RFP-2026-10245-10.12.26.pdf

National Laboratory of the Rockies Managed and Operated by the Alliance for Energy Innovation, LLC

Request for Proposals (RFP) Number RFP-2026-10245

“Building America Subject Matter Expert Technical Support”

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY

This solicitation is being conducted under the procedures for competitive subcontracts established by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR). NLR will award a subcontract based on the following:

BEST VALUE SELECTION

All Statement of Work (SOW) requirements being met with the best combination of:

• Technical factors (based on qualitative merit criteria), and

• Evaluated price (or cost)

Issue Date: 10/12/2026 Due Date: 11/16/2026 Time Due: 6:00 PM Mountain Time

Technical questions must be received in writing no later than 10/26/2026

Written questions concerning this solicitation document and its requirements will be answered in writing. In response to technical questions, NLR will issue an amendment to this solicitation document that will formally provide all the questions and answers. All recipients of the solicitation document will receive responses to questions.

1. Solicitation Type Best Value Selection

Firm Fixed Prices with Work Order Process, Subcontract with Option Periods

SUBMIT OFFERS TO AND REQUEST INFORMATION FROM THE NLR RFP CONTACT BELOW

2. NLR RFP Contact

Kim Tangler, Subcontract Administrator

National Laboratory of the Rockies

15013 Denver West Parkway, MS: RSF030

Golden, CO 80401

Email: Kim.Tangler@nlr.gov

Electronic copies of forms and appendices can be found at:

http://www.nlr.gov/workingwithus/standard-terms.html

Procurement Forms | NLR http://www.nlr.gov/workingwithus/standard-terms.html https://www.nlr.gov/workingwithus/forms.html

3. Project description: As specified in the Statement of Work entitled, “Building America Subject Matter Expert Technical Support", (Attachment 1).

4. Proposed subcontract award and period of performance

The Alliance for Energy Innovation, LLC has entered into Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308 with the Department of Energy (DOE), an agency of the U.S. Government, for the management and operation of the National Laboratory of the Rockies (hereinafter called “NLR”). All references to “NLR” in this solicitation shall mean the Alliance for Energy Innovation, LLC.

It is the intent of NLR to award up to ten (10) Firm Fixed Price Work Order Process subcontracts under this solicitation. The anticipated period of performance is a 12-month Basic Period with four (4), 12-month options with annual funding expected to be approximately $100,000.00 and 5-year ceiling amount of $500,000.00 each.

5. Competitive negotiated subcontract using Best Value Selection

This solicitation shall be conducted using Best Value Selection that results in an award that is most advantageous to NLR based on the best value combination of (a) evaluated qualitative merit and (b) evaluated price (cost) of the offers submitted.

Best Value Selection is based on the premise that, if all offers are of approximately equal qualitative merit, award will be made to the offeror with the lowest evaluated price (cost). However, NLR will consider awarding to an offeror with a higher evaluated price (cost) if the offer demonstrates the difference in price (cost) is commensurate with the higher qualitative merit. Conversely, NLR will consider awarding to an offeror with a lower evaluated qualitative merit if the price (cost) differential between it and other offers warrant doing so.

6. Qualitative merit criteria for Best Value Selection

The Statement of Work (Attachment 1) in this RFP serves as NLR’s baseline requirements that must be met by each offer.

The qualitative merit criteria establish what NLR considers the technical factors valuable in an offer. These qualitative merit criteria are performance-based and permit selection of a higher priced offer that provides higher qualitative merit.

The following qualitative merit criteria will be used to determine the technical value of the offer in meeting the objectives of the solicitation.

Each qualitative merit criterion and its assigned weight are listed below (on next page):

Criterion # Criterion Assigned

Weight (%) Description

6.1 Technical Expertise and

Industry Experience

30% Provide 1-3 specific examples that illustrate your qualifications in building science and highlight a comprehensive understanding of technical and integration issues facing the building industry related to cost reduction, energy savings, affordability, durability, installation quality, and scaling of financially viable approaches and technologies in new and existing buildings.

Provide 1-3 examples of supporting incorporation of technologies and building practices through technical assistance, design guidance, field validation, and demonstration projects.

6.2 Research, Analysis and

Technical Output

30% Give 1-3 examples of any experience in designing and conducting research activities, including lab or field experimentation, validation, monitoring, and data analysis.

Must demonstrate timely, relevant and credible research.

In your example(s), describe the sufficiency of facilities, equipment, and/or resources to conduct relevant activities.

Provide 1-3 examples of experience with relevant design guidance and review, energy modeling, site inspections, installation demonstrations, performance testing, and technoeconomic cost analysis.

6.3 Collaboration and Workforce

Development

20% Provide 1-3 examples of effectively partnering with industry stakeholders and facilitating coordination to solve complex technical issues.

