provide individual justification for each and every section that is claimed to contain confidential, proprietary information or trade secrets. It is not sufficient to preface your proposal with a proprietary statement, or to use a page header or footer that arbitrarily marks some or all pages as confidential. General claims of confidentiality or similar blanket designations will not be accepted and may result in a proposal being deemed non-acceptable, at the discretion of the Procurement Officer.

2.13 Cancellation of the RFP

1. Cancellation Before Opening – Before opening of bids or proposals, a solicitation may be canceled in whole or in part when the University and the procurement officer determine that this action is fiscally advantageous to the University or otherwise in its best interest.

2. Rejection of All Bids or Proposals – After opening of bids or proposals but before award, all bids or proposals may be rejected in whole or in part by the University when the procurement officer determines that this action is fiscally advantageous or otherwise in the University’s best interest.

3. Additional information and details can be found in the University System of Maryland Procurement Policies and Procedures as follows:

4. https://www.usmd.edu/usm/procurement/procedures.html

2.14 Two Volume Proposal

The selection procedure for this procurement requires an independent evaluation of the technical and financial proposals. This separation allows for evaluation of technical proposals on a “Best Value Basis” decisional rule based on meeting the technical specifications and business requirements. Consequently, Contractor is required to submit its proposal in two separately sealed volumes as indicated in Section 2.4. Commingling of https://www.usmd.edu/usm/procurement/procedures.html technical and financial information or failure to submit the two volumes separately, as instructed, may result in the proposal being deemed non-acceptable.

2.15 Volume 1-Contractor Qualifications, Technical Requirements/Specifications, Business Requirements

Volume I of this proposal must include the requested information demonstrating the Contractor’s qualifications to develop a project meeting UMD’s requirements.

2.15.1 Executive Management Summary

The Contractor’s response is to contain an Executive/Management Summary. This section of the Contractor’s offer is to contain a brief synopsis of how the Contractor's proposal meets the technical requirements of the University.

2.15.2 Technical Proposal

Contractors are expected to read the specifications, requirements, and qualifications very carefully and to submit questions, in writing, by the due date for questions.

Misinterpretation of specifications, requirements, or qualifications by the Contractor does not relieve the Contractor of responsibility to address these components of this RFP accurately or to perform the contract, if awarded.

The information/items specified as Specifications, Requirements, and/or Qualifications must be addressed in the technical proposal. The proposal must expressly indicate that it satisfies each point of the RFP Requirements, Specifications and/or Qualifications referenced in Section 4. Simple YES or NO responses to stated requirements are insufficient. The Contractor must describe in detail how the proposed project(s) and services meet or exceed the stated requirements. The Contractor must explain any exception or deviation from the requirements. In cases where the Contractor cannot or does not meet a requirement, this must be clearly stated along with the reason for not meeting the Requirement, Specification, or Qualification.

2.15.3 Exhibit 1, Solicitation/Contract Form

Contractors must complete Exhibit 1, Section A-1, Solicitation/Contract Form Offer Section as part of the Technical Volume. Failure to submit this document, signed by a person duly authorized to commit Contractor to the proposal may cause the Contractor’s proposal to be rejected, at the sole discretion of the University.

2.15.4 Completed Section 4 Specifications/Requirements documents, including:

2.15.4.4 All required information listed as Contractor Data Requirements (Section 4.1) including but not limited to required demographic information, resumes, references, past performance documentation

2.15.4.5 All affidavits, addenda, and disclosures included as Exhibits

2.15.4.6 Additional support documentation, as required

2.15.4.7 Contractor Qualifications, including financial viability documentation (Section 4.2)

2.15.4.8 Specifications/Requirements Matrix, as provided

2.15.4.9 Narrative Specification/Requirements responses, as required

2.15.4.10 The University may make a final determination regarding a proposal’s acceptability solely based on the proposal as submitted. The University is under no obligation to seek clarification for missing information or to repair responses that are deemed to be incomplete

2.16 Pricing – Volume II

This volume must contain the offered pricing information in the format required by the University. Contractors are not to include any technical information or specifications in the Pricing Volume. Inclusion of technical requirements in the Financial Volume, unless technical details are necessary to provide pricing clarity, may result in the disqualification of the Contractor’s response, particularly if said technical details are not included in the Technical Volume.

