RFQ-ENE-2026-023 Passive House Utility Bill Reporting.pdf

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND

ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESOURCES

ELIZABETH MAHONY, COMMISSIONER

100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02114

Request for Quote (RFQ)

Document Title: Passive House Utility Bill Reporting Services

COMMBUYS Bid Number: BD-26-1041-ENE01-ENE01-130030

Agency Document Number: RFQ-ENE-2026-023

Issued June 02, 2026

Please Note: This is a single document associated with a complete Bid (also referred to as Solicitation) that can be found on www.COMMBUYS.com. All Bidders are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information, forms and requirements for the entire Bid, which are all incorporated into the Bid. Bidders may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or the COMMBUYS Helpline at 1-888-MA-STATE. The Helpline is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal, state and Suffolk County holidays.

http://www.commbuys.com/ mailto:COMMBUYS@state.ma.us

Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources – RFQ-ENE-2026-023

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I. Introduction The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) develops and implements policies and programs aimed at ensuring the adequacy, security, diversity, and cost-effectiveness of the Commonwealth’s energy supply to create a clean, affordable and resilient energy future for all residents, businesses, communities, and institutions. In this procurement, DOER will purchase services and products that can be used to advance policies managed by itself and by other Departments in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA).

II. Background and Objectives

The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) plans to undertake a study that makes the case for benefits of renters and tenants of multifamily affordable housing that are built to Passivehouse (PH) standards. The maximum amount of funding from this RFQ is sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000).

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has funded seven projects to collect construction cost data for new affordable housing built to PH standards, now required by the Massachusetts opt-in Specialized Code, and since then many more projects have been built. The MassCEC award included a requirement to provide utility bill data for 2-3 years post occupancy of the new buildings. The DOER is seeking to leverage the opportunity for utility data and bring in other recent PH projects from developers who have both PH and non-PH rental apartments that have been recently built. The proposed scope of work is to aggregate approximately range of 18- 30 PH and non-PH buildings with utility bills from the same past winter and summer seasons.

III. Procurement and Contact Information

A. Type of Procurement

Fee for Service subject to 801 CMR 21.

B. Commonwealth Of Massachusetts’ Small Business Purchasing Program

Program Background

The Massachusetts Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) was established pursuant to Executive Order 523 to increase state contracting opportunities with small businesses having their principal place of business within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Pursuant to the SBPP, it is the intention of the issuing department to award this Small Procurement to one or more SBPP participating business(es) as described below.

SBPP Award Preference

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While all businesses, no matter the size or principal place of business, may submit responses to this solicitation, should an SBPP participant respond and meet the best value criteria as described in this solicitation, the SBPP participant shall be awarded the contract. The Strategic Sourcing Services Team (SSST) will not evaluate submissions from non-SBPP participants unless no SBPP Bidder meets the SSST’s best value evaluation criteria.

SBPP Participation Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in this procurement as an SBPP participant, an entity must meet the following criteria, and be marked as an SBPP registered business in COMMBUYS:

1. Have its principal place of business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;

2. Been in business for at least one year;

3. Employ a combined total of 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees in all locations, or employees work less than a combined total of 26,000 hours per quarter; and

4. Have gross revenues, as reported on appropriate tax forms, of $15 million or less, based on a three-year average.

Non-profit firms also must be registered as a non-profit or charitable organization with the MA Attorney General’s Office and be up to date with all filings required by that office and be tax exempt under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

SBPP Compliance Requirements

It is the responsibility of the Bidder to ensure that their SBPP status is current at the time of submitting a response and throughout the life of any resulting contract. Misrepresentation of SBPP status will result in disqualification from consideration, and may result in debarment, contract termination, and other actions. To learn more about the SBPP, including how to apply, visit the SBPP webpage, http://www.mass.gov/sbpp.

Program Resources & Assistance

Bidders and Contractors seeking assistance regarding SBPP may visit the SBPP webpage or contact the SBPP Help Desk at sbpp@mass.gov.

