Commercial Demand Response Program Expansion

The City of Austin, Texas is requesting proposals for consulting and program management services to expand its Commercial Demand Response program under RFP 1100 DCM3051, with proposals due October 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. and a pre-offer conference scheduled for September 30, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. Questions are due by October 2, 2026. Offerors may claim Local Business Preference (up to 10 points) or Small Business Preference (up to 10 points) if eligible; no MBE/WBE subcontracting goals are assigned due to insufficient subcontracting opportunities.

The scope encompasses consulting and program management services supporting existing Commercial Demand Response and Emergency Response Service programs, expanding the Automated Demand Response program utilizing OpenADR 2.0b protocols, and providing planning, administrative, and technical services to increase customer enrollment and participation. Key deliverables include a program initiation meeting within 30 calendar days of award, a comprehensive marketing and outreach plan within 90 calendar days prior to the demand response season, customer engagement and retention strategies, OpenADR system design and support, post-event reporting, and annual program evaluations. The contractor must maintain security and confidentiality of Austin Energy customer data, comply with FACTA Affidavit requirements, execute a Network Connection Agreement, submit a Consultant Remote Access Request form, and implement Austin Energy's IT Data Handling Controls including encryption, multi-factor authentication, access logging, and data breach notification within four hours.

The contract term is 12 months with options for up to four additional 12-month renewal periods at the City's sole discretion. Pricing is structured with base labor compensation for Tasks 1–3 (estimated 45 hours annually at rates ranging from $45 to $675 per hour depending on job classification) plus a performance-based bonus capped at $78,000 per contract year, calculated at $10,000 per megawatt for growth between 5–8 MW and $15,000 per megawatt for growth exceeding 8 MW annually. Evaluation criteria are Concept and Solution (35 points), Proposed Experience and Personnel (25 points), Price (20 points), Local Business Preference (10 points), and Small Business Preference (10 points). Offerors must demonstrate at least five verifiable project references completed since 2020. The City requires workers' compensation ($1,000,000), commercial general liability ($2,000,000 per occurrence), professional liability ($2,000,000 per occurrence), business automobile liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), and cyber liability ($1,000,000 per claim) insurance.