The price proposal form (Attachment 5) is to be completed and the pricing and expected hourly performance data (Attachment 3) will be incorporated in the resulting Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). See Attachment 4 for a draft of the PPA. UMD does not expect that the final form of the PPA will materially vary from the draft presented.

The University requests that the Contractor provide a fixed-price proposal for the term of the PPA. Contractor(s) should clearly identify the total system output by year on the Price Proposal Form.

Because of the various funding sources and requirements to fund this effort, the Contractor must also provide an estimated breakout of the capital cost for each system proposed.

UMD is requesting PPA pricing for two cases; UMD retains the SRECs and the Contractor retains the SRECs.

Grant funds from the Maryland Energy Administration’s (MEA) Higher Education Clean Energy Pilot Program of $750,000 for College Park will be applied to offset the initial capital cost of the solar PV project. The buy-down payment will be made to the Contractor once the systems are operational, following testing and acceptance. Proposed PPA pricing should account for the buy-down payment. To ensure receipt of these funds, Contractor proposals must meet all the requirements and terms and conditions of both the MEA grant and this solicitation.

2.16.1 Pricing Format

The Contractor is required to use the provided pricing submittal documents (Attachment 5) as included. Failure to provide the necessary information may result in the proposal being deemed unresponsive.

2.16.2 Best and Final Offers

The University reserves the right to request best and final offers (BAFO) following evaluation of technical and pricing proposals. Contractors must submit BAFO pricing information in the format required, on or before the date and time indicated on the BAFO request, and using the means of submission indicated by the Procurement Officer.

2.16.3 Price Discounts

Any volumes delivered by the proposed project in a given month that exceed the expected monthly production listed in Attachment 3 (adjusted by the listed system degradation) in Attachment 2 will be invoiced by the Contractor at a 50% discount to the PPA rate.

2.17 Invoicing

The Contractor shall provide invoices that accurately reflect the price structure outlined in the PPA. Throughout the duration of any resultant contract, the Contractor shall provide one electronic copy of each invoice. The invoice must contain the following minimum information:

2.17.1 Invoice Number

2.17.2 Invoice Date

2.17.3 The word ORIGINAL is printed on the original paper copy of the invoice.

2.17.4 The full company or corporate name and address; payment address if it differs from corporate address.

2.17.5 The full nine (9) digit Federal Tax Identification number (for U.S. Contractors only) or

Social Security Number.

2.17.6 Purchase order number and/or contract number.

2.17.7 Start and end date of service period

2.17.8 Total kWhs delivered for service period

2.17.9 Applicable Energy Rate for service period

2.17.10 Total Energy charge for service period

2.17.11 Direct invoices to the following for UMCP:

University of Maryland fminvoices@umd.edu

Any invoice that is unclear, illegible, or does not conform to these specific requirements shall be returned to the Contractor for re-issuance.

2.18 Contract Term

The University requests that the Contractor propose a term for the PPA, up to a maximum of Twenty (20) years, commencing on the initial delivery date as defined in Attachment 4 - Power Purchase Agreement.

SECTION 3

Evaluation, Award, Contract Formation, Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers, Protests and Claims, Contract Implementation Meeting

3.1 Evaluation Method

3.1.1 The University intends to make an award on a best value basis. In order to be considered technically acceptable, Contractors must meet all technical specifications and business mailto:fminvoices@umd.edu requirements as delineated in this solicitation. Only those Contractors meeting the technical specifications and business requirements (supplier qualifications, including financial viability) will be considered in the financial evaluation stage.

3.1.2 Technical Evaluation

3.1.2.1 Evaluation Committees

The technical and financial evaluation committee may be composed of the Procurement Officer and any other individuals appointed by the Procurement Officer.

3.1.2.2 Acceptability of Proposals

• The Procurement Officer shall determine which contractors have met the basic requirements of the RFP.

• Failure to comply with any mandatory requirement will normally disqualify a contractor's proposal.

• The Procurement Officer shall have the sole authority to determine whether any deviation from the requirements of this RFP is substantial in nature

• The Procurement Officer may waive or permit to be cured minor irregularities or minor informalities in proposals that are immaterial or inconsequential in nature, whenever it is determined to be in the University’s best interest

• The Procurement Officer may reject in whole or in part any and all proposals if such is in the University’s interest, and may conduct discussions with contractors in any manner deemed necessary to best serve the interests of the University.