C. RFQ Distribution Method

This RFQ has been distributed electronically using the COMMBUYS system. It is the responsibility of every potential respondent to check COMMBUYS for any addenda or modifications to an RFQ to which they intend to respond. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its subdivisions accept no liability and will provide no accommodations to respondents who fail to check for amended RFQs or submit inadequate or incorrect responses.

http://www.mass.gov/sbpp mailto:sbpp@mass.gov

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Respondents may not alter RFQ language or any RFQ component files. Those submitting a proposal must respond in accordance with the RFQ directions and complete only those sections that prompt a respondent for a response. Modifications to the body of this RFQ, specifications, terms and conditions, or which change the intent of this RFQ, are prohibited. Any unauthorized alterations will disqualify a response.

D. PRF74 – Energy Consultant Services

Work awarded as a result of this RFQ is pursuant to Statewide Contract PRF74 – Energy, Climate Action, and Facility Advisory Services Designated DOER (PRF74). As such, all terms, conditions, contract rules, and pricing established in PRF74 shall apply. Additional information concerning PRF74 can be found in the User Guide: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/professional-services

E. Massachusetts Public Records Law

All proposals and information submitted in response to this RFQ are subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., Chapter 66, Section 10, and to Chapter 4, Section 7, and Subsection

26. Any statements in submitted proposals that are inconsistent with these statutes shall be disregarded.

F. No Guarantee of Resulting Contract

The Commonwealth makes no assurance that any services will be purchased from any contract resulting from this RFQ.

G. Questions and Answers

All questions must be submitted through COMMBUYS.

https://www.mass.gov/service-details/professional-services https://www.mass.gov/service-details/professional-services

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H. Contact Information

Responses to this RFQ will be received by:

Procurement Contact: Shilpa Surana Department of Energy Resources 100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02114 Telephone: 617-626-7365 E-mail: shilpa.surana@mass.gov RFQ Name: Passive House Utility Bill Reporting RFQ File Number: RFQ-ENE-2026-023

Milestone Date

DOER Issues RFQ June 2, 2026

Deadline for Submitting Questions June 8, 2026

DOER Answers Questions June 11, 2026

RFQ Response Due June 17 2026

Selection of Winning Response* June 23, 2026

Execution of Contract with DOER July 1, 2026

* Dates after RFQ Response Due date are anticipated dates. All dates are subject to change.

IV. Scope of Work The selected consultant (Consultant) will provide the services described below:

1. The Consultant will set up a kickoff meeting to review list of potential projects and ownership teams and create a plan for outreach.

2. Undertake outreach via emails to 10+ ownership teams with Passivehouse and code built multifamily buildings in operation in MA, and, to obtain ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM) connections for a range of between 18 to 30 total buildings.

3. Perform data cleaning, aggregation and Energy Use Intensity analysis with utility Energy

Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) data and use rate class and meter type to allocate to utility bills for typical tenants in each building.

4. Set up bi-weekly calls with DOER and the selected Consultant’s team to share updates.

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5. Meet with building owners, review preliminary data analysis, and obtain survey results to delineate additional data about these buildings.

6. Create the dataset that is sharable with DOER.

7. Organize findings in a brief report and presentation to DOER and MassCEC.

V. DELIVERABLES

Key deliverables as discussed above and as directed by DOER shall be completed by the selected Contractor. Such deliverables include:

Task Deliverable Expected Completion Date

1 Project Kick-Off Meeting July 13, 2026

2 Create list of 10+ ownership teams and undertake outreach via emails July to Sept, 2026

3 Share findings from first set of reviews in a presentation to DOER and MassCEC (12+ projects) October 9, 2026

4 Share updates from all the reviews and preliminary recommendations (18-30 projects) November 16, 2026

5 Present findings in a final report and presentation to DOER and MassCEC

December 11, 2026

The Consultant understands that all work, deliverables, and associated documents resulting from this Statement of Work are owned in full by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and shall hold all information gathered as confidential.

