Environmental Justice and Community Engagement Planning

The Washington State Department of Commerce is seeking proposals from firms to assist in developing a Community Benefits Plan (CBP) as part of the agency's application to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for Home Energy Rebates funding authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The selected consultant will be responsible for planning and conducting community engagement activities across Washington, including identifying high energy burden and environmentally overburdened communities, holding engagement events, conducting interviews on community residential energy needs, and partnering with community organizations. The consultant will also help Commerce draft the required CBP and provide an engagement strategy to support outreach to identified environmental justice communities through 2031. The contract period is tentatively scheduled to begin on May 14, 2024 and end on September 30, 2024, with the possibility of two one-year extensions. Commerce has budgeted an amount not to exceed $500,000 for this project, and the RFP includes a mandatory award to a small or veteran-owned business if a responsive and responsible proposal is received from such an entity. Respondents must meet minimum qualifications, including at least three years of experience leading facilitation, outreach, and education projects, and experience with diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles.

The RFP states that submitting or winning the planning proposal does not disqualify a vendor from participating in the future implementation RFP. Commerce is seeking a comprehensive outreach and education approach that achieves 50% low-income and 40% disadvantaged community participation, and will evaluate the proposer's experience in areas such as marketing to underserved communities, community engagement, and residential energy efficiency. Pricing will be evaluated based on the detailed budget submitted, including staff costs and necessary expenses.