• The University reserves the right to make an award to more than one contractor or to split an award among contractors.

3.1.2.3 Technical Evaluation

• Evaluation of technical proposals will be based on Best Value rule, applied to each technical specification and business requirement delineated below.

• There may be extra merit or extra credit awarded for exceeding the requirements.

• Only those Contractors meeting the technical specifications and business requirements will be considered for financial evaluation.

• The Technical Evaluation Committee may request site visits for the purpose of evaluating proposals and/or the Contractor's responsibility. The Committee may request additional technical assistance from any source. Industry standard references may be used during the evaluation process.

3.1.2.4 Evaluation Criteria

The following minimum technical requirements must be met for the Contractor proposal to be considered technically acceptable:

• Mandatory Requirements: Contractor’s demonstrated understanding of the

University’s Mandatory Requirements and the nature of work to be performed. This includes the quality and soundness of the offeror’s site evaluation, site development, and approach to engineering, procurement, and construction management. The Contractor must also demonstrate an understanding and incorporation of MEA Grant Agreement requirements as provided in (Attachment 1).

• Qualifications of Personnel (including key personnel): in comparison with the minimum requirements and qualifications articulated in Section 4.

• Past Performance: Determined by references, including but not limited to, the quality of product delivered, ability to meet the specifications as defined, offeror’s record for on-time delivery, technical quality, cost control, demonstrated corrective actions, etc. The University may also use its own past performance with a Contractor as a portion of the evaluation for Past Performance.

• References: Contractors must provide references. Cited references must be able to confirm, without reservation, the Contractor's ability to perform as mandated in this solicitation.

• Clarity of Proposal: The Contractor's response will be evaluated based on clarity and conciseness of their response, and how their proposed solution satisfies each of the criteria specified in Section 4.

The terms "must" or "shall” and “required” are used throughout this document to indicate mandatory requirements. Contractors must meet all the requirements and specifications; that is, the Contractor is fully capable of delivering the items and providing the services as specified in this RFP.

3.1.3 Oral Presentations

3.1.3.1 At the sole discretion of the Procurement Officer, short-listed Proposers may be invited to provide an oral presentation and product demonstration. Information provided during this phase will be used to supplement the prior evaluation of the written technical proposal, and the final evaluation of technical capabilities will take into account both the written technical proposal and the oral presentation/product demonstrations.

3.1.3.2 The University reserves the right to waive the Oral Presentation/Product Demonstration, in which case the technical evaluation will be based on the written technical proposal submittal alone. Proposers are therefore encouraged to submit the best possible proposal at each opportunity for submittal

3.1.3.3 The due date and time of the oral presentation/product demonstration will be determined by the University upon completion of the evaluation of Technical Proposals. The actual date will be verified with the applicable Proposers at the time the presentation is requested. Refer to the Solicitation Schedule for tentative dates. Proposers are advised to set these dates aside so as to avoid a conflict

3.1.3.4 The oral presentation will be informal, as the University is not interested in a marketing presentation; rather, it will be a casual and informal format in which to view the Proposers presentations, etc.

3.1.3.5 The purpose and parameters of the Oral Presentation/Product demonstration will be defined by the Procurement Officer at the time of scheduling. This information may be included in the technical requirements in those instances when it is a requirement for short-listed Contractors.

3.1.3.6 The criteria and format of the demonstration will be provided with the written request to conduct an oral presentation.

3.1.4 Financial Evaluation

Only those Contractors meeting the technical specifications and business requirements will be considered in the Financial Volume evaluation. The Financial Volume evaluation will consist of ranking the proposal based on the overall best value to the University and State, considering the technical submittal. Information from the pricing proposal sheet contained in the Pricing Matrix or on the Price Proposal Form will be used to compute the total price.

3.2 Evidence of Responsibility

Prior to the award of a contract pursuant to this RFP, the Procurement Officer may require Contractor to submit such additional information bearing upon Contractor's ability to perform the contract as the Procurement Officer deems appropriate. The Procurement Officer may also consider any information otherwise available concerning the financial, technical, and other qualifications or abilities of the Contractor.