VI. CONTRACT INFORMATION

A. Funding availability/duration of contract

The maximum amount of funding for any contract resulting from this RFQ is sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000). DOER anticipates that any contract(s) awarded pursuant to this RFQ begin on the date of contract execution and end on June 30, 2027. The contract is subject to available funding. DOER reserves the right to hire a Contractor for a limited scope of work if necessary to meet the budget parameters.

B. Contract Expansion

If additional funds become available during the contract duration period, DOER reserves the right to increase the maximum obligation to the contract executed as a result of this RFQ, with related additional tasks to be determined by mutual written agreement consistent with the terms of statewide contract PRF74.

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C. Contractor’s responsibility and invoicing

The selected Contractor will be responsible for timely completion of the requirements described above and as directed by DOER. The selected Contractor must assume overall responsibility for coordinating and completing all deliverables contained in the resultant contract. All invoices must be submitted to DOER on a schedule and in a format to be agreed upon by DOER and the selected Contractor. Invoices shall include sufficient back-up documentation to support the amount being invoiced.

D. The Commonwealth’s responsibility

DOER’s Project Manager will be responsible for overseeing and managing all tasks undertaken by the selected Contractor, including but not limited to developing of a Statement of Work and schedule; reviewing, commenting on, and approving deliverables; coordinating with DOER and other program staff; and approving invoices promptly.

VII. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Respondents to this RFQ-ENE-2026-023 must respond via the COMMBUYS web portal and must also submit an electronic proposal to shilpa.surana@mass.gov by 4:00 P.M. EST on June 17, 2026. Late proposals will not be accepted. Faxed proposals will not be accepted. Proposals should not be submitted in an elaborate format that includes expensive binders or graphics. Unnecessary attachments beyond those sufficient to present a complete, comprehensive, and effective response will not influence the evaluation of the proposal. Each page of the proposal should state the name of the bidder and the page number.

Respondents must provide the following sections in their proposal. The proposal must not exceed eight (8) pages, not including resumes, schedule of activities/deliverables, or budget proposal.

1. Applicant Qualifications and Experience:

a. List applicant organization (name, address, contact person), any partner organization(s)

(name, address, contact person), and key individuals that are part of the team and will be working on this project. Resumes for individual team members should be attached to an appendix and do not count toward the page limit.

b. For each organization and key individual team member, a description of the activities to be performed and relevant experience.

c. Descriptions of relevant projects on which the applicant and, if appropriate, key individuals, have worked on in the past.

d. Contact information for person(s) whom DOER can contact regarding the applicant’s and, if appropriate, key individuals’, past performance on relevant projects.

2. Budget: A budget, broken out by task, staff-person, and hourly rate. Respondents must provide project‐based pricing instead of the maximum billing rates established at PRF74.

mailto:shilpa.surana@mass.gov

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Consultants must include any and all ancillary services in the project price. DOER under no circumstance will pay additional invoices related to project‐based procurement. Proposals that include partnerships must designate one party as the lead Contractor and identify the team of subcontractors (collectively referred to as subcontractors.

VIII. PROPOSAL EVALUATION

The selected Contractor shall demonstrate the experience, ability, and skills to complete projects of this type on time and within budget.

All proposals received by the due date and meeting the requirements established in this RFQ will be reviewed and evaluated by DOER. The evaluation will include, but will not be limited to, the following criteria:

• Effectiveness of the proposed approach: Respondent’s proposed approach demonstrates understanding of the tasks and a logical approach. Respondent demonstrates understanding and sound approach to proposed Scope of Work.

• Likelihood of proposal to achieve outcomes: Respondent’s proposal, hours allocated to each task, and team composition suggests likelihood of proposal to achieve outcomes and produce deliverables on schedule.

• Respondent’s experience with similar projects and relevant subject matter: Respondent team has demonstrated experience including background, knowledge, and experience with the tasks and subject matter described in the Scope of Work, above.

• Specific experience collecting and analyzing multifamily utility data; specific experience with passive house certification projects.

• Extent to which the proposed budget demonstrates the best value to the Commonwealth, including consideration of total cost and hourly rates for team members.