Provide 1-3 examples of addressing workforce needs in the building industry, including creating materials and/or tools for education and training.

6.4 Knowledge Transfer 20% Provide detailed history of disseminating and presenting technical and programmatic topics and information via key industry conferences, workshops, meetings, trade publication articles, blogs, and/or social media platforms.

Describe experience in developing and peer reviewing high-quality technical reports, best practice guidance, journal/conference papers, and other publications providing actionable guidance to the industry.

100% Total of Merit Criteria

7. Price (cost) evaluation for Best Value Selection

After evaluation of the qualitative merit criteria, the following price (cost) evaluation will be used to determine the best value of the offer in meeting the objectives of the solicitation.

Proposed fully burdened labor rates for all labor categories will be used for determining price.

The combined qualitative merit value will be considered substantially more important than the price (cost).

8. Evaluation process

NLR will evaluate offers in two general steps:

Step One—Initial Evaluation

An initial evaluation will be performed to determine if all required information has been provided for an acceptable offer. Offerors may be contacted only for clarification purposes during the initial evaluation.

Offerors shall be notified if their offer is determined unacceptable and the reasons for rejection will be provided. Unacceptable offers will be excluded from further consideration.

Step Two—Discussion, Selection, Negotiation, and Award

All acceptable offers will be evaluated against the Statement of Work and the qualitative merit criteria listed above. Based on this evaluation, and taking into consideration the proposed price (cost), NLR has the option, depending on the specific circumstances of the offers received, to use one of the following methods of selection:

(a) make individual selection(s), conduct negotiations, and make an award(s).

(b) conduct parallel negotiations with all offerors and make award(s).

(c) conduct discussions with all offerors, select successful finalists, conduct parallel negotiations with successful finalists, and then make award(s).

(d) conduct discussions with all offerors, conduct parallel negotiations with the finalists, select successful finalist(s), and then make award(s).

(e) select successful finalists, conduct successive negotiations, and make successive selections and awards.

(f) make no award(s).

9. Evaluation process

NLR will evaluate offers in three general steps:

Step One—Initial Evaluation

An initial evaluation will be performed to determine if all required information has been provided and the offer is technically acceptable to meet the basic requirements as outlined in the statement of work. At NLR’s discretion, discussions with offerors will be held as necessary. Offerors shall be notified if their offer is determined to be technically unacceptable and the reasons for rejection will be provided. Technically unacceptable offers will be excluded from further consideration.

Step Two—Price (Cost) Evaluation

After an offer is evaluated as technically acceptable to meet the baseline requirements, NLR will evaluate the price (cost) to determine the reasonableness and award to the lowest price offer.

Step Three—Selection

Based on the technical acceptability and price (cost) suitability of the offers, NLR will exercise one of the following options:

(a) Select an offer and award the subcontract to the lowest price (cost), technically acceptable offer without discussion.

(b) After discussion, select an offer, and award the subcontract.

(c) make no award.

10. Proposal preparation information

(a) The proposal must include a title page, including the RFP title and number, name of your organization and principal investigator or project manager (with postal address, telephone number(s), and email address).

The title should be succinct and capture the essence of your offer. The technical proposal with its title page, along with all components of the proposal and other required documents as described sections c through g below shall each be provided as separate PDF files (provided in a compressed or “zipped” folder, preferred).

(b) Formatting instructions

(1) A page is defined as one side of an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper.

(2) Use a 12-point font.

(3) Maintain at least 1-inch margins on all sides.

(4) Include the following notice on your title page:

“Notice for Handling Proposals:

This proposal shall be used and disclosed for Alliance/NLR and Government evaluation purposes only.

Any authorized restrictive notices which the Offeror places on this proposal shall also be strictly complied with. Disclosure of this proposal outside the Government, Alliance/NLR, Alliance/NLR consultants, or other national laboratories personnel for evaluation purposes shall be made only to the extend authorized by, and in accordance with, the procedures in DEAR 915.207-70 and, as applicable stated in the procurement solicitation document for source evaluation and selection process.

Upon completion of the evaluation, the evaluator shall certify in writing to the Source Evaluation Team Chairperson that all copies of this proposal have been destroyed and/or deleted from any electronic device, medium or storage location with the exception of those retained in the procurement file or in the case of successful offeror(s) in the project management file.”

(c) An electronic copy (assembled pdf) of the technical proposal directed toward meeting the requirements of NLR’s Statement of Work and qualitative merit criteria (see item 6 above). The technical proposal shall identify any proposed changes to the Statement of Work as a stand-alone attachment to the technical proposal. The technical proposal shall be organized in the following sections:

Section No. Description

1 Technical Expertise and Industry Experience

2 Research, Analysis, and Technical Output

3 Collaboration and Workforce Development

4 Knowledge Transfer

Technical proposal shall be no more than 8 pages which include all text, graphics, charts, attachments, appendices, addendums, indices, exhibits, etc. (resumes and proposed changes to the Statement of Work are not included in page count).

