District Energy Campus Upgrades Committee Facilitator

The Washington State Department of Commerce is soliciting proposals for facilitation services to the District Energy Campus Upgrades Committee under an RFP with proposals due August 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and a pre-proposal conference on July 13, 2026. Eligible proposers must be nonprofit entities licensed to do business in Washington.

The scope comprises two integrated deliverables: facilitating an appointed committee to prioritize capital decarbonization projects for state campus district energy systems and submitting recommendations to the governor and legislature; and analyzing barriers to state agencies entering energy-as-a-service contracts or public-private partnerships, with legislative recommendations and financial analyses describing how agencies could complete decarbonization projects. The contractor must deliver a prioritization framework and funding recommendations report by April 1, 2027, and a final report by June 30, 2027.

Minimum qualifications include knowledge of working with elected bodies, experience facilitating multi-party input on complex topics, sound project management methodology, knowledge of public-private partnerships and energy-as-a-service contracts, understanding of state agency financial operations, and demonstrated experience conducting nonpartisan work. Proposers that do not meet all stated minimum qualifications will be deemed non-responsive and not evaluated.

The contract amount does not exceed $630,500, with reimbursement-based payments for deliverables and allowable expenses. The anticipated term runs September 2026 through June 2027, with Commerce reserving the right to extend for two additional one-year periods. No mandatory small or veteran-owned business set-asides apply, as the contract exceeds the $150,000 threshold.

Evaluation weights the technical proposal at 80 percent and the management proposal at 20 percent, with cost scoring calculated by dividing the lowest cost by each proposer's total cost. Proposers must submit certifications and assurances, diverse business inclusion plans, workers' rights certifications, and detailed technical, management, and cost proposals.