Community Outreach and Capacity Building for Residential Energy Upgrades

The City of Madison's Sustainability and Resilience Program is seeking proposals for a community outreach and capacity building project focused on residential energy upgrades. This Request for Proposals (RFP) aims to partner with up to five community-based organizations (CBOs) to implement a multi-modal community engagement campaign that will help residents access home energy upgrade programs, energy efficiency job training, and contractor upskilling initiatives. The project's key objectives include providing energy upgrades to at least 825 single- and multi-family housing units, offering energy-saving devices to 1,050 households, providing workforce training to 60 young people, and engaging 8-10 local Minority and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in the energy efficiency sector. Proposals are due on Friday, August 8th, 2025 at 2:00 PM Central Time, with a mandatory pre-application meeting required by July 24th, 2025. Evaluation will be comprehensive, with 125 total points allocated across criteria including project approach, community involvement, budget details, and organizational capabilities.

The RFP is specifically targeted at non-profit organizations with tax-exempt status that can provide culturally and linguistically responsive outreach to specific target audiences, including low-income renters, rental property owners, low-income single-family homeowners, and individuals and contractors in the energy efficiency sector. The project will focus on census tract block groups identified as disadvantaged communities, with a strong emphasis on connecting residents to existing energy efficiency programs and providing technical assistance. The City anticipates allocating five grants ranging from $133,000 to $233,000 each, with the funding period running from August 2025 to August 2026. This procurement is funded by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant and is specifically designed to support community-based organizations that can effectively engage and support underserved populations in accessing energy efficiency resources and opportunities.