3.3 Solicitation, Proposal, Acceptance, Award, and Discussion This RFP creates no obligation on the part of the University to award a contract or to compensate Contractors for proposal preparation expenses. The University reserves the unilateral right to cancel this solicitation at any time and to accept or reject any and all proposals, in whole or in part, received in response to this RFP; the unilateral right to award a contract in whole or in part; to award a contract to one Contractor; and to waive or permit cure of minor irregularities; and to conduct discussions with Contractors in any manner necessary to serve the best interest of the University.

Discussions may be conducted with those Contractors who submit proposals initially judged by the Procurement Officer to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for award.

However, the University reserves the right to award a contract based on the proposals received without further discussions.

3.4 Negotiation

The University has the right to accept the best proposal as submitted, without discussion or negotiation. Contractors should therefore not rely on having a chance to discuss, negotiate and adjust their proposals.

Contractors who submit proposals initially judged by the Procurement Officer to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for award may be asked to discuss their proposals with the University to facilitate arrival at a contract most advantageous to the University. If the Procurement Officer determines that discussion is in the best interest of the University, the Procurement Officer will advise contractors to submit a best and final offer for consideration after discussions are held.

However, discussions may not be conducted if the Procurement Officer determines either that discussions are not in the best interests of the University or that discussions need not be conducted: (a) with respect to prices that are fixed by law or regulation, although consideration shall be given to competitive terms and conditions; (b) because the time of delivery or performance does not permit discussions; or (c) because it can be demonstrated clearly from the existence of adequate competition or accurate prior price experience with the particular item that acceptance of an initial offer without negotiation would result in a fair and reasonable price.

3.5 Basis of Award

The University will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforms to the solicitation and is determined to be the best value to the University. Recommended contract awards, if any, resulting from this RFP, may be subject to State and University approvals.

3.6 Formation of Agreement/Contract with Successful Contractor This RFP and any resulting contract shall be governed by the University System of Maryland Procurement Policies and Procedures. These policies and procedures may be viewed at the following website: https://www.usmd.edu/usm/procurement/procedures.html.

3.7 Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers

A debriefing of an unsuccessful proposer shall be conducted upon written request submitted to the Procurement Officer within ten (10) days of the date on which the proposer knew, or should have known, its proposal was unsuccessful. The debriefing shall be limited to a discussion of the proposer’s unsuccessful proposal. The debriefing will be oral and shall provide information on areas in which the proposal was deemed weak or insufficient. The debriefing will NOT include discussion of a competing offeror’s proposal or discussion, thoughts, notes or ranking from individual evaluation committee members. A summary of the Procurement Officer’s rationale for the selection may be given. Debriefings shall be conducted at the earliest feasible time.

3.8 Protests and Claims

Any protest regarding the award of this contract or claim arising out of this contract shall be administered in accordance with the University System of Maryland Procurement Policies and Procedures, Section X - Protests and Claims. Details are available by accessing the following website https://www.usmd.edu/usm/procurement/procedures.html.

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3.9 Contract Implementation Meeting

Contractor receiving an award under this solicitation may be required to attend a Contract Implementation Meeting to be held after contract award, as scheduled by the Procurement Officer. The location and agenda for this meeting will be communicated to the Contractor by the Procurement Officer.

SECTION 4

Requirements Contractor is required to provide the information listed below in their proposal. Failure to comply with this instruction may result in the disqualification of the Contractor's proposal. Attachment 8 – Contractor Submission Checklist, which indicates where the requested information can be found in the Contractor’s proposal, should be included in the proposal submission.