Hyperlinks are acceptable as citations, sources and references; however, the proposal requirements must stand alone in merit within the allowable page count. If links are broken, you will not be notified.

In the event that the page limit is exceeded, NLR at its sole discretion reserves the right to remove pages from the sections of any non-conforming submittals to bring each non-conforming submittal within the page count requirement.

(d) A completed “Labor Rate Break-Down Proposal Form” in an electronic copy (converted to pdf). An individual offeror’s price proposal standard format can be used if the data included is substantially the same as the NLR form. The offeror’s price and delivery terms must be valid for 90 days from the date of the offer. The price proposal should include support documentation for all labor categories listed in the proposed price. The price proposal should separate price for lower-tier subcontract(s) labor and include support documentation for all labor categories of the proposed lower-tier subcontract(s) price. See the “Labor Rate Break-Down Proposal Form” for specific instructions. This form is found under “Request for Proposal (RFP) Forms (Non-Construction)” at the following link:

http://www.nlr.gov/workingwithus/forms.html

*number of hours and other expenses (if required) will be proposed and negotiated as part of the subcontract work order process. This price proposal should only include labor categories and their subsequent rates as specified in the “Labor Rate Break-Down Form”.

(e) A completed “Representations & Certifications” form. Please download from the NLR general access website link below:

http://www.nlr.gov/workingwithus/forms.html

(f) EITHER the “Organizational Conflicts of Interest Representation Statement” OR the “Organizational Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Statement”, as applicable per the “Instructions for Completion of http://www.nlr.gov/workingwithus/forms.html

Organizational Conflicts of Interest Statement – Disclosure or Representation Statement”. The forms and instructions are located at the following link:

http://www.nlr.gov/workingwithus/forms.html

(g) A cover letter including either acceptance or change/exception with reason to the sample subcontract schedule (Attachment 2), anticipated period of performance, and the standard terms and conditions and/or the intellectual property terms and conditions in the appendices. The offeror shall explain any proposed change/exception with respect to the sample subcontract schedule and terms and conditions.

Any proposed change/exception must contain sufficient amplification and justification to permit evaluation. Such proposed changes/exceptions will not, of themselves, automatically cause an offer to be termed unacceptable. However, a large number of proposed changes/exceptions or one or more significant exceptions not providing any obvious benefit to the NLR or the Department of Energy may result in rejection of such offer as unacceptable. In addition, the cover letter shall include a summary statement indicating acceptance of the statement of work (Attachment 1) or any change with the reason(s).

(h) This solicitation requires the submittal of electronic proposals.

(i) This solicitation does not commit NLR to paying costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal in response to this RFP.

11. Solicitation Provisions—full text provided

(a) Late submissions, modifications, and withdrawals of offers

Offers, or modifications to them, received from qualified organizations after the latest date specified for receipt may be considered if received prior to award, and NLR determines that there is a potential price (cost), technical, or other advantage, as compared to the other offers received. However, depending on the circumstances surrounding the late submission or modification, NLR may consider a late offer to be an indication of the offeror’s performance capabilities, resulting in downgrading of the offer in the technical evaluation process. Offers may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before award.

(b) Restrictions on disclosure and use of proprietary data (Nov 2018)

Offerors who include in their proposals proprietary data that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose or used by the government or NLR, except for evaluation purposes shall, in addition to including the “Notice for Handling Proposals” required in Paragraph #. b. above—

(1) Mark the title page with the following legend:

“This offer includes proprietary data that shall not be disclosed outside the government or NLR and shall not be used or disclosed—in whole or in part—for any purpose other than to evaluate this offer.

If, however, a subcontract is awarded to this offeror as a result of—or in connection with—the submission of proprietary data, the government or NLR shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the proprietary data to the extent required in the resulting subcontract. This restriction does not limit the government or NLR’s right to use this proprietary data if obtained from another source without restriction. The proprietary data subject to this restriction are contained on pages [insert page and line numbers or other identification of pages] of this offer”; and

(2) Highlight (in yellow) the proprietary data on each page it wishes to restrict and add the following footer:

“Use or disclosure of proprietary data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the title page of this offer.”

(c) Notice of right to receive patent waiver (derived from DEAR 952.227-84) and technical data requirements.

Offerors (and their prospective lower-tier subcontractors) in accordance with applicable statutes and Department of Energy Acquisition Regulations, (derived from DEAR 952.227-84) have the right to request a waiver of all or any part of the rights of the United States in inventions conceived or first actually reduced to practice in performance of the subcontract that may be awarded as a result of this solicitation, in advance of or within thirty (30) days after the effective date of subcontracting. Even where such advance waiver is not requested or the request is denied, the subcontractor will have a continuing right during the subcontract to request a waiver of the rights of the United States in identified, individual inventions.

