SS-2024021864 - Audit and Tax Services.pdf

Sources Sought Notice No. SS-2024021864

“Audit and Tax Services” November 11, 2024

Background:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a national laboratory owned by the U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE). NREL is the only federal laboratory dedicated to research, development, commercialization, and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. NREL is managed and operated for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy (Alliance), the “M&O Contractor”.

Objective:

The objective of this Sources Sought is to identify potential subcontracting companies that are qualified and capable of providing high-quality and timely audit and tax services for the Alliance.

Project Details:

In the event a solicitation is released, NREL is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that meets or exceeds the following minimum capabilities:

• Provide tax services to assist in the completion and review of the Alliance IRS Form 990 and related State tax returns.

• Provide full scope and limited scope financial statement audit services for the Alliance.

• Provide a full scope and limited scope audit of the annual financial statements for the

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Shared Security Pension Plan.

• Ensure the annual financial statements and the completed Form 5500 and any other ancillary filings (i.e., Form 8955-SSA, Form 990-T, etc.) associated with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Shared Security Pension Plan are consistently presented.

• Audit the annual financial statements for the NREL 403(b) Savings Plan.

• Ensure the annual financial statements and the completed Form 5500 and any other ancillary filings (i.e., Form 8955-SSA, Form 990-T, etc.) associated with the NREL 403(b) Savings Plan.

• Provide accounting guidance for emerging issues at the request of Alliance Office of the Chief Financial Office (OCFO).

• Provide tax consulting services for Alliance OCFO.

• Frequent communications with the OCFO during audit and/or tax engagements.

• Robust technical capabilities – documentation requests and prepared by client (PBC) list.

Request Details:

The Alliance intends to competitively solicit for Audit and Tax Services, dependent on the volume of qualified responses received.

Step 1 - Sourcing (SSN): Parties that meet the minimum criteria outlined herein are encouraged to submit their capabilities statements. Submitted capabilities statements that meet the Alliance’s stated criteria will be considered for inclusion in the source list to receive notice of the planned RFP. The Alliance reserves the right to add additional sources to the source list at its discretion.

Step 2: Qualifying (RFQ): Once the source list is compiled (the Alliance reserves the right to add additional sources to the source list at its discretion), the Alliance will send each qualified source the solicitation document Request for Proposals (RFP). Sources will then be asked to submit in accordance with that formal solicitation document. The Alliance will then evaluate the submitted qualifications against the selection criteria.

Small-Business Requirements: Sufficient, qualified responses to this SSN will determine if a total small business set aside is appropriate for a resultant RFP. The NAICS code applicable to this SSN is 541219.

The following links are being provided for convenience:

• https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards

• https://www.sba.gov/size-standards

Period of Performance: This project is anticipated to have a base period of performance totaling twelve (12) months or 365 days, plus four one-year option periods totaling twelve (12) months of 365 days. The total Period of Performance, if all options are exercised, shall not exceed sixty (60) months.

Anticipated Lead/Delivery Time: The Alliance program anticipates the lead/delivery time to be August 1, 2025.

Location of Work to be Performed: Offerors shall be able to demonstrate their capability to perform in these locations:

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) South Table Mountain Campus (STM)

15013 Denver West Parkway Golden, CO 80401

Submission Requirements:

https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards https://www.sba.gov/size-standards

For companies interested in competing for the “Audit and Tax Services” RFP, please submit the following to Rachel Province at ASP.Responses@NREL.gov on or before 5:00 p.m. (MST), November 25, 2024. Your submission response is limited to 2-5 pages:

1. Company Name, Address, and Company URL (include bona-fide location as stated above).

2. Point of Contact Information (Email, Direct Phone Number).

3. Company’s Capability Statement that provides a narrative of the Offeror’s expertise with projects of similar scope, size, and complexity as identified below:

Equipment/Services Capability (including optional capabilities): Alliance is seeking a subcontractor that has demonstrated success with similar projects, has experience with federally funded projects, is knowledgeable with challenging schedules on project delivery, and is well versed and skilled in effectively integrating with all project team stakeholders.

Please complete the following table.

1 Capabilities Experience:

Yes/No

Years Experience (if applicable)

1.1 Experience in Federal financial statements (5 years minimum).

1.2

Experience in Not-for-profit financial statements and 990 tax return preparation (5 years minimum).

1.3 Experience with clients of >$500 million in revenue.

1.4 Recent (within 5 years) client list of customers that fit within 1.1, 1.2 & 1.3.

4. Estimated implementation timeframe after award.

Disclaimer: Responding to this request identifies your company as an interested candidate only.

Your submittal is not in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP). This is an SSN, not a Request for Proposal. Verbal replies will not be accepted. All inquiries must be in writing via email. Project related questions will not be entertained at this point in the procurement process. This document represents a market research effort. Any costs associated with the development of a response to this request will not be reimbursed by NREL and submission does not guarantee or otherwise promise inclusion in any forthcoming RFP. In the event a solicitation results from this SSN NREL reserves the right to set aside in total or in part any resultant award. No award will be made to any subcontractor/vendor that is not registered or in the process of registering with the System for Award Management (SAM). Please visit the SAM website at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration for instructions on how to register.

mailto:%20ASP.Responses@NREL.gov https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

If a solicitation is conducted and an award is resulting, a SAM registration is required to be active at time of award.