4.1 Contractor Data

The Contractor’s proposal must include the following information:

4.1.1 Contractor/Company Details

4.1.1.1 Contractor (Company/Corporate) Name (as it appears on current W-9)

4.1.1.2 Contractor Primary Business Location/Address

4.1.1.3 Contractor to provide the company organization chart and staffing profile, including tenure for staff

4.1.1.4 Contractor Main Point of Contact (POC)

4.1.1.5 Contractor POC Contact Information, location, telephone number, cell phone number, email address

4.1.1.6 Contractor Office that will service the University

4.1.1.7 Contractor Tax Identification Number and current W-9

4.1.1.8 Contractor Parent Company (if applicable)

4.1.1.9 Parent Company business location

4.1.1.10 Contractor Authorized Signer for contractual purposes

4.1.1.11 Name and Address for delivery of notices

4.1.1.12 Contractor Small Business status and Maryland Small Business

Certification Number, with certificate provided as an attachment

4.1.1.13 Contractor MBE status and provision of State of Maryland MDOT MBE certification number and date of certification

4.1.1.14 If the proposing company is not publicly traded, identify the principal owners of the company

4.1.2 Company Size

4.1.2.1 Identify the number of people employed by Contractor

4.1.2.2 Identify the current number of customers serviced by Contractor

4.1.2.3 Identify the number of customers serviced by the location that will service the

University

4.1.3 Customer Service

4.1.3.1 Overview of customer service program

4.1.3.2 Customer Service key contact information

4.1.3.3 Location Customer Service is conducted from (if off-shore, provide

Country/State/Province/City customer service is delivered from)

4.1.3.4 Hours of operation for Customer Service location servicing the University

4.1.4 Business Inclusion and Supplier Diversity Program Information

4.1.4.1 Identify whether Contractor has a Business Inclusion and Supplier Diversity

Program, provide website link describing the Program, goals, and achievements

4.1.4.2 Identify the ability to provide detailed sub-contractor/Tier 2 reporting to customers

4.1.4.3 For all offers for which an MBE Participation Goal has been established in section

4.3, contractors must complete and submit, as part of their financial proposal, the MBE forms contained in Exhibit X. All forms shall be completed as instructed in RFP Supplemental Document 1. Failure to submit the required forms will render a proposal not susceptible for award and cause it to be rejected.

4.1.5 Sustainability Program and Measures

4.1.5.1 Identify and describe the company’s Sustainability Program

4.1.5.2 Identify sustainability measures tracked by the company

4.1.5.3 Identify sustainability Eco labels that are used for your company (ePEAT, LEED, Green Building Council)

4.2 Contractor Qualifications

The Contractor is required to submit the information requested below. Failure to comply with this instruction may result in the disqualification of the Contractor's proposal. Contractors must provide the following information in their Volume I package.

4.2.1 References

The Contractor is required to provide three active (3) references. Proposals shall include references from at least two of the installations listed in 4.2.1.1 above.

Information to be included: Client name, client address, contact person, contact person title, contact person email address, contact person telephone number, description of goods and services provided. Contractor is to provide at least one additional inactive reference to include the same information as required for active references.

The University reserves the right to take any or all of the following actions: to reject a proposal based on an unsatisfactory reference, to contact any person or persons associated with the referenced sites, to request additional references, to contact organizations known to have used in the past or currently using the services supplied by the Contractor or the Contractor's subcontractors, to contact independent consulting firms for additional information about the Contractor or the Contractor's subcontractors, and to visit any or all of the reference sites for demonstrations.

4.2.2 Financial Viability

The University reserves the right to require, during proposal evaluation, that the Contractor provide a copy of its most current Annual Report or audited Statement of Financial Condition to include a Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Cash Flow Statement or other acceptable financial information. These documents may be relied on in any determination regarding Contractor financial responsibility and suitability for contract award.

4.2.2.1 Description of the ability of the Contractor to obtain project financing within ninety (90) days of contract award. If Contractor is self-financing, please indicate.

Contractor must identify any previously completed projects within the past five years that were financed successfully, and the length of time required to receive financing. Indicate the percentage of equity being provided by Contractor or an affiliate of Contractor.

4.2.2.2 List all legal or administrative proceedings involving your firm currently pending or concluded adversely within the last five years that relate to procurement performance of any public or private contracts. In addition to the information requested, the case name, docket number, and decision, as well as the issues in the case, should be provided.

4.2.2.3 List the name of the agent or bonding/insurance company that will be providing the bond/policy for the installation of the system(s). A separate bond shall be established equal to the amount of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) funds applied to the system(s) for the duration of the MEA terms and conditions (if applicable). The bond must be in a form satisfactory to the State of Maryland;

underwritten by a surety company authorized to do business with the State of Maryland. List current bonding/insurance capacity and maximum length of term for bond/policy. Acceptable surety includes: a guaranty from a guarantor acceptable to the State with an investment grade rating from S&P and/or Moody’s, or a letter of credit from a U.S. bank acceptable to the State with ratings of A- or higher from S&P and/or A3 from Moody’s.