Domestic small business firms, educational institutions, and domestic nonprofit organizations normally will receive the clause: Patent Rights - Retention by the Subcontractor, which permits the offeror to retain title to subject inventions, except in subcontracts involving exceptional circumstances or intelligence activities. Therefore, domestic small business firms, educational institutions, and domestic nonprofit organizations normally need not request a waiver.

If an offeror’s proposal includes a lower-tier subcontract to another organization, that lower-tier organization's business type will determine the applicable intellectual property provisions that will apply to the lower-tier subcontract. Note that a lower-tier subcontractor may apply for a patent waiver under the same conditions as the offeror.

Under a research, development, and demonstration project, the Department of Energy and NLR are unable to ascertain, prior to receipt of offers or performance of the project, their actual needs for technical data. It is believed that the requirements contained herein are the basic needs of the Department of Energy and NLR. However, if the offeror indicates in its proposal that proprietary data will be used or withheld under its proposed effort, the Department of Energy and NLR reserve the right to negotiate appropriate rights to the proprietary data. The appropriate rights may include "Limited Rights in Proprietary Data" and/or "Subcontractor Licensing."

(d) Disclaimer

NEITHER THE UNITED STATES; NOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY; NOR ALLIANCE FOR ENERGY

INNOVATION, LLC; NOR ANY OF THEIR CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, OR THEIR EMPLOYEES MAKE ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OR ASSUME ANY LEGAL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE

ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR USEFULNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE OF ANY OF THE TECHNICAL

INFORMATION OR DATA ATTACHED OR OTHERWISE PROVIDED HEREIN AS REFERENCE MATERIAL.

(e) Solicitation disputes

The General Accountability Office and the Department of Energy do not accept or rule on disputes for solicitations for Requests for Proposals issued by Management and Operating Contractors for the Department of Energy (operators of Department of Energy National Laboratories). Should an offeror have any concerns regarding the NLR solicitation process or selection determination, the offeror may contact Paul White, Advocate for Commercial Practices, at (303) 384-7575. NLR will address each concern received from an offeror on an individual basis.

(f) Prohibition on use of certain telecommunications and video surveillance services or equipment per the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act Section 889(a)(1)(B)

In accordance with the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act Section 889(a)(1)(B), NLR is prohibited from contracting with any offeror that uses, and/or whose lower-tier subcontractor(s) use, covered telecommunication equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as a critical technology of any system, on or after 08/13/2020, unless an exception applies or a waiver is granted. This includes such equipment or services from five Chinese companies: Huawei, ZTE Corporation, Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision, and Dahua Technology.

(g) Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (found at 29 U.S.C. 794d)

The requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act apply to NLR’s procurement of all electronic and information technology (EIT) and any development, maintenance, or use of EIT.

12. Solicitation provisions

The following solicitation documents are attached:

• Attachment 1, Statement of Work dated 10/8/2026

• Attachment 2, Sample Subcontract Schedule – Firm Fixed Price Work Order Process

13. Solicitation provisions—incorporated by reference—general access

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. The following documents can be downloaded from http://www.nlr.gov/workingwithus/standard-terms.html and http://www.nlr.gov/workingwithus/forms.html or the NLR RFP Contact (see item 2) will make available upon request.

The documents and forms that are listed below are applicable to this solicitation and resulting award:

Appendix/Form

NLR Standard Terms and Conditions: Appendix B-2;

NLR Intellectual Property Provisions: Appendix C-1 or Appendix C-2;

NLR Standard Terms and Conditions for Travel Requirements: Appendix E

NLR Representations and Certifications

NLR Proposal Form – Labor Rate Break-Down Proposal Form

NLR Conflicts of Interest Forms

14. NAICS Code and Small Business Size Standard

(a) The small business size standard for 541715 is 1,000 or fewer employees.

15. Notice Regarding NLR Payments to Subcontractors

It is NLR’s standard practice to make all payments to domestic subcontractors via electronic (ACH) payments or to international subcontractors via wire transfers. Any Offeror receiving notification of an award under this solicitation must complete and submit a “Request for ACH/Wire Banking Information” form to the applicable NLR Subcontract Administrator. Payments to subcontractors will be deposited directly into the subcontractor’s designated bank account in accordance with the banking account/wire transfer information provided on the form by an authorized company representative. An electronic (PDF) copy of the form will be provided by the NLR Subcontract Administrator upon notification of award. Please do not include an ACH form with your response to this RFP.

http://www.nlr.gov/workingwithus/standard-terms.html

SUBMIT OFFERS TO AND REQUEST INFORMATION FROM THE NLR RFP CONTACT BELOW