4.2.3 Key Personnel

4.2.3.1 Contractor is required to provide appropriate support to carry out the functions described under the specifications and is required to identify all Key Personnel who will be involved in performing the work.

4.2.3.2 Contractor is required to provide vitae/bio information, validating the individuals’ credentials to carry out the work, for all professional personnel who are considered Key Personnel for the work

4.2.3.3 Contractor is to identify which Key Personnel will be involved in the various aspects of the work. At a minimum, this includes resumes for the Project Manager, Lead Design Engineer, and Construction Manager. Resumes should demonstrate experience in developing large arrays in an institutional setting, preferably in a university environment.

4.2.4 Past Performance/Prior Experience

4.2.4.1 Include a brief description of at least three (3) completed and operational solar parking canopy PV projects in the past five years with at least one having a capacity of 500 kWdc or more. In addition, please provide a brief description of at least (2) roof-based systems installed on state-government property, preferably in a higher-education context. Past project descriptions should include the following information and be a maximum of two pages per project:

• Project name

• Location

• Project type (roof-mounted, canopy)

• Contact Information

• Project installed capacity in kWdc; annual capacity factor for the last three years (stated by year of operation).

• Brief physical description of the project to include equipment manufacture, model, etc.

• Brief discussion of any challenges and how they were overcome.

• Detailed description of start-up and acceptance testing.

4.2.4.2 Description of performance monitoring systems.

4.2.4.3 List total capacity (in kWdc) of PV systems by project, placed into commercial operation within the last five (5) years by Contractor, in addition to the projects identified in Item B. above.

4.2.4.4 Identify any subcontractors the firm intends to employ in the execution of the project, and prior work experience with these subcontractors. While subcontractors are expected to be a part of this project, the Contractor should demonstrate substantial ownership of development, design, installation, operation, and maintenance of the project.

4.2.4.5 Identify specific roles and responsibilities of subcontractors and their experience in performing similar work.

4.2.5 Contractor problem resolution and escalation process

4.2.5.1 Contractor is required to outline the Contractor’s escalation process for problem resolution

4.2.5.2 Contractor is to identify and provide key contacts, including title and contact information for the individuals involved in the escalation process

4.3 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Participation

Minority Business Enterprises are encouraged to respond to this solicitation.

4.4 Technical Requirements/Specifications

4.4.1 PROPOSAL TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Contractors are required to respond to the scope elements outlined below. The University has provided site data intended to aid in project development and this proposal (Attachment 6).

The University provides no warranty regarding the accuracy or completeness of the presented data, and all Contractors are expected to conduct their own due diligence in order to secure the data needed to design and build their proposed projects.

4.4.1.1 Scope Element – Solar PV Project Development

Upon final approvals, the University will enter into a Purchase Power Agreement with the selected Contractor(s) to design, build, operate, maintain, and finance these projects at the selected University sites. The University is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to:

o Provide and develop solar photovoltaic projects.

o Provide all necessary engineering feasibility studies for the proposed project.

o Provide design and engineering calculations for all aspects of the installation of proposed systems.

o Provide installation of the complete solar photovoltaic system, including all mechanical, electrical, structural, etc., for a complete and finished product.

o Provide operation and maintenance for the life of the installation o Provide metering and monitoring of energy production, use, and costs.

o Regardless of the Contractor’s opinion in this matter, all proposals should assume that a roof replacement is required and provide pricing (as indicated in the bid sheet) accordingly, so that all bids may be evaluated using a fair basis of comparison.

4.4.1.2 Upon final award, the selected Contractor(s) have thirty (30) calendar days to execute the PPA. Upon execution of the PPA, the Contractor(s) will have up to ninety (90) calendar days to complete the design and start construction of the work, unless otherwise approved by the procurement officer. An overall estimate of the project timeline is provided in Table 1.

4.4.1.3 A Power Purchase Agreement (see Attachment 4) will be executed between the selected Contractor and the University for the awarded solar installation(s).